Book Title: The HOST Guide for STEM Placement Supervision

Book Description

The STEM Host Guide, developed by Dr Sophie McKenzie and Associate Professor Karen Young at Deakin University (SEBE), is a novel digital resource designed to enhance the supervision of STEM students in placement-based Work Integrated Learning (WIL).This guide — complemented by a host video — captures the essentials of effective student supervision, including:
• Clarifying roles and expectations for hosts and students.
• Engagement strategies that balance “working to learn and learning to work.”
• Performance review criteria with structured goal setting, constructive feedback loops, and formal mid/end placement discussions.
• Evaluation tools such as a grid map with three domains: discipline specific STEM knowledge, ethical/professional obligations, and employability skills (communication, critical thinking, collaboration, self management).
• Rating scales that track progression from early learning to independent, forward thinking practice.
While this guide is primarily intended for hosts, we also see its usefulness for students — by explaining how performance is evaluated and how to meaningfully engage with supervisors — and for academic staff, who can draw on its tested framework and adaptable tools to align placement activities with STEM curricula.
By combining flexibility with tested supervision practices, the STEM Host Guide empowers educators, industry partners, and students to co create meaningful, personalised placement experiences that foster professional growth and work readiness across diverse STEM contexts.