An investigation into blogging as an opportunity for work-integrated learning

Work-integrated learning develops in graduates a set of transferable skills. Traditionally these are gained through work placement activity where students are embedded with an employer for a set period of time. Billett (2011a) states it is necessary to widen our definition of opportunities for work based learning and discuss it in terms of experiential learning to include observation of practice and simulated experience. This paper extends his argument to explore the opportunities offered by the online environment, and suggests that blogging facilitates the development of transferable skills and attributes in undergraduates including creativity, sophisticated communication, initiative and problem solving. It suggests that blogging adds another dimension to work experience, and should be considered within a curriculum for experiential learning. This paper also explores the use of blogging as an additional tool in the teaching of work-integrated learning.