What is PAUW?

PAUW stands for Partnerships in AUthentic Workplace Learning.

The “authentic” refers to the learning tasks, which are based on an actual, realistic, and topical need of the school. The learning tasks are thus embedded in the school’s requirements regarding the provision of care, on which the school is already working. All the teaching competencies are involved in the performance of the tasks. It is a full-task-approach, representative of an actual teaching position.

“Workplace learning” refers to actual work situations. In addition to subject-related work placements conferring teaching and pedagogical competencies, students will also participate in the school’s process of care, confer on the work floor, attend meetings, elaborate plans, and initiate activities, thus acquiring the teaching competencies that cannot be conferred directly at the application level during a teacher training programme or work placements.

The PAUW project has been rolled out under the overarching aim of the teacher training programmes provided by EhB University, VUB University, and the COOVI and Oranjerie adult education centres, united in EduXL, to develop partnerships with the professional field: schools and teacher training programmes joining forces in order to enhance one another and to bridge the gap between education and the labour market.

The EhB is keen to remain tuned in to what is happening on the work floor. PAUW is the pre-eminent opportunity for programmes to meet and reinforce one another. In this project, the professional field is part of the programme and the programme is part of the professional field. Our aim in every case is to ensure good collaboration between three parties: student, work placement school, EhB teacher training programme.

Examples of PAUW work placements are:

• Developing educational materials for multiple lessons: a series of lessons, a theme, et cetera;
• Elaborating and supervising a theme-based day, e.g., global citizenship, feeling good about yourself, diversity, et cetera;
• Giving workshops during a theme-based day;
• Developing evaluation instruments, e.g., adaptive evaluation, observation lists, et cetera;
• Organising and providing additional support during field trips;
• Integrating useful IT tools in a theme;
• Developing independent learning kits for several lessons;
• Participating in school care process;
• …

PAUW aims and objectives

A PAUW work placement is offered to all the students enrolled in the Secondary Education Teaching associate degree programme or (abridged) Bachelor of Secondary Education programme provided by EhB University. The work placement is aimed at enabling the graduates, upon completing their teacher training programme, to demonstrate their capability of adopting an inquisitive attitude.

The abridged programme lacks the time and space for thorough academic research. Within the small-scale context of the work placement, we are nonetheless confident that students can develop some of the skills and attitudes required of a researching teacher.

It is essential for a PAUW task to be substantiated in a highly concrete manner within an authentic educational context. That is why we set great store by good collaboration and open communication between the (work placement) school and the teacher training programme. A PAUW work placement can be regarded as a success if it fosters the learning process of the three partners: the student, the PAUW school, and the teacher training programme.

How is the PAUW work placement structured?

Students have several weeks (depending on the period in which they will be doing the PAUW work placement) to work on their PAUW task and the associated work placement. The full PAUW project comprises four stages.

1. Preparation

The students look for a school at which to do their work placement. This can be either a school at which they have already gained previous work placement experience or a school that is new to them. Schools that are already acquainted with the PAUW and Researching School concept may also submit proposals regarding projects in which they perceive a researching and participatory role for our students. Furthermore, via the forum/Intranet, EhB University regularly presents proposals for PAUW projects in which students can participate.

After defining the research question, the students draw up an action plan (associate degree programme) or a research design (bachelor programme), comprising a concrete schedule. This calls for good and transparent agreements between supervisors (mentors) and students. A good schedule is a guideline for the students and enables the (work placement) school to properly monitor the process and adjust course wherever necessary.

2. Execution

The students work out the action plan in concrete details: students and work placement school jointly elaborate the product, under the supervision of the EhB teacher training programme. Furthermore, students also formulate conclusions based on their interpretation of the research results.

The students record the PAUW task in a file that, preferably, can be disseminated in a digital format (e.g., via the Klascement network). In principle, the students and other co-workers from the professional field can immediately set to work with the PAUW task and the products developed in a teaching setting. For that reason, we request students to field-test at least one element of their PAUW task in an authentic (teaching) context (within the framework of another programme component).

3. Reflection

The students reflect on their role as a researching teacher on the basis of the research process that they have completed. Furthermore, the students reflect on the final product that they have designed, the process, the development of the eventual PAUW task, and the collaboration within the group.

Throughout the PAUW project, the students keep a portfolio on their own research process. In this portfolio, they delve more deeply into the preparation, execution, and their self-reflection. The work placement school and the teacher training programme have the right to peruse the portfolio at any time.

