Openness and reciprocity: Indigenous community requirements for hosting university students^*

* This study informed the development of the Cherbourg community endorsed protocol for student placements in the community.

ABSTRACT

Although there is a substantial literature critical of the colonising discourses of higher education in both teaching and learning and research, there has been relatively little commentary about work integrated learning (WIL) from an Indigenous perspective. Currently, the higher education discourse of WIL is dominated by a teaching and learning perspective, which focuses almost entirely on the benefits to the student and/or the educational institution. This leaves the Indigenous community experience invisible and continues to reinforce a neo-colonial relationship between higher education providers and Indigenous people. This article reports the findings of a study undertaken in partnership with the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg in Queensland, Australia, which sought to understand the community experience of students undertaking WIL within Cherbourg. Twenty yarns, undertaken by a research assistant employed from the community, provided the basis for identifying key meanings and requirements of the community in their hosting of higher education students. The recent experience of students by the community was found to be positive with reciprocity, openness and practical benefit over time being central concerns. The study concludes that WIL with Indigenous agencies and communities requires decolonising, temporal and relational frames to be employed in the process of negotiating the purpose and processes of higher education student engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Work integrated learning
• Indigenous education
• community partnership
• yarning
• student placement

Acknowledgements

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Cherbourg, the Wakka Wakka peoples and the Cherbourg community, especially the Elders who gave their time and support to the Reference Group and yarns. We also thank all those who participated in the yarns. Appreciation also goes to the Cherbourg Health Action Group, and the Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council for their active involvement in the project decision making and the consideration of findings. The community engagement would not have been as successful without the skills of our research assistant Norman Bond, a Wakka Wakka man who conducted the 20 yarns. The role of the Oodgeroo Unit at QUT and Dr Deb Duthie is also acknowledged as central to our engagement with the community.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

ORCID

Phil Crane http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9105-1089

Mark Brough http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2006-869X

Notes

* This study informed the development of the Cherbourg community endorsed protocol for student placements in the community.