Exploring the industrial placement experience for mechanical engineering undergraduates

dc.creator	Gary Lock
dc.creator	Kate Bullock
dc.creator	Virginia Gould
dc.creator	Momna Hejmadi
dc.date	2009-07-01T00:00:00Z
dc.date.accessioned	2015-07-20T22:24:54Z
dc.date.available	2015-07-20T22:24:54Z
dc.identifier	1750-0044
dc.identifier	1750-0052
dc.identifier	https://doaj.org/article/b45b6b5c598b43ecb1a1fe766c6ea8a7
dc.identifier.uri	http://evidence.thinkportal.org/handle/123456789/21274
dc.description	This paper explores the attitudes of undergraduate engineers towards work placements in industry. This research also assesses the placement experience in terms of student learning outcomes and future employment aspirations. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from three groups: (i) those recently returning from a placement; (ii) those yet to go on placement and (iii) those who elected not to go on placement. Semi-structured interviews gathered experiences and perceptions from all three groups and formed the basis of attitude questionnaires distributed to 276 undergraduates at the University of Bath. Students were asked what value they attached to a year in industry, what improvement in personal transferable skills (such as team-working, time-management, communication and learning) they felt was gained and their perception of the placement experience in terms of aspirations of future employment. Factors influencing the decision of whether or not to undertake a placement were explored. The marks of the students in each of the three populations were scrutinised in order to determine any academic differences between the groups and to assess any value added by a placement in terms of improved performance on returning to university. Finally, this paper identifies reasons why undergraduates do not elect to undertake placements, asking if these important decisions are well-informed or otherwise.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	The Higher Education Academy
dc.relation	http://www.engsc.ac.uk/journal/index.php/ee/article/view/121/161
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1750-0044
dc.relation	https://doaj.org/toc/1750-0052
dc.rights	CC BY-NC-ND
dc.source	Engineering Education, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 42-51 (2009)
dc.subject	industrial placement
dc.subject	work-based learning
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	DOAJ:General and Civil Engineering
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	DOAJ:Education
dc.subject	DOAJ:Social Sciences
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	DOAJ:General and Civil Engineering
dc.subject	DOAJ:Technology and Engineering
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.subject	Education (General)
dc.subject	L7-991
dc.subject	Education
dc.subject	L
dc.subject	Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General)
dc.subject	TA1-2040
dc.subject	Technology
dc.subject	T
dc.title	Exploring the industrial placement experience for mechanical engineering undergraduates
dc.type	article