6 Assessment and accreditation of industrial placements

The assessment and accreditation of industrial placements poses difficulties for universities, students and employers alike. UK universities have adopted a variety of methodologies for assessing and accrediting year-long industrial placements. This briefing identifies sevenlooks at the main ways used in the UK of to assessing and accrediting sandwich placements in engineering in the UK. It then goes on to highlight and discuss some questions that are common across to all modes of assessment and accreditation. The briefing concludes that assessing and accrediting work based learning in a formal way helps students to develop and is one element of best practice which distinguishes formal work placement schemes from casual work experience.

Why assess industrial placements?

There are good Rreasons for assessing and accrediting work placements include:

· it eEncouragesing students to develop

· it allows Providing feedback to be given students so that they students can improve

· it mMotivatesing students to learn from their experience in industry

· Encouraging students are encouraged to reflect on their work and how it relates to academic studies

· students’ Recognising achievements can gain through formal recognition / accreditation procedures

· it helps Helping students and employers to discuss and to agree on realistic goals for the placement.

Recognising that eEmployers may wish to take part in this assessment as part of their own reviews (sometimes within a targeted graduate recruitment strategy).

How to assess and accredit industrial placements in engineering?

The are many ways in which work placements can be assessed and accredited. These following provide examples are all drawn from of practices utilised by UK university engineering departments:

· A separate award is given by the University (e.g. : Loughborough University’’s Diploma in Industrial Studies oror the Award of University of Surrey's Associateship of the University of Surrey). being two examples.

· External accreditation: e.g. via City & Guilds Licenctiateship, which places emphasis on recording achievement in skills development including technical capabilities (as - used at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s in the Department of Chemical and Process Engineering)..

· There Assessment is a contributesion to Initial Professional Development (professional training):; the student keeps a log book and collects evidence to support their subsequent application for chartered engineer status.

· There is potential contribution to an academic ‘matching section’ as part of SARTOR regulations.

· Academic credit is awarded within the degree; ) e.g. UMIST’s new four year MEng(Hons) Chemical Engineering with Industrial Experience).

· Companies have their own in-house appraisal and development programmes (often competency based) which support the assessment and development of students on placement.

· Assessment is carried out and the successful completion of a sandwich placement is indicated on the degree certificate (as done at the e.g. University of Bath and Aston University).

What are we assessing?

The objectives of different assessment methodologies vary, as does the balance of assessment of between technical and non-technical knowledge and skills that are assessed. The two case studies described in figures 1 and 2, below, demonstrate how differing aims lead to differing aspects of placements being evaluated and recognised.

Figure Case study 1: Accreditation and Assessment of work based learning via an external award

Case study: City and Guilds Licenciateship at the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne’s Department of Chemical and Process Engineering.

The City and Guilds Licenciateship aims to enhance a candidate’s ability to understand and practice the principles of a technical or professional activity and to demonstrate achievement of a range of pre-defined skills and specific competence. To achieve the award, candidates must have completed at least six terms or four semesters of a first degree course at a recognised European university, or an equivalent course, and provide evidence of appropriate work experience or training assessed by a City and Guilds authrorised university or centre. The latter requires accreditation of the application of the following knowledge and skills in work-based context in the following areas: -

· self management and development

· managing tasks

· communicating clearly and effectively

· working with, and relating to, others

· applying knowledge

· applying initiative in work problems.

A portfolio of work showing examples of key skills and a reflective report are submitted by the student for assessment at the end of placement. Success leads to the award of the City & Guilds LicentciateshipLicenciateship.

Case study Figure 2: Accreditation and aAssessment of work based learning via a separate award given by the uUniversity

Case study: Loughborough University’s Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS) in the Department of Chemical Engineering

The DIS seeks to encourage students to gain a wider exposure to their technical discipline in a commercial environment, provide a meaningful experience, assist them to develop skills which could not be developed in a university setting and to help them to clarify their own career goals. Requirements of the DIS are:

· At least 45 worked weeks in industry or in an equivalent organisation

· Assessment by the Uuniversity of student progress reports, which are submitted on a monthly basis

· Assessment of an annual report which places an emphasis on underlying technology. Students are encouraged to use IChemE Training and Experience Report Section Headings. This document is available to the external examiner for Board of Examiners consideration

· Satisfactory reports from tutor visits – typically two, and a review report – from the industrial company supervisor, typically two, which may be supplemented by the company’s own appraisal reports

· A dDissertation (which also contributes marked credits towards the degree classification).

Students must have a satisfactory assessment of each part of the above professional training requirement and must have achieved a their degree. Students who do not pass their second year of study may not proceed to placement. It is worth noting that individual departments determine the particular assessment and dissertation requirements.

Tools for assessing work-based learning

Other tools for assessing sandwich placements identified within the UK include: -

q poster presentations (either in traditional form or formulated using computer packages)

q oral presentations

q panel interviews (composed of employers and academics) on students return to university.

Who is involved in assessment?

The following people may be involved in assessment:

· The line manager in the host placement company who is responsible for the student on a day-to-day basis and will be aware of the student’s progress and performance.

· University visiting tutor: University tutors play a large part in assessment. They may make formative and/or summative evaluations about students;, advise and guide line managers on how to carry out assessments in accordance with university requirements;, mark pieces of assessed work / reports submitted that by students submit,; may moderate marks; and sit on university boards of study.

· The students,: who will be involved in discussions with line managers, mentors and university tutors about performance and are usually required to collect and present evidence or submit reports about their placement experience.

