Student preparedness for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) in Biomedical Technology

Abstract

According to the Council of Higher Education (CHE), work integrated learning (WIL) is one of the key tools for developing graduate attributes for the world of work (Council on Higher Education, 2011). Biomedical Technology is a highly skilled profession with no room for error since diagnosis and treatment of patients’ conditions depend primarily on accurate results. Students enrolled for the National Diploma Biomedical Technology at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) spend two and a half years at the University of Technology (UoT) acquiring formal instruction and a compulsory six month period of WIL at Health Professional Council of South Africa (HPCSA) accredited training laboratories in order to develop into graduates who are work-ready and familiar with organizational practice. Despite the established benefits of WIL, there is no data which ascertains whether the strategies employed by the Biomedical Technology programme for preparing students for undertaking WIL are actually successful. Nor has there been structured reflection to establish the partnership between the department and the training sites and its effectiveness for WIL. In addition, it would be important to ascertain whether the conditions of the workplace are conducive for WIL. This information would therefore be extremely valuable in informing whether the outcomes for WIL have been optimally achieved and would further influence curriculum review development and delivery. The purpose of the study therefore, was to determine the degree of work preparedness of students’ exposure and experience for WIL through a descriptive analysis of the perceptions of students regarding WIL. In addition, the perceptions of laboratory supervisors on students’ preparedness for training at these HPCSA accredited laboratories, as well as the quality of the partnership between the department and the training unit, were also be ascertained. Methods: A questionnaire, was the chosen method of data collection. A questionnaire which included quantitative and qualitative components provided a descriptive analysis of the preparedness of students in the Biomedical Technology programme for WIL. A saturation sample of all final year students registered for the National Diploma in Biomedical Technology at the DUT constituted the sample. This constituted students who completed their WIL at HPCSA registered training sites in both private and state laboratories. Results: The Cronbach’s alpha showed an overall reliability score of excellent degree of internal consistent scoring for the different aspects of the research. Factor analysis results showed moderate inter-correlation and inter-relatedness between the measured variables. The students were generally satisfied with the beneficial WIL orientation and the workplace orientation programme. The students and supervisors indicated the inadequacy of the practical component at the university, and recommended the purchasing of updated and advanced practical equipment. The salient findings were that:  Student’s theoretical and ethical knowledge is poor, including under preparedness for the world of work (WoW).  Inherent increased training cost and supervisor’s workload.  Support from university in terms of communication and engagement needed improvement. Conclusion: This study investigated student preparedness for work integrated learning, and raised a variety of issues from both students and supervisors. The good practices in the Biomedical Technology programmes will be reinforced, and strategies will be formulated and implemented to address the areas of concern, now that it has been formally researched. This study concluded that students were generally not well prepared for the workplace. The curriculum review of the programme was identified as a concern, particularly in the third year where the WIL is the major component. These findings will certainly inform the WIL offering in the new curriculum, and can be extrapolated to the Health Sciences community at large.