Partnerships and learning communities in work‐integrated learning: designing a community services student placement program

Abstract

The paper describes and analyses the design and implementation of a higher education student placement program in the community services sector. Principally ideas about partnerships and social learning informed the design. The placement program represents a significant innovation in work‐integrated learning, achieved through collaboration between a community services organisation and a university school of social science and humanities. It offers students a high quality learning environment arising from organisational capacity‐building based on partnership principles. The paper traces the challenges and complexities of creating a student learning community that impacts positively on the wider host organisation. It also charts the implications for university involvement in community engaged knowledge production focused on enhancing the student experience.

Keywords:

• community of practice
• community services
• learning communities
• partnerships
• student work placements
• work‐integrated learning

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the contribution of students who participated in the placement program and all staff of TSACS and GSSSP involved in the project, in particular the general manager of TSACS. This paper would not have been possible without their commitment and enthusiasm. Responsibility for the content of the paper resides with the authors.