The Work and Learning Research Centre has been particularly successful in carrying out research and knowledge exchange which informs professional learning programme content, from certificate to doctoral level, within and beyond its own university. Transdisciplinary connotes a unity of knowledge beyond disciplines that has been developed for over 30 years. Our research centre has developed a transdisciplinary approach from the knowledge co-creation between University and professional communities, bodies and organisations in the UK and internationally.
Please refer to the following case studies:
Recent impact projects:
Collaborative Apprenticeship Workforce development. March-Oct 2023
KE funding from Education and Training Foundation on behalf of the Apprenticeship Workforce Development programme to Middlesex University, Consalia Ltd, and the Open University for the Apprenticeship Workforce Development Programme; sponsored by the Education & Training Foundation and the Department for Education with support from the University Vocational Awards Council. The project ‘Mobilising provider insights for degree apprenticeships: comparing theoretical models to deliver effective integration for on and off the job learning’ is being supported by the University Vocational Awards Council. Project Team: Paula Nottingham (lead), Yan Mao (Middlesex) Sarah Bloomfield, Susan Timmons, Amanda Smith (Open University) Louise Sutton (Consalia Sales Business School)
University CPD project-Developing our provision for professionals
The W&L RC is developing a research brief to share with the wider CPD team and feed into the long term aims of the project.
This project will involve a review of the Governments proposals for the Lifelong Loan Entitlement signalled in the Skills for Jobs White Paper
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/lifelong-loan-entitlement
The entitlement is that individuals will, in future, be able to take out loans equivalent to four years of post-18 education over their lifetime. This will enable learners to retrain and upskill throughout their lives in response to changing skills needs and employment patterns.
The three elements to the entitlement:
https://wonkhe.cmail19.com/t/d-e-zhkjiuk-jljiuddriy-tt/
https://wonkhe.cmail20.com/t/d-e-zhyyhuy-jljiuddriy-tj/
https://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/birkbeck-sponsors-new-report-on-lifelong-learning
Enhancing Education Awards projects 2022 -2023
Exploring student perceptions of existing communities of practice (CoP) within a Degree Apprenticeship to enable the greater adoption of inclusivity principles for work-integrated studies.
This project explores critical elements of practice for the student experience and seeks to find steps that could enhance the development of more inclusive practice within the BSc (Hons) Business to Business Sales Degree Apprenticeship (partnered with Consalia Ltd) and work-integrated learning within Higher Education more generally. This research was presented as a conference paper at the Researching Work and Learning 12 Conference in Toronto 2022.
Paula Nottingham (Ed) and Yan Mao (MBT).
Practice-based Curriculum across Middlesex
Data from mathematics students in S&T were analysed by experienced researchers in Work-based learning. A report has been written that will inform future CPD projects and to share the findings more widely and support Middlesex researchers.
Snezana Lawrence (SAT), Elda Nikolou-Walker (Ed), Carol Costley (Ed), David Boud (Ed)
Technology Enhanced Assessment: Providing Options to Students (TEAPOTS) Enhancing Education Awards 2021-22
This project involves and engages students in the enhancement of the mathematics assessment strategy and will add to the body of knowledge relating to assessment in non-traditional forms. Mathematics learned societies are concerned that open-book assessments do not provide the desired academic integrity and urge caution in the removal of traditional exams. Middlesex is taking a lead in this national conversation as it is believed that technology-supported coursework provides greater opportunity for authentic real-world assessment. The connectivity afforded by this digital platform can improve academic integrity and provide options to students as the best way to gauge their learning.
Alison Megeney, (SAT), Nick Sharples (SAT), Elda Nikolou-Walker (W&LR.C.)
A national industry standard for recognising prior learning in the healthcare sector 2022-2023
Darryll Bravenboer, W&LR.C SIG/CERS in partnership with the Open University (OU), the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) and Credit Works.
The project focuses on the recognition of prior learning by both ascribing credit value to specific healthcare apprenticeships and by establishing a national standard for accrediting prior experiential learning (APEL), including learning achieved through work.
https://uvac.ac.uk/update-accreditation-of-prior-experiential-learning-apel-standardisation-project/
Teaching Degree Apprenticeships: Challenges, motivations, lesson learnt and best practice guidelines – a QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project
Manchester Met in partnership with Middlesex (Darryll Bravenboer, W&LR.C. and Director Centre for Apprenticeships and Skills), Wolverhampton, Kingston universities and the University Vocational Awards Council are working on a QAA funded Collaborative enhancement research project to systematically analysethe pedagogical challenges of developing and delivering degree apprenticeship programmes.
Preparing students for the critical role of assessment in placement activities (2019-2021)
David Boud, Carol Costley, Steven Cranfield, Paula Nottingham, Elda Nikolou-Walker, Dilys Wilson and Jeenal Desai (Education), Kathy Wilson and Justin MacDermott (Health), Mehmet Dikerdem (Law), Simon Roberts (Business School), Tim Riley (ACI)
The ‘outputs’ of this activity were developed into a collaborative research report, published paper and resources that will be of value to Schools at Middlesex University and the wider sector. (2022): The pivotal role of student assessment in work-integrated learning, Higher Education Research & Development, DOI:10.1080/07294360.2022.2152981
Aspire London project January 2022 Middlesex contribution led by Darryll Bravenboer, W&LR.C.
Middlesex is a delivery partner for the Aspire London project, lead by London South Bank University. The pan-London project is funded (£5m) through the European Social Fund and the Greater London Authority and will support unemployed or low waged Londoners gain new skills and progress in their careers.
Tri-partite reviews; A signature pedagogy for police education
Darryll Bravenboer, (W&LR.C.), Stan Lester and Finbar Lillis (Middlesex Associate Researchers)
Key aspects of best practice that underpin tri-partite review practice are established as a signature pedagogy for apprenticeships and police education. Middlesex leads the Police Education Consortium delivering police education to Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire police forces. The research involved examining data and evidence from identified Consortium university and police force partner staff including existing student officers, regarding the practice of conducting tri-partite reviews across Police Education Consortium programmes.
Housing, Health and Safety-Rating System Review (2021-2023)
Jill Stewart (S&T) and Carol Costley
Research through focus groups, survey and interview to evaluate assessors and stakeholders training needs and establish a competency framework. This is part of a large, funded research project in the area of Health and Safety in Housing arising from the Grenville disaster and how it highlighted shortages in staff training and training infrastructures. Publication is pending.
Move on up – Social Mobility research
Darryll Bravenboer, published initial findings of research on social mobility and apprenticeships
https://www.mdx.ac.uk/news/2022/02/degree-apprenticeship-social-mobility-research
The influence of professional doctorates on organisations and professional practice (2019-2021)
David Boud and Carol Costley (Education) Steve Marshall (Ashridge) Brian Sutton (Business School) and DProf Alumni collaborated with DProf candidates and graduates for this research.
The nature and size of the organisation or professional field within which candidates operate were explored, the nature of their responsibilities and the degree of buy-in of their organisation (or professional field in the case of those not employed within an organisation, e.g. consultants) to the particular study they undertake were considered. The work made a contribution to the understanding of the effect and effectiveness of professional doctorates. This research led to a publication: Boud, D. , Costley, C. , Marshall, S. and Sutton, B. (2021) Impacts of a professional practice doctorate: a collaborative enquiry. Higher Education Research and Development, 40 (3) . pp. 431-445.This in turn can be fed back to the conduct of DProfs to improve such programmes.
See https://professionaldoctorates.org/en/research-studies-on-impact