4. Reporting

The final stage in the research process revolves around reporting. In short: the students provide feedback on their research to the workplace (the work placement school). This reporting stage is embedded in the final result: we expect the experience gained during the field tests to be incorporated into the final result.

5. Presentation

During the PAUW event, the students present their PAUW tasks to one another and to the professional field. This event is open to any interested party from the “participating” school. It thus opens up opportunities to expand networks and become acquainted with the graduates who will shortly be joining the teaching force. For the students, it is a good exercise in communication, in which they learn to present themselves to the professional field and to external parties.

Students

Students have the opportunity effectively to be a member of a staff team at a school, to a much greater degree than they would during a subject-related work placement. This enables them to acquire competencies that are not specifically focused on teaching as such, but rather on such other professional skills as collaborating and elaborating projects in an effective team, with all the associated organisational and administrative duties. The work placement also enables students to expand their professional contacts.

Teaching staff

Consultation with work placement schools is embedded in the process. Teachers can thus keep a finger on the pulse. By supervising students on work placement, teachers also keep in touch with the professional field.

The programme

Supervision of students by the teacher training programme fosters the exchange of expertise between the university college and the professional field. Research and innovation flow back to the schools and vice versa.

The PAUW project fosters a (cultural) change in which the professional field is increasingly regarded as a fully-fledged extension of the learning environment, whose involvement in work placements extends beyond merely offering work placement positions.

The professional field

The product can be used for years on end, not only by the work placement school but also by other teachers and schools once the student has shared the material in the Klascement network.

Via the PAUW work placement, the EhB teacher training programme can tie in with the needs of the professional field.

Supervision of students by the teacher training programme fosters the exchange of expertise between the university college and the professional field. Research and innovation flow back to the schools and vice versa.

Challenges

The VOEG programme comprises two different programmes that are being organised in conjunction:

• Associate degree in Secondary Education Teaching (level 5 of the European Qualifications Framework);
• Abridged Bachelor of Secondary Education programme (level 6 of the European Qualifications Framework).

This calls for differentiation by respective level in all the programme components, including the PAUW work placement. The aims and objectives defined for the PAUW work placement differ according to the student’s level. In the research stage of the work placement, first degree students (e.g., someone who has worked as a hairdresser for 20 years and now wishes to become a teacher) will take the first steps in a research track: drawing up the research question, collecting data, et cetera. Bachelor’s students will need to exert full research competencies in their work placement. The differentiation by level is both a challenge and something to work on.

Furthermore, the group of VOEG students is diverse as well. The group usually consists of:

• Fulltime students;
• Students combining the programme with a family and/or a (fulltime) job;
• Students already employed as a Trainee Teacher who wish to earn teaching qualifications.

For the second category, that of working students, planning the PAUW work placement poses a challenge. Because their time is limited, this category tends to treat the work placement in a slightly stepmotherly way. Furthermore, in many cases they fail to see any added value. Convincing these students is a challenge.

The third category, that of Trainee Teachers, has the option of doing their PAUW work placement within their own work environment.

Differentiation between the students poses a challenge to the programme. For that reason, VOEG is exploring other ways to tackle the PAUW work placements.

The supervision of VOEG students is currently realised by dividing the students among the teachers. The teachers are thus assumed to be all-rounders who are familiar with the content and set-up of all the other programme components. In some cases, the school fails to sufficiently encourage the teachers to accommodate the PAUW work placement.

Opportunities

With effect from next year, designated PAUW coaches will be appointed to supervise the students in a more specific and efficient manner, thus garnering more support for the work placement. The appointment of designated PAUW coaches will also enable translation of the (abstract) aims, objectives, and expectations of the PAUW work placement to the student context.

As indicated under “Added value”, the programme intends the PAUW work placement to foster a change in which the involvement of the professional field in work placements extends beyond merely opening up to trainees. By the following academic year, VOEG intends to join forces with the regular Bachelor of Secondary Education programme (which also organises PAUW work placements) and expand its partnerships to a limited number of schools that are explicitly committed to the PAUW work placements. Its ultimate goal is the joint training of students through the PAUW work placement. The programme is still exploring ways to convey this message to potential partner schools.

Because of its research element, the PAUW work placement fosters lifelong learning among (first degree) students. Insight into research leads to an inquisitive and critical attitude, thus supporting lifelong learning.

