Work Placement in Courses
Including work placement in courses is highly valued and can be very successful. However, it is also a particularly resource-intensive form of learning.
This guide provides tips on different ways to include practical experience in your courses. It outlines key considerations and presents different work placement models, including their strengths, challenges, and opportunities.
The guide is based on research literature and the experiences of teachers at the Faculty of Social Sciences.
About Work Placement in Courses
The Faculty’s report on socially and professionally relevant studies (2021) [in Norwegian] identifies work placement-related courses as one of five priority areas. In both the short and long term, these courses can help strengthen course content, student learning, and students’ sense of the relevance of their studies to working life.
The aim of work placement-related courses is to give students insight into, and a greater awareness of, how they can use the knowledge and skills gained through their studies in practical settings. They also help students understand the skills and competencies required in working life. This can make the transition from studies to employment easier and help students enter relevant jobs more quickly.
In other words, work placement-related courses are a popular, effective, and successful form of teaching. However, they require significant resources for administration and practical delivery, developing and maintaining external partnerships, and designing relevant projects, assignments, and opportunities for collaboration.
When planning the course
Aims and purpose
The aim of teaching is student learning. To develop effective teaching, we need to focus on and understand how students learn. When planning a work placement-related course, it is therefore important to consider what you want students to learn and what kind of learning process this may involve.
- What is the purpose of student learning?
- What knowledge and skills do you want students to have after completing the course?
- How does this affect which learning outcomes are central, and your choice of teaching format, content, learning activities, and assessment?
When designing learning outcomes, you may find it useful to use the qualifications framework [in Norwegian]. One purpose of the framework is to clarify what students are expected to learn.
Coherence and alignment
For students to work and learn effectively, learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment methods must be well aligned.
- How can you and your colleagues strengthen coherence and alignment within the course and across courses in the programme?
- Which learning activities support, or could support, the key learning outcomes in your course or programme?
- How can you link learning activities to assessment in the course? Which assessment format allows students to demonstrate their achievement across the different learning outcomes?
Organisation
Although there may be more flexibility than we first assume, there are practical conditions that enable or limit what can be achieved. It is important to identify these conditions early when planning a work placement-related course.
- What is the size and scope of the course? What conditions and resources do you need to organise and deliver the teaching, learning activities, and assessment methods you want?
- Will the practical experience take place in a workplace (external placement) or at the university (internal placement)?
- Will the university arrange the placement, or will students find a placement themselves?
- Which sectors may offer relevant partners or placement opportunities? Should you look in sectors that usually recruit graduates from the programme, or in sectors you want to make more aware of graduates’ skills? Do you already have contacts, networks, or alumni who could be valuable partners?
- What are the expectations, responsibilities, roles, and needs of the different parties? For example, who is responsible for supervising students?
- Will students work and be assessed individually or in groups?
- Where should the placement course be positioned within the programme or specialisation? Does the course require mandatory prior knowledge? Should it be open to exchange students?
Useful resources
Alumni
Our alumni are a valuable resource. They can act as ambassadors for the Faculty, role models for students in their former programmes, professional mentors, and representatives of working life. Alumni networks can therefore make an important contribution to the development and delivery of work placement-related courses. Alumni already take part in several career-oriented initiatives led by teachers, the working life coordinator, and programme and subject committees. However, there is room to develop these relationships further and involve alumni more actively in teaching activities.
Contacts:
- Alumni activities at the Faculty of Social Sciences: Maria Gulseth Berge
- ISV Alumni: Monika Birkeland
- ISS Alumni: Camilla Kongsli
- PSI Alumni: Jostein Peter Eikrem Koløen (on leave) / substitute: Eleonora Brekke
- SAI Alumni: Liv Christina Varen
- TIK Alumni: Petter Brønstad
- Economics Alumni: Solveig Wiland Gruenke
Working life coordinator
The Faculty of Social Sciences’ working life coordinator, Maria Gulseth Berge, can provide advice and coordinate new initiatives related to the development and organisation of work placement-related courses.
EILIN
The EILIN learning network supports teachers with both small and large development projects. The service is closely connected to academic disciplines and facilitates experience sharing, skills development, and educational development work across the Faculty.
