Bridging the gap between the Master in Communication Studies and the Labour Market through Work based Learning: verification of the Competence-Maturation-Model (COM)

Bridging the gap between the Master in Communication Studies and the Labour Market through Work based Learning: verification of the Competence-Maturation-Model (COM).

The Master's degree programmes at Flemish Universities are based on the "Decree on the restructuring of higher education in Flanders', that aims to bring students to an advanced level of knowledge and skills required for scientific or artistic functioning in general and for a specific domain in sciences or arts in particular, witch is essential for the autonomous practise of sciences or arts, or for the independent use of scientific or artistic knowledge in a profession or group of professions.

(General)
This research study desires to implement a Competence-Maturation-Model (COM) that should allow Master students in Communication Studies to make the transfer from their domain specific learning outcomes to their generic career competences during internship in order to prepare themselves for their future profession.
We propose a phased approach using qualitative research methods like policy analysis, literature study, design analysis, a Delphi method, focus group interviews, depth interviews and qualitative assessment study.
During the EAPRIL 2013 Conference we will focus on the verification of the COM. The results of the Delphi study and the focus groups gave us new insights that permitted us to refine the Competence-Maturation-Model. The COM found its practical application into internship guidelines for students and mentors and balanced internship evaluation tools for both mentor and supervisor.
The application of the COM and its instruments takes place at the moment.


(4)
This research project is still on going. The first three phases - exploration, construction, verification are finalized. The application is running as we speak and will continue until the end of June 2014. At this moment we have a validated internship model - the Competence-Maturation-Model. Its practical applications, the internship guidelines and the internship evaluation instruments are in use for testing by the Master students in Communication Studies who will do their internship during the academic year 2013 - 2014. The internship guidelines are officially presented to them in March 2013.

(1)
The Master's degree programmes at Flemish Universities are based on the "Decree on the restructuring of higher education in Flanders', that aims to bring students to an advanced level of knowledge and skills required for scientific or artistic functioning in general and for a specific domain in sciences or arts in particular, witch is essential for the autonomous practise of sciences or arts, or for the independent use of scientific or artistic knowledge in a profession or group of professions.
In Flanders higher education accreditation is the formal recognition of a programme based on a decision of an independent quality assurance agency, the Nederlands-Vlaamse Accreditatieorganisatie (NVAO), which verifies whether a specific programme meets the pre-determined minimal quality requirements. In 2012 this institution validated the specific learning outcomes for the master programme of Communication Studies (among others).
To meet these objectives we developed a Competence-Maturation-Model (COM) that should allow students to make the transfer from their specific learning outcomes to their career competences during internship in order to prepare themselves for their future profession.


(6)
The Strategic Framework for European cooperation in education and training (Education and Training 2020) (European Commission, 2009) outlines that "European cooperation in education and training for the period up to 2020 should be established in the context of strategic framework spanning education and training systems as a whole in a lifelong learning perspective". The focus throughout this study is on a micro level on the Master studies in Communication and on a macro level on Flanders aim to achieve the European targets. The Flemish Community of Belgium, Education Department acts upon this advice in the decree on the Flemish qualification structure (Vlaamse Regering, 2009); the coordination is in hands of the Flemish Interuniversity and College Council (VLUHR) to define the learning outcomes for every discipline in higher education in Flanders. (Vlaamse Hogeschoolraad, 2010). The VLIR-VLOHRA Steering Committee accomplished the Learning Outcomes, among others, for the field of 'Communication' in 2011.


(2)

Our central question - How can we ensure the development and growth of career competencies in a Master in Communication Studies? is elaborated in five different research questions:
1. What scientific concepts are at the basis of the development of (which) specific learning outcomes and (which) generic career skills? (Exploratory phase).
2. What are the social needs on the development of specific learning outcomes and generic career skills? (Exploratory phase).
3. How can scientific concepts and social needs be integrated in an training model? (Constructing phase).
4. How can the internship model ensure the transfer of specific learning outcomes and generic career competencies during workplace learning? (Verifying phase).
5. Did the transfer of specific learning outcomes to generic career competencies through the COM happened? (Application phase).