{"id":1670,"date":"2020-06-06T12:16:08","date_gmt":"2020-06-06T12:16:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/highlyskilledemployment\/?page_id=1670"},"modified":"2021-02-11T15:46:19","modified_gmt":"2021-02-11T15:46:19","slug":"applied-learning","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.ac.uk\/highlyskilledemployment\/curriculum-model\/applied-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Applied Learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

ICfE<\/a> > Open Day<\/a> > Transition into HE<\/a> > Level 4<\/a> > Level 5<\/a> > Level 6<\/a> > Level 7<\/a> >\u00a0Applied Learning > Career Readiness<\/a> > Local Market Intelligence<\/a> > Digital Skills for Employability<\/a> > Enterprise<\/a>\u00a0> Feedback<\/a><\/p>\n

Applied Learning<\/h2>\n

What is Applied Learning?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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\nApplied learning describes an approach whereby students learn by engaging in directly applying their skills, theories and models. Students apply the knowledge, skills, theories and models from their discipline-subject to real-world challenges, creative projects or research.\u00a0 Consecutively, what they then gain from these real-world applied experiences they apply to their academic learning. Find out more on the Applied Learning in Practice blog.<\/a><\/p>\n

The Model<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The applied learning experience can occur outside of the traditional classroom experience, for example, sandwich placement or 120 hours work experience.\u00a0 Equally, it can be embedded as part of the taught course.\u00a0 At Sheffield Hallam, this is often achieved through live projects.\u00a0 In many cases these live projects are in conjunction with the Venture Matrix, where live projects are designed, in collaboration with employers, to enable students to develop their self-confidence, problem solving and teamwork; the top-rated employability skills identified by students, tutors and employers (Wickramasinghe & Perera, 2010). The employer project is constructively aligned to the module and its assessment to positively impact learning (Biggs, 1996). Student activity adds value to the employer by enabling work that might not otherwise be done (Harris, Jones & Coutts, 2010). Students are encouraged to embrace the value they add and to expect success in the module. Fostering these attitudes harnesses the expectancy-value theory of motivation and drives the work forward (Biggs, 2003).<\/p>\n

Interconnecting elements of the model (subject-specific placement, authentic environment, CPD support, workshops<\/em>), follow Herrington\u2019s model of authentic learning (Herrington & Herrington, 2006) and are designed to support the acquisition of higher-order thinking processes and competencies as well as of factual subject knowledge (Gulikers & Kirschner, 2004). Through taking part in the placements the students develop cognitive competencies such as problem-solving and critical thinking, as well as social competencies such as communication and collaboration; and through workshops are supported to develop meta-cognitive competencies such as reflection (Birenbaum, 1996).<\/p>\n

At this stage in the pipeline, the students have had a rich and building experience of application and professionalism, which from pre-induction through level 5 has been augmented by significant guided instruction; as such, at this point they can be afforded space to engage in free exploration of the tasks (Cain, Grundy & Woodward, 2018). This enables a constructivist epistemology by which the students create their own learning and experience but are guided to think and act like experts, (Jonassen, 1991) via the scope of the consultancy project itself.<\/p>\n

In Practice<\/strong><\/h3>\n

At Level 4: Level 4 \u2013 Mass Participation Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n