Towards Integration of Work and Learning: Strategies for Connectivity and Transformation

Marja-Leena Stenstrom ¨ and Pai ¨ vi Tynjal ¨ a ¨ Changing Working Life as a Challenge to Education Recentmacro-leveltrends,suchaseconomicglobalisation,thedevelopmentofthe- formationsociety,changesinmethodsofproductionandtheorganisationofwork,and the growing signi?cance of knowledge as a factor of production, have created a new context for the relationship between education and working life. In this new context, the use of work experience as an educational and learning strategy has become one ofthemostimportantdevelopmentsbothinvocationaleducationandtraining(VET) and in higher education. Although the tradition of making work an integral part of education has varied at different levels of the educational system, the challenges that systems of education currently face are very similar in many respects. These include thechallengeofequivalenceasregardsthelevelofacademicstandards,thechallenge ofdevelopingpedagogicalpracticesfordifferentformsofwork-relatedlearning,and the impact that work-related learning has on the identity of the educational orga- sation, the teacher, and the learner. The diversity of the systems through which work experience is realised, the varying levels of training of workplace trainers, and the lack of industrial experience of vocational school teachers have aroused discussion abouthowtoguaranteeandassessthequalityofthelearningtakingplaceindifferent workplaces and of the work-based learning system as a whole. (See e. g. Boud & Solomon, 2001, p. 27; Grif?ths & Guile, 2004; Guile &Grif?ths, 2001. ) The key pedagogical question regarding collaboration between education and work is how to build a ?rm connection between theory and practice or abstract thinking and practical action – and between the development of general skills and speci?cvocational skills.

This book examines learning taking place on the interface between education and working life at three levels: the individual learning processes; the organisational learning processes in educational institutions and work organisations; and the education system. Theoretical concepts uniting these different fields of learning are connectivity and transformation. Here, connectivity refers to processes that contribute to close relationships and connection between different elements of learning situations, contexts of learning and systems to promote learning. Transformation refers to the changes and developmental processes to be achieved through connecting different elements of learning.

The book provides a comprehensive review of the integration of work and learning, which is a central issue in current discussion on the development of vocational and professional expertise. The contributors represent a broad range of experience and the articles are based on recent, extensive empirical studies.