Abstract:
This paper examines the use of learning partnership groups in a ten day Australian
Taxation Office (ATO) workplace training program. Learning partnerships in this context
are "learning relationships involving occasional meetings in which students support each
others learning." (Sampson & Cohen, 2001a, p. 40). They attempt to stimulate, promote
and engage individuals in effective problem solving, reflection and other forms of higher
order thinking with their partners.
The ATO training program uses simulations, tutoring, coaching and case-based teaching
to contextualise learning and make it more relevant to what happens in the workplace.
However, another important part of the program is the development of skills in 'learning
how to learn'. The embedding of learning partnership groups in the program were
designed to achieve this latter aim. The researchers also anticipated that participants who
understood how they learnt would become more effective learners and also be better
equipped to understand how to help others learn. This supposition was based on research
into peer learning and learning partnerships that has been conducted in higher education
(For example, Sampson & Cohen, 2001b; and Zeegers & Martin, 2001). In the ATO
training program the concept of learning partnerships was extended to a vocational
context.
