Experiential Learning in Graduate Apprenticeship Programmes (PHDESS192002)

UWS Academy advances academic practice by providing academic staff development and conducting interdisciplinary research into Higher Education at and beyond the University of the West of Scotland.

Graduate Apprenticeships were launch in 2017 through a partnership between Scottish universities and Skills Development Scotland. The aim is to ‘provide a new way into degree-level study’ and students undertake degree-level programmes with extensive amounts of work-based learning.

Graduate Apprenticeships are based on the premise that work-place experiences provide a valuable source of learning for students. However, as Beard and Wilson observe ‘experience may underpin all learning, but it does not always result in learning.’ (2002: 17). Graduate Apprenticeship programmes, then, must be designed in such a way as to enable experience to become experiential learning.

This project seeks to explore experiential learning in the context of Graduate Apprenticeships.
1. In what ways do Graduate Apprenticeship programmes aim to facilitate and support experiential learning?
2. What role does assessment play in Graduate Apprenticeships?
3. How do students participating in Graduate Apprenticeships perceive the connection between experience and learning?

The successful candidate will be encouraged to take a mixed-methods approach to address the research questions posed above.
The project offers an opportunity to undertake research into a new and growing area of Higher Education. The topic holds potential for interdisciplinary publications as well as other outputs such as presentations at conferences. It is also expected that the research will contribute towards the development of learning and teaching policy and practice at UWS.

Start Date: The intended start date of this project is April 2020. In exceptional circumstances an October 2020 start will be considered.

Criteria
1. An Honours degree (2.1 or above) or Master’s in a relevant discipline
2. An ability to undertake research and work independently
3. An ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups
4. Applicants should be able to demonstrate an interest in the PhD topic

How to Apply
Please submit a one-page cover letter outlining how you meet the criteria and a CV (maximum three pages) via email to UWS Academy ([Email Address Removed]) using the subject line ‘Application Experiential Learning Project’.
Application deadline: 5pm (UTC) Friday 13th December
Interviews for short-listed candidates will likely take place in the week beginning 13th January.