· External Assessors. As e.g. in the case study mentioned already in figure 1, a trained external assessor who is external to the university department to may take on an advisory role and to visit students on placement. The external assessor also provides gives information to students information about assessment before they go on placement, gives additional support via e-mail during the period in industry and facilitates a debrief session on students’ return to university.

Whilst pProfessional engineering bodies such as the Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE) are not involved in day-to-day issues of assessment, in the UK, but they are responsible for accrediting engineering degrees. Their position on industrial placements will determine if there is a potential contribution of the placements to initial professional development or equivalency to academic study. This issue has many implications for all UK universities offering engineering courses.

When to assess?

The timing of assessment depends on why assessment is taking place. Formative assessment is primarily concerned at with reviewing the student’s work part way through the placement with a view to encouraging improvement. For example, in the UK it is good practice in the UK for a student on a year-long industrial placement to receive at least two visits from a university (see Briefing Paper 5) tutor whilst they are on placement. The first visit is normally made 5-13 weeks after starting placement.. Student progress and performance is are discussed and the visit can facilitate joint objective setting and the provision of feedback and guidance to the student. Such dialogue and discussion constitutes formative evaluation. Summative assessment takes place at the end of the placement and is concerned with making evaluative judgements. At this point, a pass/fail or grade/mark may be awarded for the placement.

How much assessment?

Carrying out some Aassessment implies a recognition that the placement year is a significant part of a student’s course. Where assessment counts towards is related to an award to academic credit and a mark is given (as opposed to a simple pass / fail), assessment is likely to be more comprehensive. Certainly where There will certainly be a greater need to ensure accuracy, fairness, marks which significantly contribute significantly to a final degree grade, the need to ensure accuracy and fairness is even greater, especially given the variability in the context of variable placement situations.

If there is too little assessment and student motivation may be lowered - how often have we heard the cry ‘It’s only important if it counts, if it’s assessed!’

Challenges in assessment

· It is important that for students, university staff, and companies have a clear understanding of the aims of assessment and its ‘why’, ‘what’, ‘how’ and ‘when’ it will be carried out.

· One of the major issues of in assessment and accreditation is whether or not it’s significance becomes is recognised by the professional sector, university and students.

· There is a need to have a form of aAssessment which must genuinely assesses the student performance irrespective of the nature of the placement.

· A moderation procedure must exist where a Where marks are is given for placement a moderation procedure must exist to ensure consistency, reliability and validation of assessment across a number of students.

· In the instance thatWhere a student’s work is confidential to the company, the problem may be overcome if the company may be is allowed to vet student’s reports and the university may signs a confidentiality agreement, limiting which limits the number of university staff who see the reports.

Conclusions about assessment and accreditation

Figure 3 below provides a summary of the methods of assessment and accreditation identified in this paper. The benefits of assessmentAssessment and accreditation bring significant benefits for students:, that it affords themthey help them to develop during their time in industry and ensure that recognition of their efforts and are recognisedhelps them to develop during their time in industry is a prime reason for recognising the importance of these activities.

They also ensure that students undertake experience in a formal, planned and monitored way. This is important if Another reason for doing so is, that if industrial placement is to be viewed by university staff, employers, students and parents and students themselves are to see industrial placements as an integral part of a student’s time at university.,

there is a need to ensure that students undertake experience in a formal, planned and monitored way. As such, aAppropriate and timely assessment and accreditation is are therefore an element of good practice, andwhich distinguish universities that who afford provide meaningful professional industrial training from those who that merely offer casual work experience.

The table below summarises the methods of assessment and accreditation identified in this paper.

Equipe

This briefing paper was produced by Equipe, a consortium-based project led by Loughborough University and managed in conjunction with the University of Bath, Aston University and the University of Surrey.

ICI, BP Amoco, Weetabix Ltd., IChemE, IMechE, the Engineering Council and ASET also supported this initiative. The project was sponsored by the Higher Education Council for England’'s Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL). Equipe stands for Educational Quality in Placements in Engineering.

Other Briefing papers in this series

Linking with industry and identifying undergraduate placement opportunities

Briefing papers in this series

1 Linking with industry and identifying undergraduate placement opportunities2 Recruiting placement students

3 Preparing students for placement

4 University responsibility for health and safety of students on placementHealth and Safety of students and work placements

Learning from you placement

5 Tutoring and mentoring students on placement

6 Assessment and accreditation of industrial placements The role of assessment in work placements

in preparation

· The role of external examiners and professional bodies in work placement

· University management of industrial placement and the role of university staff

· Learning from your placement.

These briefing papers can be downloaded from the Equipe website: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/cg/equipe.

Figure 3: Summary of practices for assessing and / accrediting industrial placements in engineering in the UK

Assessment &/ accreditation	Placement is assessed and accredited externally using City & Guilds Licenctiateship, -which emphasises skills development.	Placement is assessed, receiving recognition via the degree certificate. Potential contribution to IPD/ matching section.	Placement is assessed and recognised by a separate award given by the university. Placement year accredited by IMechE as Initial Professional Development (IPD).	Placement is assessed, and has potential to contribution to academic matching section / Initial Professional Training.	Placement is enhanced by additional academic study via distance learning and attracts academic credit.
Example from UK institution	University of Newcastle Upon Tyne Department of Chemical and Process Engineering.	University of Bath, Aston University.	Loughborough University’s Diploma in Industrial Studies (DIS), Department. of Mechanical and& Manufacturing Engineering.	Loughborough University DIS operated in the Department of Chemical Engineering.	UMIST Department of Chemical Engineering.