LINK
LINK is an interdisciplinary centre that helps improve student learning through the further development of teaching. The centre offers courses, seminars, and guidance on technology and pedagogical approaches. LINK promotes knowledge sharing and creates shared meeting places across faculties.
Case- and problem-based learning without external partners
A work placement model in which students work with cases or other problem-solving learning activities designed by the teacher, without input from external partners.
Strengths
- Develops students’ problem-solving skills. Case- and problem-based learning provides good practice in finding theoretical knowledge and applying it to solve specific tasks. Students learn to apply subject knowledge in broader contexts.
- Develops written and oral communication skills. Students can develop these skills through written assignments and oral presentations of their solutions.
- Develops the ability to work independently and in teams. Case- and problem-based learning supports independent development by helping students take responsibility for their own learning, while also developing their ability to work in teams.
Challenges
- Resource-intensive. Case- and problem-based learning without external partners can require considerable resources. It involves planning and coordination, as well as designing cases and relevant project questions.
Opportunities
- How can you successfully develop and organise this type of course? As noted, ensuring good alignment between learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment methods can be challenging in work placement-related courses. In SOSANT1050 – Ethnographic Methods [in Norwegian], students are introduced to the anthropological research process through both theoretical and practical components. The practical component consists of a small-scale fieldwork project completed in groups. To emphasise that much of the learning takes place during fieldwork, and to ensure that students see the practical component as an integrated part of the course and its assessment, the course coordinators have introduced several measures:
- By moving more of the syllabus to independent study, more teaching time has been made available for reviewing, discussing, and supervising the fieldwork.
- The traditional written exam has been replaced with a portfolio assessment, in which a field report is one of two components. This has integrated the fieldwork into the assessment. The field report is written in groups but submitted individually, allowing students to give the assignment their own personal perspective.
What students think
In progress.
Case- and problem-based learning with external partners
A work placement model in which students work with cases or other problem-solving learning activities designed in collaboration with external partners. These partners may include organisations, companies, or municipalities.
Strengths
- Strengthens relevance and students’ understanding of their education. By working with external partners and applying knowledge and skills gained through their studies in a practical context, students gain a better understanding of their education, their own competencies, the relevance of their studies, and possible career paths.
- Develops students’ problem-solving skills. Case- and problem-based learning provides good practice in finding theoretical knowledge and applying it to solve specific tasks. Students learn to apply subject knowledge in broader contexts.
- Develops written and oral communication skills. Students can develop these skills through written assignments and oral presentations of their solutions.
- Develops the ability to work independently and in teams. Case- and problem-based learning helps students work independently and take responsibility for their own learning, while also developing their ability to work in teams.
- Creates networking opportunities. Working with external partners gives students a valuable opportunity to build networks. This can be useful when applying for future jobs and may also open up opportunities for collaboration on bachelor’s and master’s theses.
Challenges
- Resource-intensive. Case- and problem-based learning in collaboration with external partners requires significant resources. It involves extensive planning and coordination, developing and maintaining external partnerships, and designing cases and relevant project questions.
Opportunities
- How can you successfully develop and organise this type of course? Developing work placement-related courses in collaboration with external partners can be highly resource-intensive. In Project Forum, which is part of the Master’s programme in Organisation, Leadership and Work [in Norwegian], interdisciplinary student groups of five to seven students work on real project assignments for organisations and businesses. This gives students experience of working with a client to solve a real-world knowledge problem. They also gain experience of working collaboratively, which many students may not gain through traditional teaching formats.
- Key factors for success in this course have been using existing networks, identifying long-term partners for project development, and focusing on collaboration within each project group.
What students think
In progress.
Work placement with an employer / internship
A work placement model in which students spend all or part of the course period in a workplace.
Strengths
- Strengthens relevance and students’ understanding of their education. By participating in a relevant work environment and applying knowledge and skills gained through their studies in a practical context, students gain a better understanding of their education, their own competencies, the relevance of their studies, and possible career paths.
- Develops transferable skills. Work placements provide opportunities to develop transferable skills, also referred to as innovation competencies, such as problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration, critical thinking, initiative, communication skills, and professionalism. Research suggests that these skills may be easier to develop in workplace settings than in the classroom.
- Provides greater insight into working life. Work placement or internship also gives students a better understanding of how working life functions, including how organisations are structured, the work they do, and what they expect from employees.
