scholarly journals Academic work-integrated learning (WIL): Reengaging teaching-focused academics with industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 172-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Whelan
Keyword(s):  
University Research ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Scholarship Of Teaching ◽  
Volume Number ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Number Of Publications ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Australian Universities

There has been an increase in the number of teaching-focused academics at Australian universities over recent years. However, research-focused and teaching-research academics have an advantage over teaching-focused academics in terms of promotion, forced redundancies and tenure. While evidence of research success is measured by volume (number of publications and research income), evidence of teaching scholarship is less quantifiable. The value of industry-university collaboration has been reported widely. However, the focus is on the value of the knowledge transfer of university research to industry and collaborative industry-university research. Academics collaborating with industry partners on research projects are able to experience current industry practice firsthand, raising the question: How do teaching-focused academics remain engaged with industry? The benefits of work-integrated learning (WIL) to hosts, students and universities are well documented. This paper poses the question: Is a WIL placement a way to reengage teaching-focused academics with industry?, and introduces the concept of ‘Academic WIL’ where academics complete an internship placement with an industry partner. The impact on graduate employability is discussed and a methodology for a teaching-focused academic to use their Academic WIL experience as evidence of their achievements in the scholarship of teaching is presented.

scholarly journals An institutional framework to guide the comparison of work-integrated learning

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-100
Author(s):  
Mollie Dollinger ◽  
Jason Brown
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Institutional Framework ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Related Research ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Australian Universities

Work-based placements, site visits, field trips and embedded industry-informed curriculum are employability strategies frequently applied by universities, and clustered under the umbrella term – work-integrated learning (WIL). Referring to each of these strategies as WIL can complicate comparisons (e.g. long-term placements vs. field trips) and can lead WIL related research to diverge in multiple directions. To support comparison and help guide institutional decision-making relating to WIL, the positioning of this article aligns with a recent stream of literature that attempts to outline, contrast and differentiate between various activities aimed at enhancing graduate employability. Four distinct WIL case studies from three Australian universities are described in this article: (a) students working in teams with industry partners (n=23), (b) students co-creating learning resources (n=7), (c) a student-staff partnership (n=2), and (d) students acting as peer-learning advisors (n=5). The cases were considered across five key factors: 1) ease of implementation, 2) barriers, 3) scalability, 4) authenticity, and 5) proximity. Using empirical data, the findings within the article contribute an institutional framework that highlights the benefits and drawbacks associated with differences across WIL types, intended to support good WIL practice among administrators, teachers and staff.

scholarly journals Student musicians’ experiences of reflexivity during internships: Personal narratives and complex modalities

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 460-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dawn Bennett ◽  
Anna Reid ◽  
Jennifer Rowley
Keyword(s):  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Student Thinking ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Complex Relation ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
Positive Sense ◽  
Industry Practice ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Student Reflections

A presumption behind work-integrated learning activities such as internship programmes is that student thinking will shift as a result of exposure to industry practice. We wondered if all students experience this change in the positive sense that teachers expect. To examine this presumption we asked to what extent and in what ways students reorient their thinking about self and identity as a result of an internship experience. Analysis of student reflections following a structured internship programme leads us to believe that not all students experience a shift in thinking, and that their personal narratives speak instead to a complex relation of modalities.

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.

When things go wrong: the implications for facilitators of work integrated learning placements in international destinations

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Agnew ◽  
Elizabeth Abery ◽  
Sam Schulz ◽  
Shane Pill
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Critical Incidents ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Analysis Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Staff Wellbeing ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeInternational work integrated learning (iWIL) placements for university students are widely promoted within universities. However, they cannot be offered and sustained without a great deal of time and effort; most commonly the responsibility of an assigned university facilitator. Preparation and support are essential for a positive student experience and iWIL outcome. However, not all experiences and outcomes are positive, or predictable.Design/methodology/approachPersonal vignettes of university iWIL facilitators are used to create a collaborative autoethnography (CAE) of experiences and outcomes where placements have been affected by unexpected or unprecedented “critical incidents” and the impact incurred on these academics. The vignettes are analyzed according to the Pitard (2016) six-step structural analysis model.FindingsAnalysis of the vignettes identifies a resulting workload cost, emotional labor and effect on staff wellbeing. Due to the responsibility and expectations of the position, these incidents placed the university iWIL facilitator in a position of vulnerability, stress, added workload and emotional labor that cannot be compared to other academic teaching roles.Practical implicationsIt is intended through the use of “real life” stories presented in the vignettes, to elicit consideration and recognition of the role of the iWIL facilitator when dealing with “the negatives” and “bring to light” management and support strategies needed.Originality/valueResearch is scant on iWIL supervisor experience and management of “critical incidents”, therefore this paper adds to the literature in an area previously overlooked.

Student Perspectives on the Impact of an Undergraduate Work-Integrated Learning Program on Admission and Transition to Medical School

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 768-774
Author(s):  
Rachel McDonald ◽  
Adam Bobrowski ◽  
Leah Drost ◽  
Leigha Rowbottom ◽  
Judene Pretti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medical School ◽  
Student Perspectives ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Learning Program ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
The Impact

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 Editorial: Advancing Non-placement Work-integrated Learning Across the Degree

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 2-8
Author(s):  
Bonnie Dean ◽  
◽  
Michelle J. Eady ◽  
Venkata Yanamandram ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Integrated Learning ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Professional Networks ◽  
Transferable Skills ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Workplace Preparation ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
The Impact

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is on the rise as many universities adopt strategic targets for student workplace preparation as an element of their tertiary studies. Through WIL, students gain real world experiences, transferable skills and build professional networks. WIL is often understood as a placement activity, whereby students spend extended periods of time in industry, typically at the end or near end of their degree. These placements are designed to encapsulate the theoretical learning of a degree through the opportunity to apply knowledge and practise skills in a physical workplace. While there is much evidence in the higher education teaching and learning scholarship that attests to the benefits of placement-based WIL for all stakeholders, innovation in WIL that integrates work practices with learning is also occurring without time on placement or within a workplace. In recent years, WIL activity has extended beyond limited conceptions as describing only placements, to include a range of simulated, virtual, authentic and industry-based activities. The uptake of non-placement learning activities presents as opportunity to investigate the benefits, utility and innovation of this growing pedagogy to contribute meaningful insights to higher education scholarship and practice. This special issue is being published during the trials of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency. This global pandemic has shattered economies, touching every domain of life, including completely disrupting higher education. The call for papers for this special issue was conceived and advertised well before the universal lock down. There was evidence to suggest universities were exploring and experimenting with new ways of engaging with industry partners and that these models were offering extraordinary benefits to student learning and application of knowledge. The COVID-19 situation escalated these experiments, determining virtual WIL and projects or activities leveraged through technological platforms, as the fortuitous survivors. There is no doubt that WIL pedagogies and programs have been hit hard, however, this hardship for some has been described as cause for a learning revolution. For WIL research, this could be the impetus for questioning dominant modes of WIL and extending our understandings and knowledge of the impact of alternative WIL models.

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