Special Considerations for Workplace Learning Projects
Please note that there are special considerations:
- Workplace Learning projects in BEHS, CMIT, EMGT, GERO, and PSAD should include a major work product that will be of benefit to your host organization, such as creating new policy or training documents, conducting training exercises, or writing after-action reports for exercises.
- Accounting students must also submit a copy of their most recent resume.
- Biotechnology and Laboratory Management students must complete a hypothesis-based laboratory research project.
In all cases, your learning and work should align with the Program Learning Goals for each program. Program Learning Goals are found in the program information in the catalog under the heading “What You’ll Learn.†You must complete the learning proposal form in accordance with the instructions sent to you in your eligibility email.
How to Complete the Learning Proposal Form
The following information will be requested in the learning proposal form:
Background Information
- Name and place of employment.
- Your major and the discipline for your WKPL.
- WKPL employment information (job title, workplace, address, web address, employer/supervisor information including name, email address, LinkedIn profile, and phone number). Workplace Learning may verify your supervisor’s background before your proposal is approved. your supervisor may not be a friend or family member.
- Description of how the job-related duties are new learning and differ from your previous job responsibilities. This should not be a list of tasks that you do. This should be a short, first-person narrative explaining how the work compares to what you were doing previously.
- Description of how your new work and learning are related to your program learning goals. You will refer to the academic catalog to detail how your learning and work align with the Program Learning Goals for each program. Program Learning Goals are found in the program information in the catalog. Each major or program in the catalog has a section under the heading “What You’ll Learn†that details the goals of the program.
Learning Outcomes
- Describe a goal with an action word (e.g. create, develop, assess, investigate, build, write). Ask yourself what you will be able to do by the end of the session that you cannot do now (i.e. what is your new learning?). You should document deliverables here as well (a deliverable is anything you might turn in: a report, a procedure manual, an executive summary, a piece of computer coding, a presentation). You should not use words like “Learn,†“Understand,†“Train in,†for your outcomes. The outcomes are about what you are doing.
- Describe how what you are doing benefits your employer and aligns with the Program Learning Goals. It is important that the work you are doing aligns with the Program Learning Goals and the goals of your organization.
- Explain HOW the goal will be accomplished. Explain how you plan to do what you said you would do. This clause will usually start with the word "by."
- Explain how your learning will be demonstrated and evaluated. To do this, you will share who will receive and review your work and how they will determine success.
- Estimate how many hours a week you'll be working on that task.
Learning Outcome Examples
The following are good examples of learning outcomes for different disciplines:
What you will do and why you will do it:
I will develop a comprehensive financial performance dashboard in order to improve executive visibility into departmental revenue, expenses, payroll costs, and overall financial performance to support data-driven decision-making.
How you will do your work:
By extracting financial data from QuickBooks Online and payroll data from UKG, analyzing trends using Excel (pivot tables and variance analysis), and designing a dashboard that includes budget vs. actual comparisons, key ratios, and cost drivers.
How the work will be evaluated:
The Executive Director and President of the Board will review the dashboard for accuracy, clarity, and usefulness. It will be evaluated based on GAAP consistency, reconciliation accuracy, and leadership feedback on usability.
How long the work will take:
Five hours per week during weeks 1–14 of the term, for a total of 70 hours.
What you will do and why you will do it:
I will review physical and logical topology requirements of a 10p10u deployment in order to ensure proper network design and identify infrastructure dependencies before deployment begins.
How you will do your work:
By analyzing network architecture diagrams, validating rack layouts, reviewing power and cooling requirements, and coordinating with engineering teams to confirm specifications.
How the work will be evaluated:
A technical project Manager (TPM) will ensure these steps are completed and report updates to leadership.
How long the work will take:
20 hours per week during weeks 1–2 of the term, for a total of 40 hours.
What you will do and why you will do it:
I will execute daily cell culture maintenance, including passaging, viability assessment, and contamination checks, for all three cell lines in order to produce a consistent supply of high-viability biological material for critical downstream assays like flow cytometry and to track long-term culture health within a regulated environment.
How you will do your work:
By following the detailed SOPs, performing daily microscopic examinations (Leica DMIL LED microscope), utilizing the NC-200 Automated Cell Counter with Trypan Blue exclusion (following protocol MPC005A), and documenting all actions on the controlled LDS.
How the work will be evaluated:
Daily execution will be evaluated through scientists' inspection of cell health and a weekly review of the completed LDS for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to Good Documentation Practices (GDP), with a target of zero critical deviations.
How long the work will take:
10 hours per week for a total of 150 hours.
Summarize your WKPL Experience
- In your own words, summarize the work to be accomplished during the WKPL session.
- Describe your career goals.
Submit Your Learning Proposal
Save your learning proposal as directed on the form and submit it to workplacelearning@umgc.edu.