Track B - Work based projects as dissertations

Work based projects as dissertations: where’s the theory, where’s the practice? Ruth Miller and Alan Beadsmoore, Middlesex University School of Health and Education


Video of the session


An informative and thought provoking session, Ruth and Alan started with the similarities and differences between traditional dissertations and the contextualised projects that form part of work based learning professional practice programmes. One of the differences (referred to throughout the conference) was that students carrying out professional practice projects are internal inquirers as opposed to external researchers. The introduction of the student perspective via 3 students, who joined them for the session, broadened the session, enabling a deeper exploration of some of these differences.

As these students are based in the work place, leading projects that aim to make a change to something within their practice, a tripartite agreement between the students, the university and also the employer, is another distinguishing factor of these projects. The relationship between the student and university is more advisory than supervisory - a fundamental that students have to get to grips with – especially at undergraduate level.

The students Sandra, Jane and Irene (from left to right in the picture with Alan), gave a brief overview of their projects; BSc Mental Health “Developing a smoking cessation programme”, BA Professional Practice Early Years “Supporting children’s communication and language skills” and MSc Nursing Studies “Evaluating a stress reduction programme for nurses”, respectively. This prompted a flurry of questions from the floor, such as; what was it like being an insider researcher and how easy was it to achieve the level of independence required for inquiry? What were the advantages and disadvantages of inquiry inside an organisation – for example is the topic influenced by management? How did they manage to apply theory and relate it to their practice? What preparation did they have for selecting research methods? and How did they go about marrying the tension between tacit knowledge (what you just know) and academic theory?

For more questions and the varied answers from each of the students (including the final one “would they do it all again?”) – watch the video of the session (above).

Report by Louise Merlin

Work Based Projects from mdxaltc