Work placement for professional experience in electronics and communications engineering education

International Journal of Electrical Engineering Education, Jul 2009 by Vaezi-Nejad, S M

Abstract This paper describes the aims, health and safety issues, learning aspects and assessment of work placement for professional experience as an optional module offered to our undergraduate students. Some examples of activities carried out by students during their placement are also presented. It is argued that this module develops the capabilities and skills of our students as well as enabling them to become aware of the culture and structure of a working environment.

Keywords industrial placement; practical skills; professional experience

The Faculty of Computing at London Metropolitan University offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses including electronics and communications engineering, security, networking, mobile & satellite communications, IT support, computing, data mining, business IT, mathematics, decision science, statistics, financial mathematics, IT Consultancy, IT security. In September 1997 the university introduced the Capability Curriculum, in which identified capabilities are developed and assessed throughout preliminary and advanced modules. There are six capabilities, designed to enable students to become more employable:

C1: Act appropriately in the context of social and cultural diversity and the modern day environment: This involves recognising and being responsive to the range of social and cultural perspectives on issues relating to subject disciplines and professional activities; and appreciating the scientific and technological base of the modern day environment.

C2: Make ethical evaluations: Students should be able to recognise ethical issues and value systems in subject disciplines, professional behaviours and public action; distinguish between different ethical viewpoints and codes.

C3: Think critically, and produce solutions: Having the ability to identify and classify, analyse and synthesise and to be able to apply these processes in order to hypothesise, solve problems and substantiate arguments.

C4: Manage self and relate to others: This is about having self-awareness in relation to others, which permits students to clarify personal goals, develop and implement personal development/learning plans, take initiative and responsibility both individually and in the context of contributing to team accomplishment and effectiveness.

C5: Communicate effectively in context: To be able to communicate with regard to choice of the communication medium and technology, the selection of appropriate formats, registers and conventions for the communication, and awareness of and responsiveness to the audience or addressee.

C6: Seek, handle and interpret information: This is the ability to identify and classify a variety of appropriate information sources including numerical and other non-verbal forms, collect and distil relevant information and organise and structure it in a new and original format.

It is demonstrated in this paper that students who choose to do the optional Work Placement for Professional Experience (WPPE) module would have the learning opportunities for enhancing their capabilities and developing particularly the two core capabilities C1 and C4. The learning opportunities are appropriate to students' academic level and career aspirations and related to their subject specialism. As WPPE is an advanced level module, students must be in the 2nd or 3rd year of their degree programme and can be registered for either semester 1 or semester 2. The module thus enables students to build on their previous experiences and learning.

The WPPE module is normally one of the regular number of modules a student selects for a year, i.e. eight for a full-time student, up to six for a part-time student. The module runs for the equivalent of twenty-five days, although conditions of the placement may vary (Table 1).

In the following, the aims of WPPE, health and safety considerations, learning aspects, examples of activities during a few recent placements, and assessment are described. It will be argued that by successfully completing this module, students are able to demonstrate:

* The attainment of advanced threshold levels in the specified core capabilities;

* They have operated effectively, both independently and with others, in a structured and routinely supervised work environment;

* They have communicated appropriately with colleagues and superiors;

* They have taken a rational and organised approach, applying previously known or new techniques and/or methodologies, to the task(s) set;

* They can describe and evaluate the structure, major activities and responsibilities of the organisation;

* They can evaluate critically their performance and abilities.

Aims of work placement for professional experience (WPPE)

The optional WPPE module has been developed to help students gain the type of skills and real life experiences employers say they want from graduates. It is assessed and counts towards a student's final degree mark. The module aims to provide students with the opportunity to: