What is Work Based Learning & Types of Work Based Learning
Work based Learning is an Interactive Learning Technique being Practiced from decades but it is recognized as higher education lately. The model of WBL – Work based Learning is the closer interaction of students with real life scenarios with the concepts and practical learning. It perfectly bridges the gap between industry and academia , which results in the skillful youth for the country and it plays a huge role for the prosperity of the country. It helps students to make early but wise decisions about the choice of their Advance study program and make them know their interest by interacting with the work in their school or college time.
The Purpose of Work based learning is to spread awareness of the professional environment, work ethics , the technical and skillful knowledge of the respected field of every individual student. It can be practiced as a class room study technique but its well known and practiced methods are Apprenticeships, Traineeships, T Levels , Internship , professional development programs and internship programs.
Benefits of Work Based Learning
Work Based Learning has its pros and cons over the traditional method of learning
- Students or employers get the top rated experience while working with the collaborative environment
- They build professional contacts and relationship which help them to learn behaviors
- Student gets hands on experience of the program before jumping into the actual work phase of life
- They become aware of their interest , it helps them to decide either to choose this field or not or it aligns best with their work taste or not.
- It improved their relational , critical and logical thinking style.
- The prime advantage is, it makes education meaningful and impactful . This is the huge pro of this teaching method over the traditional classroom one.
Work Based Learning Types: Strategic Approaches to Implement WBL
There may exist multiple Work Based Learning Pathways the most famous or well recognized are Traineeships , Internship , Apprenticeships , professional development and internship program.
What is Apprenticeships or Traineeships
Apprenticeship or mentorship is where a student is getting trained about the particular field of work and it does not necessarily include the most part of training , knowing the theoretical concepts of fields. Instead it works more on practical knowledge and then a little mix of theoretical knowledge where required. Apprenticeships involve a closer interaction with the expert , he performs the tasks in front of students and makes them know the techniques then students work or shadowing him to get expert of the task.
Internship or Shadowing the Job
Internship offers the student or employer to link with some expert in the field and do as he does the work. Actually , here a student or employee enters into the work environment but not as a permanent or fully skilled person but with skills and no experience phase. The purpose of internship is to provide the individual with the work experience in the work environment. It gives the opportunity to individuals to take into the industry with an entry level role.
What is vocational Education
Vocational Training is Actually a practiced form of Learning based training. There no theory is included to make students learn about the field , instead they provide a full time practical environment to students to perform and learn what they have to perform in actual life. But it is not practiced on advanced courses, instead it is mostly being practiced over limited and basic professions like plumbing, tailoring art and craft or cooking etc.
What is purpose of Work based Learning | Why Work Based Learning is Important
Work based learning offers skillful youth and provokes the only theory dependent way of learning. It does not involve customary grading system in India It emerges from the Following characteristics among students.
- To understand the work based culture and context.
- To enhance the skills and eliminate poverty in the country.
- It enhances the professionalism among them and provide them better work ethics. we explored another topic study abroad for you.
- It enhances the creativity and problem solving skills among students.
- It makes them Collaborative and able to work with teams.
Demerits of Work Based Learning
1- It requires huge efforts and skillful team to manage the work based learning program
2- It requires huge efforts and skillful team to manage the work based learning program.
3- It might not prove to be the result driven strategies with in limited time or duration as learning practically involve a lot of experiments.
4- Limited Accessibility may be a disadvantage as Vocational institute may not exist in every location of every city and country.
5-Resources availability may also prove a hurdle in this strategic learning technique as providing material , machines, chemicals or space to each student is not possible apparently.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does work based learning work?
Work based learning runs like vocational training. It is a fully practical and experimental way of learning, not a class based learning. It somehow uses some theory work but not the whole system lies only on theory instead it depends upon hands on experience.
What are work based learning activities?
Work based learning activities include experimental work , practical work and hands-on experience of the real life world.
Is work based learning paid or unpaid?
Some where it is paid or somewhere it is unpaid. Some companies offer paid internships and some only offer 3 – 4 months experience.
How can work based learning help individuals in career choice?
When a student or employer gets a practical glimpse of a program, he gets his hand wet with the work , which helps them to know their interest. If they find themselves interested in it they can choose it as a full time career.
Is internship paid or unpaid?
Internship is paid or unpaid depending upon the company offering it.
Why is Work Based Learning Important ?
There is a rising poverty all over the country , even the youth are educated but they just get theory , they are not skillful people. So Work based learning makes them skillful to meet both ends. Work based learning is important to make our students or employers more skillful and confident.
What is work based learning in college?
To implement Work based learning in college , They can interact with industries related to advanced subjects or programs they are going to learn. Whatever they are learning must be aligned with hands-on experience and with real life scenarios.
What is work based learning in high school?
High School teachers must integrate the educational activities with real life work experience. If a student is learning about PH in chemistry he must have interacted with its real life use case and he must have a hands on experience with it.
How to use Problem solving based learning in classrooms?
Present a problem to students and ask them to derive a healthy solution both the problem and solution should be from real life use case scenarios. Ask them to perform group activities to solve the local problems they are facing and gather the data they bring as a result. It encourages the community to bring better development ideas for their plans.
How to use Game based learning in classrooms?
Game based learning encourages students to actively take part in the class and class activities. For this kind of learning the trainee , the teacher or mentor must have a strong research on the topic they are going to discuss and make it fun learning. Use pre planned slides or videos during the lecture to make them not bored.
How to use brain based learning in classrooms?
Every interactive session encourages students to use their brain, so instead of speaking alone throughout the lecture duration, plan some activities for students , and ask them to research them during class or use all available resources to make this and that about the topic. Make them some mindful activities.
How to use inquiry based learning in classrooms?
Inquiry based learning proves effective for students. It can be practiced by making them comfortable asking questions in real life scenarios or the teacher may raise a scenario and the student has to solve the problem as per his problem solving skill.