Talk:Work-based learning
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Request 1: Lead definition sentence
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Please change the first two sentences of the lead paragraph:
X: "Work-based learning (WBL) is an educational strategy that provides students with real-life work experiences where they can apply academic and technical skills and develop their employability." It is a series of educational courses which integrate the school or university curriculum with the workplace to create a different learning paradigm.
Y: Work-based learning (WBL) refers to forms of learning that occur through participation in work and contribution, across formal, non-formal and informal contexts.[1][2][3] In education policy, WBL is linked to national systems for the recognition and validation of learning outside formal programmes; in higher education and professional practice, it is also discussed as an emergent transdisciplinary mode of study.[4] JMcQuigge (talk) 17:48, 9 October 2025 (UTC)
Change 2 — New “Definition” section
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Please insert a new top-level section immediately after the lead:
Definition
[edit]Work-based learning (WBL) is defined differently across contexts:
- System / policy strand: International bodies such as the OECD, UNESCO, and Cedefop define WBL within wider systems for the recognition and validation of learning outside formal programmes, often connected to recognition of prior learning (RPL) or validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL).[5][6][7]
- Pedagogical strand: In higher education literature, WBL is often described as a pedagogical approach or mode of delivery that integrates academic study with workplace practice.[8][9]
- Field strand: More recently, scholars have argued that WBL constitutes an emergent transdisciplinary field of study, focused on how contribution produces knowledge and how learning is socially recognized.[10] Some recent scholarship further develops an epistemological and ontological foundation for WBL as a field. (COI note: the following source is authored by me.)[11]
Change 3 — New “Terminology and distinctions”
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Please insert a new top-level section after "Definition":
Terminology and distinctions
[edit]Terminology around WBL varies internationally. Some authors distinguish between work-based learning, work-integrated learning, workplace learning, and co-operative education. While all involve connections between learning and contribution, policy documents and scholarly reviews note that the terms are not interchangeable and reflect different traditions. Work-integrated learning, for example, is commonly associated with structured higher education placements, whereas work-based learning is more broadly applied to learning that arises through participation in work roles and responsibilities.[12][13][14] JMcQuigge (talk) 17:49, 9 October 2025 (UTC)
Change 4 — New “Policy and recognition systems”
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Please insert the following new top-level section:
Policy and recognition systems
[edit]International policy frameworks position WBL as central to lifelong learning. Reports from the OECD, UNESCO, and Cedefop emphasize the role of recognition of prior learning (RPL) and validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL/RVA) in enabling individuals to gain credit for competencies developed outside formal education. These frameworks highlight common assessment methods (such as evidence portfolios, third-party testimony, and structured reflection) and emphasize their importance for social mobility, workforce development, and inclusion.[15][16][17] JMcQuigge (talk) 17:50, 9 October 2025 (UTC)
Change 5 — New “WBL as a field of study”
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Please insert the following new top-level section:
WBL as a field of study
[edit]Beyond its policy applications, WBL has been described in scholarly literature as an emergent field of study. Authors have explored WBL as a transdisciplinary mode of inquiry, rooted in practice, reflection, and situated knowledge. This literature positions WBL as more than a pedagogical approach, instead framing it as a body of theory and research concerned with how contribution produces knowledge and how learning is socially recognized.[18][19][20] JMcQuigge (talk) 17:51, 9 October 2025 (UTC)
Change 6 — New “Assessment and practices”
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Please insert the following new top-level section:
Assessment and practices
[edit]Assessment in WBL contexts often differs from traditional examinations. Policy frameworks describe methods such as portfolios of evidence, reflective narratives, employer or client attestations, and structured observation. These are typically evaluated against occupational or professional standards, and form part of recognition of prior learning (RPL) or validation of non-formal and informal learning (VNFIL).[21][22][23] JMcQuigge (talk) 17:51, 9 October 2025 (UTC)
Change 7 — New “Criticism and challenges”
[edit] | This edit request by an editor with a conflict of interest has now been answered. |
Please insert the following new top-level section:
Criticism and challenges
[edit]Scholars note ongoing debates in the field. Challenges include inconsistent terminology, tension between educational institutions and workplace recognition systems, and the difficulty of balancing measurement with recognition. Some critiques highlight the risk of over-instrumentalising WBL for employability while neglecting its broader epistemological and social dimensions.[24][25][26] JMcQuigge (talk) 17:52, 9 October 2025 (UTC)
- ↑ OECD. (2010). Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning – Outcomes, Policies and Practices. Paris: OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/9789264063853-en.
