Technological and Pedagogical Convergence between Work-based and Campus-based Learning

There is a strong technological and economic push for higher education providers to adopt online learning strategies. This is driven, in part, by the requirement of industry for lifelong learning on a flexible, just-intime basis. Simultaneously, there is a rising awareness amongst engineering faculty of the pedagogical issues that underpin good teaching and learning practice, stimulated by revised accreditation approaches and related reviews. These significant drivers of change are often experienced as discordant if not competing issues. This paper presents a case study of work-integrated learning that parallels traditional oncampus learning. Technology and pedagogy begin to converge when: (1) pedagogical assumptions are identified early; (2) flexible learning is not confused with on-line learning; (3) intrinsic and external motivations of stakeholders are aligned; (4) there is broad ownership; and (5) a sustainable development strategy is adopted.