scholarly journals Taking issue with how the Work-integrated Learning discourse ascribes a dualistic meaning to graduate employability

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Björck
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
Knowing That ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Informal Theory ◽  
Occupational Work ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

AbstractWork-integrated Learning (WIL) is renowned for providing a bridge between ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ that fosters ‘employable graduates’. This study critically argues that the WIL discourse continues to ascribe a dualistic meaning to graduate employability that primarily contributes to creating the so-called theory–practice gap for students. As an argument towards such a conclusion, a genealogical discourse analysis of how the graduate employability idea operates in 87 present and past official documents concerning the Cooperative Education (Co-op) WIL model is used. Two accounts of graduate employability, the antagonistic practice acclaiming account and the harmonious theory and practice account, recur in both the present and past documents. Both accounts contribute to creating the gap, while the latter also contributes to bridging it. The non-dualistic account, which involves knowing that the key to becoming employable is understanding how both research-based and informal theory shape daily occupational work, could be a useful alternative to these accounts. This is because it could encourage students to see how theory is a form of knowledge manifested in, rather than disconnected from, this work. However, the usual WIL design, whereby universities and workplaces outside universities are respectively institutionalised as the places where ‘theory’ and ‘practice’ is learnt, is not so much instrumental in spreading this non-dualistic account, but rather implies to students that ‘theory’ is absent from daily work until they apply it. Thus, I discuss how establishing physical and/or virtual countersites to the usual WIL design could potentially spread this account to students.

Examining and challenging the intentions of work-integrated learning

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny Fleming ◽  
Neil J. Haigh
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
First Century ◽  
University Education ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

Purpose While the intended outcomes of work-integrated learning (WIL) are well documented, significant challenges arise when the stakeholders have different understandings and expectations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the alignment of stakeholder views on the defining features of cooperative education as a model of WIL. Design/methodology/approach An interpretive case-study methodology, incorporating questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, was used to determine the views of students, workplace supervisors and university academic supervisors involved in a sport cooperative education program. Findings Students, workplace supervisors and academic supervisors shared a perception that the students’ development of employability skills and their acquisition of experience in industry were the primary intended outcomes. As an associated benefit, students would be work-ready. Ideally, cooperative education experiences should also provide opportunities for students to learn to integrate theory and practice, further develop their personal and professional identities, and learn to navigate the important ethical aspects of being a professional. Practical implications While the employability emphasis in the findings aligns well with government agendas, graduates need to be prepared for complex and dynamic workplaces, and to be future ready for careers that are yet to exist. WIL curricula need to explicitly address this expanded agenda, which in turn needs to be communicated clearly to all stakeholders. Originality/value This paper challenges stakeholders in WIL to move beyond a focus on preparing students for the “now” and to reconsider the learning outcomes that should be imperative for university education in the twenty-first century.

Improving Experiential Learning in Sport Management Through Work-Integrated Learning

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Susan B. Foster ◽  
David A. Pierce
Keyword(s):  
Experiential Learning ◽  
Sport Management ◽  
Cooperative Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Research Review ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Curricular Innovation ◽  
Integral Role ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

Experiential learning has played an integral role in curricular innovation since the inception of North American sport management education. However, internationally, work-integrated learning, and specifically cooperative education, have proven to be robust methods for preparing students for the workforce with little to no mention of these terms as applied to sport management curricula in the United States. This educational research review positions involving both of these structured pedagogies that combine classroom instruction with highly contextualized, authentic work experiences of at least two semesters to improve experiential learning and calls for more research to be done to demonstrate its efficacy. Recommendations are made to spur faculty to consider ways these pedagogies can be applied to their sport management curricula. In addition, this review addresses keys to successfully implement them on campus.

scholarly journals Work Integrated Learning at Tertiary Level to Enhance Graduate Employability in Bangladesh

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Faieza Chowdhury
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Quality ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Developed Country ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Higher Education Quality ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Government ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

In the last few years, higher education institutions (HEIs) in Bangladesh have been under severe pressure to transform the way they operate. The present Government of Bangladesh requires all universities to improve their quality of education and has implemented various projects such as Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP) in collaboration with the World Bank. As Bangladesh has set a target to transition out of the status of Least Developed Country (LDC) to Developing country by 2024, graduate employability and education quality are pivotal interests for the Government of Bangladesh. This paper investigates the concept of work integrated learning (WIL) and generic skills vital to enhance the employability of the current graduates in Bangladesh. We explore different types of WIL that can be applied at higher academic institutions in Bangladesh and what are the various benefits of this type of learning to the key stakeholders, namely; students, universities and employers. Finally, we conclude by pointing out the prerequisites that need to be considered in order to successfully implement WIL in Bangladesh. This is a descriptive study and we have collected data from different secondary sources such as documents available from government agencies, research organizations, archives and library. Moreover, we have also used interviews from sources such as newspapers and magazines documenting views of well-respected academicians and personalities in Bangladesh. Our findings indicate that in order to successfully integrate WIL, there are some prerequisites such as modifying the current curriculum, designing and offering work oriented courses, building strong connections with potential employers and creating awareness about WIL among faculty members and students.