- Creates networking opportunities. Participating in a relevant work environment gives students a valuable opportunity to build networks. This can be useful when applying for future jobs and may also open up opportunities for collaboration on bachelor’s and master’s theses.
Challenges
- Developing clear learning outcomes. Studies show that the purpose of practical experience in disciplinary programmes is not always as clearly formulated as in professional programmes. In many professional programmes, mandatory placements are an important part of the programme of study, and framework plans often specify in detail the knowledge, skills, and competencies students should have acquired upon graduation. In disciplinary programmes, placements are more often justified in terms of developing generic skills and preparing students for working life in general.
- Achieving alignment between learning outcomes, learning activities, and assessment methods. Studies also show that many students experience a lack of alignment between stated learning outcomes, assessment methods, and the actual content of the placement. This may mean that perspectives and issues from working life and society, which could make disciplinary programmes more current and relevant to working life, are not included. The challenge is therefore to find a productive balance in which authentic workplace situations and structured learning at the university reinforce one another. This is important for students to experience the placement as an integrated and meaningful part of the course.
- Clarifying expectations effectively. Clear expectations between the parties are important for ensuring a shared understanding of their respective responsibilities, roles, and needs. However, this can be particularly challenging.
- Resource-intensive. Work placements or internships require significant resources for administration and practical delivery, including extensive planning and coordination, as well as developing and maintaining external partnerships.
- Recruiting students. Despite students expressing a desire for greater relevance to working life and more practical experience in their programmes, it can be difficult to encourage students to apply for work placement-related courses. This particularly applies to courses involving placement with an employer or internships. In turn, this creates challenges for planning and recruiting employers.
Opportunities
- How can you successfully develop and organise this type of course? As noted, securing relevant agreements and work tasks can be highly challenging and resource-intensive. In ANTH4710 – Internship, several measures have been introduced to ensure relevant agreements and work tasks and to make the process less resource-intensive.
- To ensure that placements are relevant and interesting for each individual student, students are responsible for finding their own placement. This corresponds with students’ expressed preferences and teachers’ recommendation that placements should be relevant to students’ master’s thesis work.
- To ensure relevant work tasks, two agreements are entered into: one between the placement institution and the Department of Social Anthropology, and one between the placement institution and the student. The latter agreement must specify the nature and duration of the work, as well as other relevant conditions.
What students think
In progress.
Commissioned Bachelor’s and Master’s Theses
A work placement model in which students write a bachelor’s or master’s thesis in collaboration with working-life partners.
Strengths
- Applies knowledge to real and current issues. Collaboration on bachelor’s and master’s theses is an important way of applying knowledge to real and current issues. This is a key component of study programmes.
- Creates networking opportunities. Taking part in a relevant work environment gives students a valuable opportunity to build networks. This can, among other things, be useful when applying for future jobs.
Challenges
- Resource-intensive. Commissioned bachelor’s and master’s theses require substantial resources for administration and practical delivery, including extensive planning and coordination, as well as developing and maintaining external partnerships.
Opportunities
- How can you successfully develop and organise this type of course? In KULKOM3090 – Project Course in Culture and Communication [in Norwegian], students have the opportunity to write bachelor’s theses in collaboration with working-life partners. The scheme is organised so that different clients prepare project descriptions each year. Students can apply by submitting a letter of motivation to the study adviser. However, places for these practice-oriented bachelor’s theses are limited, and students must apply in the autumn before taking the course.
What students think
In progress.
Other forms of work placement-related courses and career-relevant initiatives
In addition to the categories above, there are several other ways to organise work placement-related courses and integrate relevance to working life into study programmes. These include several courses at the Faculty that focus on applying disciplinary methods and training in the use of different software programs. Other possible approaches include simulation and gamification.
In addition, the Faculty’s working life coordinator and UiO’s Career Centre have developed Find Your Future, which provides career support throughout students’ studies. The initiative helps students understand and communicate their own competencies, thereby easing the transition from university studies to working life. Find Your Future consists of six courses for bachelor’s students and four courses for master’s students, with one course offered each semester. It was launched for bachelor’s students in autumn 2022 and for master’s students in spring 2023. Students register for these courses in StudentWeb through the standard course registration process.
This resource was developed by Elisabeth Vanadis Sund on commission from EILIN’s learning contact network.