Online Tool to support students during the placement year

  • Deborah Carnegie: Diploma of Professional studies Course leader, LCF School of Design and Technology

Abstract

The Diploma in Professional Studies (DiPS) unit at London College of Fashion allow students to spend a year “in industry”. As well as gaining valuable professional experience, these students bring new perspectives and skills back to their final year of study and typically achieve a higher degree classification.

There were however, challenges with the unit. Students commonly complained that they did not receive adequate support from the College whilst on placement and the hectic work environment meant they often neglected the academic requirements of the course, (with nearly 50% of students receiving a “D” at final assessment).

In 2015, I designed and piloted the development of an online platform to address these challenges. The platform presents eight “touch points”, which follow the timeline of the student’s placement. In each of these touch points, students are presented with useful information and are asked to undertake a series of contextualized, workplace-development, academic and reflective activities. The “paced” structure of the solution ensures support is timely and thus, relevant.

The online portal presents a series of “touch points” through which students access contextualised support. Students are also required to regularly submit entries to an on-going online journal within the platform, (which is based on Mahara, the open-source e-portfolio tool). The tutor has access to this journal which provides a window into the students’ progress. This journal also forms the basis of their “Personal and Professional Development” report which the student submits at the end of the placement for assessment.

Two cohorts (approximately 250 students) have now completed their year-long placement in industry supported by the online platform. As well as facilitating the monitoring and support of students on placements around the world, we have seen a considerable improvement in both submission rates and academic attainment in the unit. Following the introduction of the platform, the average final assessment is now “B”, an improvement of two grades and our DiPS students have gained a better understanding of how to achieve their goals during the placement year and for the future.