Student Learning Outcomes from Work placement: A Systematic Literature Review
- Publisher:
- Curran Associates, Inc.
- Publication Type:
- Conference Proceeding
- Citation:
- 9th Research in Engineering Education Symposium and 32nd Australasian Association for Engineering Education Conference, REES AAEE 2021: Engineering Education Research Capability Development, 2021, 1, pp. 452-462
- Issue Date:
- 2021-01-01
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CONTEXT Under Engineers Australia (EA) accreditation requirements for engineering education programs, graduate engineers must develop competencies within their chosen discipline at the point of entry to practice. Universities across Australia implement Work Integrated Learning (WIL) as a method to prepare students for the world of work and to give students the chance to develop the elements of competencies required by EA. For this project, we are particularly interested in work placements or vacation employment during undergraduate degrees. Many universities across Australia have consistently reported the “positive benefits” of work placements. Some benefits included increase in employability, job readiness, and professional identity, and to make the transition from university to work more effective. Despite the growing number of publications that highlight the benefits of work placements in improving competencies that are transferable, employers have consistently suggested that engineering graduates have skill deficits in communication, leadership, and social skills. These are some of the same skills outlined by EA. PURPOSE OR GOAL The main question arises as to what competencies engineering students are developing during their work placements. This Systematic Literature Review identifies existing research on generic engineering competencies to determine which one's undergraduate engineering students develop during their work placements. This review is the first phase of a larger research project focussed on virtual work integrated learning. APPROACH OR METHODOLOGY/METHODS The literature search identified the intersection of three concepts (engineering students, work integrated learning, and competency) in selected databases. Databases included A+ Education via Informit, Educational Research Abstracts, Web of Science, Sage Journals and Proquest. Records of 1493 publications, between 2000 and 2020, were found. 35 journal articles meeting the inclusion criteria were included in this review. ACTUAL OR ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES This review synthesises the quantitative results and qualitative data to establish a list of generic engineering competencies, refining their definitions and descriptions, and highlighting interrelationships between competencies. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS/SUMMARY The results of this work will be of interest to researchers in engineering education, university work integrated learning facilitators, curriculum designers in engineering, and those who supervise undergraduate students in their workplace.
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