In the Sustainable Scenarios design module, in the second bachelor’s track of the Product Design programme, teacher Ben Hagenaars disseminates the Circle Sector expertise. Students map out circular challenges. In a co-creation process, they design sustainable uses of materials and circular services (labs). They develop and test circular business cases (pilots). They document and record materials and knowledge (library).

Several student projects have served as the basis for additional projects, in which the same students were subsequently involved. For example, within the Circle Sector framework, a shoe repair system has been developed. Students developed the basis for this modular sneaker concept within their lesson assignment. Ben Hagenaars subsequently evolved the project under the Custom Territory research project, in collaboration with external partners MIA-H and Ambiorix. The relevant students were also involved in the process.

In the Circle Sector algae lab, experiments have been conducted involving algae-based bioplastic packaging for Ecover, in collaboration with Atelier Luma and Z33.

Within the framework of the MANUFACTUUR 3.0 exhibition, organised by Z33, five master’s students have investigated new production scenarios for the Spronken Orthopedie company in Genk, a certified manufacturer of medical aids such as prosthetics. During a three-day workshop, the students developed views on what this manufacturer’s future production could look like, factoring in the company’s vision and production process. Each student developed his or her own production scenario and translated this into a concrete prototype.

Custom Territory has also been established within the framework of Circle Sector.

Custom Territory is a travelling collective of fashion makers, designers, and wearers developing such fashion products as sneakers on the basis of locally available raw materials, in collaboration with local actors. This generates “Custom Territories”, which manufacture products with a limited ecological footprint and express the identity of the local context in a tangible manner. This local value chain offers an alternative to the fashion industry that is manifesting itself on a global scale and producing a great deal of waste.

Custom Territory has been established within the framework of the Product Design programme provided by LUCA School of Arts in Genk. Custom Territory has been facilitated with support from Vlaanderen Circulair, the city of Antwerp, and the expertise of Ambiorix.

Students

• Collaborating on projects with interesting partners from the professional field;
• Acquiring useful contacts, building up a network to get started on the labour market;
• Useful link between research department and education;
• Coming into touch with and being able to use actual material flows.

Teaching staff

• Expanding the network of teachers;
• Collaborating in projects with interesting partners from the professional field, evaluating students in juries, et cetera;
• Exchange of expertise;
• Raising commitment among students with respect to the assignments;

Researchers

• Setting up research projects in collaboration with the professional field, using substantive and technological expertise from the business community

The programme

• In collaboration with the professional field, arriving at a socially relevant substantiation of the curriculum, with academic-level added value appropriate to the programme’s educational attainment;
• Creating visibility for the programme vis-à-vis the professional field, whilst also generating projects that are of interest in terms of recruiting new students;

The professional field

Rather than being commissioned by the professional field on the basis of an actual need, the programme is joining forces with the professional field to produce a result that extends beyond a concrete product. In many cases, the professional field is pleasantly surprised by the unexpected results and the less familiar or less common substantiation of the design process.

Interdependence

Taking students and the substantiation of a good learning track as the points of departure. The ability to collaborate with the professional field practice alone does not suffice.

How do you communicate the aims and objectives of an educational institution to a partner that has no experience with present-day educational formats and curricula?

Commitment

Start with informal collaboration and evolve jointly to a more structured collaboration. Both the programme and its partners must indicate that they will continue to meet their commitments in the early stages and during the project (in terms of providing support et cetera);

At what stage can/must informal collaboration take on a more formal shape?

Common goal

Creating added value for each partner: an academic-level assignment for the programme / an outcome of the collaboration that is profitable for the professional field partner.

Whereas many programmes focus on the process, companies tend to focus on the result. Should you choose to focus on either aspect in the collaboration, or would it be better to leave this open?

Interorganisational trust: trust between parties, continued pursuance of which is essential.

Expand your own credibility as a partner to the professional field, for example, through your blog, your portfolio, and the research being conducted by the programme. This enables you to build a stronger case for yourself and to make it clear that your capabilities extend beyond carrying out assignments.

How can partners become each other’s ambassador following collaboration?

Open communication and transparency

Expressing clearly what the programme can and cannot do, and that it is important to tie in with the programme’s educational attainment. In other words: working solely as commissioned by the professional field is out of the question.

When engaging in collaboration, many companies request a NDA. How can we accommodate this with the knowledge that the programme or the students would like to share (e.g., in an academic publication or portfolio, respectively)?

General challenge

The collaboration must not disrupt the market or conflict with the interests of alumni. A solution could be to hire alumni for parts of the collaboration.