scholarly journals Discipline predicts Work Integrated Learning (WIL) practice in Science courses

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 222-259
Author(s):  
Susan Rowland ◽  
Daniel Blundell
Keyword(s):  
Evidence Based ◽  
Science Students ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Undergraduate Programs ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Large Research ◽  
Mathematics And Science

Australian mathematics and science students have low participation in WIL, posing implications for student employability. To better understand this problem we examined the industry-placement and coursework-incorporated WIL offered across the Faculty of Science at a large research-intensive university. The aim of the study was to provide an evidenced discussion of the types and amounts of WIL that different disciplines offer their students. A matrix was used to measure the inclusion of WIL activities in 265 courses (units of study) across all undergraduate programs in a Faculty of Science. The results, which show comparisons between disciplines, year levels, and class sizes. Indicate that a high proportion of courses incorporate WIL, but that some disciplines are significantly more likely to incorporate WIL than others. This study provides important insights into how science students in different disciplines and in different levels of their degree are prepared for the workplace. As we consider how to address graduate employability through integrating WIL in university STEM coursework, this study provides evidence-based justification to initiate reflection about pedagogy.

scholarly journals Embedding graduate employability attributes in management sciences curricula: A case of two Namibian universities

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romanus Shivoro ◽  
Rakel Kavena Shalyefu ◽  
Ngepathimo Kadhila
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Degree Programs ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Learning Modules ◽  
Graduate Attributes ◽  
Core Curricula ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Core Module ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Program Modules

Recognising implicit employability attributes within discipline-specific program modules is a critical part of the process of developing new employability modules in the management sciences curricula. The notion of graduate employability has gained acceptance in the higher education sector across the world and furthermore higher education and industry appear to have reached consensus on the importance of enhancing graduate attributes through the curricula at university. This paper offers a qualitative analysis of curricula documents to determine strategies that are effective in enhancing graduate employability. Using content analysis to assess six bachelor degree programs in management sciences from selected universities in Namibia, the study established that, in addition to work-integrated learning modules, there is evidence of graduate employability attributes being implicitly embedded in core curricula and discipline-specific modules. The researchers argue that universities should develop a stand-alone core module specifically to cultivate employability attributes. This should be supported by multiple work-integrated learning experiences for students to practise technical or discipline specific skills and generic employability attributes.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Work-Integrated Learning Partnerships: Case Study of Cooperative Education in Agricultural Tertiary Education

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12684
Author(s):  
Hazem S. Kassem ◽  
Abdullah Awad Al-Zaidi ◽  
Awadh Baessa
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Program Design ◽  
Cooperative Education ◽  
Measurement Scale ◽  
Satisfaction Level ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Work Integrated Learning

The growing demand for promoting the role of higher education institutions in sustainability has contributed to creating new partnerships with other actors. In the field of education, the formation of cooperative education (co-op) partnerships was adopted as a strategy for work-integrated learning in cooperation with industry. This study investigated the effectiveness of co-op partnerships and the factors that influence them in the context of tertiary agriculture education in Saudi Arabia. A random sample of 130 co-op students was selected within the Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences delivered by the College of Food and Agriculture Sciences at King Saud University. The satisfaction level of students was explored in terms of four main areas, namely, the quality of the program design, organizational climate, personal and professional qualities, and program learning outcomes. The majority of students (70%) were highly satisfied with the quality of the program design, while they had a moderate level of satisfaction regarding the organizational climate of the co-op program (74.6%). Furthermore, 85.4% of students were highly satisfied regarding the learning outcomes they gained. The results also revealed that there were significant positive relationships between the level of satisfaction of students regarding program learning outcomes and their quality assessments of the program design, personal and professional qualities, and organizational climate. The measurement scale used in this study may assist in assessing the sustainability of co-op partnerships. Moreover, understanding the satisfaction level of students can help to identify areas that should be improved and, in turn, contribute to improving the governance and sustainability of co-op partnerships for all stakeholders.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document