Placement - developing professional and academic identity

Undergraduate students in the School of Design and Technology at London College of Fashion have the opportunity to spend a year out ‘in industry’ and gain an additional qualification. The Diploma in Professional Studies allows students to gain valuable insights from the workplace and bring their new perspectives and skills back to their final year of study. Students who undertake a placement year typically achieve a higher degree classification in their final year of study, setting them up for success in their future careers. There were however, weaknesses in the existing provision for the Diploma year. Students complained about the ‘value’ they received for the fees they continue to pay on placement and there were challenges ensuring the students addressed the academic requirements of the programme amidst the competing requirements of a hectic work environment. In 2015, LCF piloted the development of an online platform to address these issues. The platform presents a series of ‘touch points’ which follow the timeline of the student’s placement, (from ‘visualising’ what might happen through to their return to College). Through each of these touch points, students undertake a series of contextualized, workplace-development, academic and PPD activities to ensure that they make the most out of their internships. In each touch point, students are required to contribute to an ongoing online journal within the same platform, (which is based on Mahara, the open-source e-portfolio tool). The tutor has access to this journal which provides a window into the student’s development. This journal also forms the basis of their ‘Personal and Professional Development’ report which the student submits at the end of the placement for assessment. At the time of this presentation, the pilot project was a few weeks away from completion, (with 114 students finalising their PPD journal for assessment in May 2017). We share our story of the development and implementation of the project, along with the impact this project has had on attainment and student satisfaction. uirements of the programme amidst the competing requirements of a hectic work environment.