NICE HANDBOOK – Academic training of Career ... - Nice-network.eu

The findings show that faculty staff have diverse backgrounds and are confident in supportingthe learning process and professional values, but also need to update their knowledge of technologyand continued academic development. It is notable that faculty engaged in this professionaleducation themselves have significant expertise of professional practice; typically thiswould involve working as a CGC professional prior to teaching on the professional programmesand often continuing to combine practice with teaching.It is interesting that these programmes can sit in different faculties with no reported adverseeffects. This implies that the location of faculty is of no great consequence; but that a trainingteam is strengthened by including those with prior professional experience in the practice ofcareer guidance and counselling.Resource Intensive TeachingMany of the fruitful methods reported involve practical work such as interviewing and groupwork. Feedback, both formative and summative, is applauded as a means of supporting studentswho are working towards effective professional practice during their programmes ofstudy. Such feedback tends to the particular and the individual; both of which are inherentlyresource intensive techniques. The pointer here is for the use of peer review and even peerassessment, and to use of ICT applications, where expensive start-up costs are repaid throughextensive use (including podcasts, e-portfolios). Using the NCC plays well here as a solid foundationon which to build professional programmes.Professional ReflexivityNICE HandbookA core message is the importance of providing opportunities for reflective learning, and thedevelopment of knowledge and skills that is competence-driven, plus an understanding of‘theory in action’ and opportunities to practise and engage with professional settings. Resourcesthat support this approach must be continually refreshed to ensure currency. Assessmentmodes must enable learners to be actively engaged and to link their professional learning tothe required competences. Transparent quality standards are imperative to ensure rigour andconsistency; both are demonstrated. Of course reflective learning and continual professionaldevelopment apply as much to the teaching faculty as to the students on their programmes. Acontinuing call is to innovate. This is raised by the challenge of how we incorporate technologyinto our curricula, approaches to teaching, learning and associated resources as well as assessmentand how staff are supported in developing their capacity. Whilst there is great emphasison conventional outputs from research undertaken by faculty, there is scope to articulate thebenefit of applied research and research derived within a community of practice; whether thatis teaching at university level or within professional practice in the field or indeed a mixtureof the two.Networking from University to Field of PracticeReferencesArmstrong, S., Chan, S., Malfroy, J., and Thomson, R. (2008): Assessment guide: Implementing criteria and standardsbasedassessment. Sydney, NSW: University of Western Sydney.Biggs, J. (2003): Teaching For Quality Learning at University. Wiltshire, UK: Society for Research Into Higher Educationand Open University Press.CEDEFOP (2009): “Professionalising career guidance”. Luxemburg: CEDEFOPEuropean Commission (2004): European credit transfer and accumulation system (ECTS). Key features. From http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/ects/en.pdfHandley, K. & Williams. L. (2011): From copying to learning: using exemplars to engage students with assessmentcriteria and feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36, 95–108Hendry, G. D., Bromberger, N. & Armstrong, S. (2011): “Constructive guidance and feedback for learning: the usefulnessof exemplars, marking sheets and different types of feedback in a first year law subject.” Assessment & Evaluationin Higher Education, 36, 1–11James, M., Black, P., Carmichael, P., Conner, C., Dudley, P., Fox, A., Frost, D.; Honour, L., MacBeath, J., McCormick, R., Marshall,B., Pedder, D., Proctor, R., Swaffield, S. & Wiliam, D. (2006): Learning how to learn: Tools for schools. ImprovingPractice (TLRP). London, UK: RoutledgeRasmussen, A. & Friche, N. (2011): Roles of assessment in secondary education: Participant perspectives”. EducationalAssessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 23, 113–129Schunk, D.H. (2007): Learning Theories: An Educational Perspective (5th Edition), New York: Prentice HallAcademic Training ApproachesAs indicated in the introduction, working collaboratively and co-operatively offers the potentialfor enriched learning. Programmes that support opportunities for the development of communitiesof professional practice, where both staff and learners stay engaged with the widerprofessional community and are supported in their learning, will be beneficial. This points tolooking out from academia to the field and encouraging effective partnerships and networksin order to support students as they become effective practitioners, and managers, and facultyas they continue to offer effective education on professional programmes.Shay, S. (2008): Beyond social constructivist perspectives on assessment: the centring of knowledge. Teaching in Highereducation, 13 (5), 595-605Siemens, G. (2005): Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, International Journal of Instructional Technologyand Distance Learning, Vol. 2 No. 1Spitzer Manfred (2006): Lernen: Gehirnforschung und die Schule des Lebens, New York/Heidelberg: AkademischerVerlagWenger, E. (1998): Communities of practice: Learning meaning and identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.In this chapter, we analyse current trends and developments in the field of career guidance andcounselling to reflect on possible innovations to the academic training of CGC professionals.136 137