DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATION OF ALTERNATIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS FOR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF FUTURE GRADUATES

The value of traditional on-campus learning is reviewed, analysed and discussed in relation to the recognition of evolving learning environments such as workplace learning, home-based learning, community-based learning and other such lifeplace learning environments. Detailed consideration is given to the impact of the learning environment if the learner is in a paid or unpaid work role It is reported that the main focus over the last decade has been on the operation of workplace learning where learners are in paid employment. It is concluded that both the traditional on-campus and the paid work environments deprive learners of a negotiated approach to learning and thus do not provide the base of knowledge upon which learners can arrive at their own decisions It is shown that if learners do not develop an ability to take responsibility for their decisions they make, then they fail to develop critical competence in exercising independent judgment. This competence is considered essential and core to professional development. It is further proposed that essential to the successful use of alternative learning environments, is the need for the personal and professional autonomy of the individual to be core to the learning model. Environments such as the non-aid workplace, the home and the community are considered in relation to effectiveness for the development of personal and professional autonomy We describe here, a model based on using off-campus life places combined with negotiated learning to enable informal and non-formal learning to be recognised through assessment and the award of credit where appropriate The model has at its core, development of competence in independent judgment. It is concluded that this approach to learning is the essential way forward to achieve effective learning results for the future and should be recognised alongside traditional on-campus learning