WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING (WIL)

A CASE STUDY OF WORK INTEGRATED LEARNING (WIL) OF THE CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY FREE STATE (CUT) IN THE LARGEST GEOGRAPHICAL PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA, NORTHERN CAPE AUTHOR: K De Beer (kbeer@cut.ac.za) PRESENTER AND CO-WORKER: B Mokoma (bmokoma@cut.ac.za) CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, FREE STATE SOUTH AFRICA Keywords: andragogy; hospitals mining; tourism; astronomy; Open Distance E-Learning ABSTRACT FOR REVIEWED PAPER Our practised based study entails partnerships with the mining, tourist and health sectors of the greatest geographical province in South Africa. Our unit for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) facilitates the placement of experiential learners at some of the richest diamond mines (De Beers) in world, iron ore plants (Khatu), government sectors and hospitals. We also conduct research for experiential learners in tourism on the SA Large Telescope–SALT, the biggest in the southern hemisphere where research opportunities into deeper space are provided for international astronomers (cf. http://www.saao.ac.za/~wgsa). In educational terms we favour andragogy to pedagogy due to the learner profile in WIL. These learners are usually in their final year of study and are directly exposed to real world- (adulthood) situations, senior management supervision and training. Supervisors assess learners by andragogical (professional bodies) standards and not necessary according to higher education theories. However, to assist supervisors of the CUT’s WIL- learners, we are currently in the process to orientate them how to complete prescribed questionnaires and documents on Blackboard Campus Edition 6 (read former version of Web Course Tool 6). Simultaneously we orientate our learners to continue to use their on-line registration on Blackboard and to stay in academic contact with their mentors at the main campus hundreds and even thousand kilometres from the Main Campus. An Open and Distance E-Learning and WIL research project is currently underway to assist main campus operators and academe to monitor our learners over the vast geographical distances of the Northern Cape.