- ↑ UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. (2012). Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Hamburg: UNESCO UIL. PDF
- ↑ Cedefop. (2023). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning: 2023 update. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the EU. ISBN 978-92-896-3500-9.
- ↑ Fergusson, L., & van der Laan, L. (2021). "Work-based learning as an emergent transdisciplinary mode of study." World Futures, 77(8), 629–648. doi:10.1080/02604027.2021.1988441.
- ↑ OECD. (2010). Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning – Outcomes, Policies and Practices. Paris: OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/9789264063853-en.
- ↑ UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. (2012). Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Hamburg: UNESCO UIL. PDF
- ↑ Cedefop. (2023). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning: 2023 update. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the EU. ISBN 978-92-896-3500-9.
- ↑ Costley, C., & Lester, S. (2012). "Work-based learning at higher education level: Value, practice and critique." Studies in Higher Education, 37(5), 683–701. doi:10.1080/03075079.2010.539930.
- ↑ Garnett, J. (2016). "Work-based learning: A critical review." Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 6(3), 233–246. doi:10.1108/HESWBL-03-2016-0010.
- ↑ Fergusson, L., & van der Laan, L. (2021). "Work-based learning as an emergent transdisciplinary mode of study." World Futures, 77(8), 629–648. doi:10.1080/02604027.2021.1988441.
- ↑ McQuigge, J. (2025). "The Invisible System: Naming the Epistemology, Ontology, and Praxis of Work-Based Learning as a Transdisciplinary Field." Praxis Work-Based Learning Journal, 1(1). URL
- ↑ Billett, S. (2011). "Learning in the circumstances of work: The case of high reliability workplaces." Learning and Instruction, 21(3), 262–270. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2010.07.001.
- ↑ Jackson, D. (2015). "Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice." Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), 350–367. doi:10.1080/03075079.2013.842221.
- ↑ Fergusson, L., & van der Laan, L. (2021). "Work-based learning as an emergent transdisciplinary mode of study." World Futures, 77(8), 629–648. doi:10.1080/02604027.2021.1988441.
- ↑ OECD. (2010). Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning – Outcomes, Policies and Practices. Paris: OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/9789264063853-en.
- ↑ UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning. (2012). Guidelines for the Recognition, Validation and Accreditation of the Outcomes of Non-formal and Informal Learning. Hamburg: UNESCO UIL. PDF
- ↑ Cedefop. (2023). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning: 2023 update. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the EU. ISBN 978-92-896-3500-9.
- ↑ Fergusson, L., & van der Laan, L. (2021). "Work-based learning as an emergent transdisciplinary mode of study." World Futures, 77(8), 629–648. doi:10.1080/02604027.2021.1988441.
- ↑ Costley, C., & Lester, S. (2012). "Work-based learning at higher education level: Value, practice and critique." Studies in Higher Education, 37(5), 683–701. doi:10.1080/03075079.2010.539930.
- ↑ Garnett, J. (2016). "Work-based learning: A critical review." Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 6(3), 233–246. doi:10.1108/HESWBL-03-2016-0010.
- ↑ OECD. (2010). Recognising Non-Formal and Informal Learning – Outcomes, Policies and Practices. Paris: OECD Publishing. doi:10.1787/9789264063853-en.
- ↑ Cedefop. (2023). European inventory on validation of non-formal and informal learning: 2023 update. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the EU. ISBN 978-92-896-3500-9.
- ↑ Lester, S., & Costley, C. (2010). "Work-based learning at higher education level: Practices and methods." Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 1(1), 16–27. doi:10.1108/20423891011017420.
- ↑ Garnett, J. (2016). "Work-based learning: A critical review." Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning, 6(3), 233–246. doi:10.1108/HESWBL-03-2016-0010.
- ↑ Costley, C., & Lester, S. (2012). "Work-based learning at higher education level: Value, practice and critique." Studies in Higher Education, 37(5), 683–701. doi:10.1080/03075079.2010.539930.
- ↑ Fergusson, L., & van der Laan, L. (2021). "Work-based learning as an emergent transdisciplinary mode of study." World Futures, 77(8), 629–648. doi:10.1080/02604027.2021.1988441.