Do you want to work with student-centred case materials that get students working in teams and applying a range of personal and interpersonal skills, such as, team working, information handling, problem identification, creative problem-solving, negotiation and action-planning?
Then check out these case studies which have been used with undergraduates and masters students in all the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences disciplines. The cases are:
‘Seatons’ — about a chemical factory dealing with pollution issues, compiled with the Environment Agency. (No chemistry needed: this works well with the general public and as a staff training exercise.)
‘SusDale’ — about issues occurring in the Yorkshire Dales National Park, written with the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority.
‘Flood Defence’ — two cases based on the River Lavant, Chichester, compiled with the Environment Agency.
‘Flood Warning’ — two cases about planning a flood warning regime, again with the Environment Agency.
Each case can be run in a 2-3 hour slot with appropriate briefing, or be given to students for one week and presented a week or two later. A detailed version of SusDale also exists as the main focus of a 10 credit module. I use the four flood defence and flood warning cases as the assessments for a 10 credit hydrology module.
You can download the tutor’s notes and student’s notes for all these cases from: http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/courses/other/casestudies/
The Environment Agency sponsored cases can also be found at: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/education/studies/case.htm
The flood warning and flood defence cases are splendidly topical at present. The website http://context.tlsu.leeds.ac.uk/index.asp also has more cases worth checking out.
A Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) pilot project ‘Strategic Model for Developing Materials for Recording Achievement in Traditional Universities’ led by the University of Leeds had as its aim the creation of a Faculty-wide portfolio for all undergraduates in Geography, Earth Science, Environmental Sciences and Transport Studies. Undergraduate progress files were piloted in 1998/1999 and introduced across faculty in September 1999. They are used in the Schools in different ways. These are either through study skills sessions and tutorial modules (Geography and Transport Studies) or within the University personal tutorial scheme (Environmental Sciences, Earth Sciences). They aim to encourage students to reflect on and review their activities at least once a semester. They are cross-referenced from study skills and careers modules in the Schools to highlight transferable skill development within mainstream teaching. Students taking workplace projects and year abroad activities are given further encouragement to log activities and highlight them in their portfolios. A Taught Masters Students’ Progress file has also been developed.
If you want to use the Leeds Portfolio in any way, from idle reference to direct adoption, feel free. You can download copies at any time from:
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/publications/portfolio/
I would welcome an email to let me know if you do use some or all of the material, and comments on the style and content would also be appreciated. We will review our use of the portfolio later in the year and I would welcome ideas and comments from the GEES community.
Introduction
From time to time, the Subject Centre will be raising the awareness of learning and teaching initiatives in cognate disciplines from which we can learn. The REAL-WORLD project is a good example of this: it has the principal aim of enhancing the employability of students by integrating work-related learning activities into the curriculum. Work-related learning can include activities such as placements, industrial visits, live projects, case materials, mentoring schemes etc. REAL-WORLD has a national remit and is concentrating on the subject areas of Agriculture, Forestry, Agricultural Sciences and the Organismal Biosciences.
REAL-WORLD is based at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The project team includes academic staff from the Faculty of Agriculture and Biological Sciences at Newcastle, the School of Sciences at the University of Sunderland and educational and development staff from the Academic Development Unit, (part of the Newcastle University Careers Service). The project is supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) under the Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL).
Good Practice
A key feature of REAL-WORLD is the development of a good practice guide that will draw from the experiences and expertise of both the academic and the business community. Using the guide as a base, REAL-WORLD will encourage and support the practical uptake of work-related learning into the curriculum. For employers and support organisations, REAL-WORLD will act as a link to ensure that skill requirements and concerns are reflected in the integration of work-related learning.
For Academic Departments
Access a good practice guide based on case studies. Participate in the development of the guide to ensure that innovations in work-related learning can be communicated to a variety of institutions;
Take advantage of the support, guidance and funding REALWORLD offers regarding the development of work-related learning;
Share your experience and views with other practitioners.
For Employers
Access and contribute to the good practice guide. Ensure that it reflects the needs for a skilled workforce;
Participate in the framework for establishing good practice in work-related learning;
Form relationships with academic departments who are committed to meeting the skill requirements for graduates;
Work with REAL-WORLD to develop work-related learning initiatives.
Receive our initial report on good practice
From the outset we are encouraging participation from academics and employers that we hope will benefit from REAL-WORLD. We have prepared an initial report that is concerned with establishing criteria for good practice in work-related learning. This is available free of charge. To request your copy or to find out more about Real World, please contact us at the address below. In addition, you may like to contribute to the e-discussion on REAL-WORLD by visiting the website http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/goodpractice
The FDTL3 Funded project REAL-WORLD outlined above recently hosted a workshop for academic staff involved with courses in Agriculture, Forestry, Agricultural Sciences and the Organismal Biosciences.
The workshop entitled ‘Ready for The Real World’ hosted by the University of Newcastle Careers Service encouraged the sharing of expertise in the development of work-related learning activities for the appropriate subjects. Work-related learning can include activities such as placements, industrial visits, live projects, case materials, mentoring schemes etc.
Participants from a range of institutions contributed to a ‘conceptual framework’ which will form the basis for identifying examples of good practice in work-related learning activities.
Robert Walker the Project Manager for the REAL-WORLD project said ’The workshop was a valuable opportunity to access a wide-range of experience and expertise in the design and delivery of work-related learning in agricultural and related courses.’ He went on to say ‘The REAL-WORLD project welcomes comments and contributions from other staff involved with agricultural and related courses.’
Details of the areas covered at the workshop including a copy of the conceptual framework are available from Robert Walker at the REAL-WORLD project by email ([email protected]).