Encouraging and maintaining learning in the workplace and community (LiWC): engaging, supporting and rewarding academics

Since 2007, Victoria University’s Learning in\ud the Workplace and Community (LiWC) policy\ud has focused on enhancing the employability of\ud VU graduates. While the Faculty of Business\ud and Law (FoBL) at VU has a long tradition of\ud work-integrated learning alongside a broader\ud focus on developing students’ Graduate Capabi\ud lities, the LiWC Policy has intensified the\ud need for curriculum that specifically engages\ud industry in assessment tasks. The LiWC policy\ud requires that 25% of assessment in all courses involve learning in and through the workplace\ud and community evidenced through LiWC\ud -compliant assessment tasks.\ud The university has provided considerable\ud support for the implementation of LiWC.\ud Academics already engaging in LiWC showcas\ud ed their approaches. Central support staff\ud were available for individual and School consu\ud ltation. There were opportunities for staff to\ud engage with the Policy and various workshops\ud and online resources were geared to realising\ud LiWC. Teaching and Learning Grants were li\ud nked to improving or developing LiWC. The\ud expansive notion of LiWC including diverse teach\ud ing approaches was stressed so that it\ud would not be deemed restrictive. LiWC could include live case studies, simulations, student\ud observations of worksites, working on ‘real’ busin\ud ess cases or role playing business situations\ud with feedback from industry practitioners.\ud A 2010 report (VU, 2010) evaluating the status of\ud LiWC at VU has identified generally high\ud levels of compliance with the policy in the F\ud aculty of Business and Law and some areas of\ud industry engagement in curriculum that are exem\ud plary. As expected, the report also identified\ud areas needing greater attention. This discussion includes the\ud Faculty of Business and Law’s\ud strategies for addressing areas\ud of concern. It will describe\ud the reporting of LiWC compliance\ud in the Faculty, identify key reasons for non-compliance and report on the subsequent progress\ud made in two de-identified teaching areas. The\ud paper underlines the im\ud portance of individual\ud and intensive support for academic staff from\ud educational developers who understand both\ud the policy context and the aims of the academ\ud ics and who can develop creative curriculum\ud that is also LiWC compliant.\ud The discussion will also consid\ud er other means of incentivising\ud academic staff to undertake curriculum changes to improve student learning outcomes