Article Green Open Access 2025

Defining and designing work-integrated learning curriculum

FS
Ferns, Sonia J.
 ZK
Zegwaard, Karsten E.
 JP
Judene Pretti, T.
 RA
Rowe, Anna D.
Higher Education Research and Development
Journal · Vol. 44 · Issue 2 · pp. 371-385
Abstract

The scope of work-integrated learning (WIL) has expanded and evolved globally and is a recognised pedagogy that enhances graduate employability, strengthens students’ personal attributes, and affords a personalised learning experience. Despite abundant research and discourse on WIL, misconceptions about what WIL is and how WIL educative experiences are enacted continue to prevail, partially due to the absence of a universal definition of WIL. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into WIL curriculum design and educational practices that reflect a recently published inclusive definition of WIL. The importance of pre- and post-WIL for optimising outcomes during WIL is emphasised. A framework for conceptualising the enactment of the WIL curriculum is presented that preserves the flexibility of WIL while establishing a consistent interpretation of what WIL curriculum entails. Consensus on the defining elements of WIL and its enactment will facilitate stronger global collaboration, shared teaching ethos, augmented research impact, and agreement on what constitutes quality WIL. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Keywords

Author Keywords

Higher education work-integrated learning curriculum Quality educational design

Index Keywords

Author Affiliations
Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
Work-Integrated Learning Unit, University of Waikato, Hamilton, WKO, New Zealand
Co-operative and Experiential Education, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
School of Education, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Funding & Acknowledgements
No funding information
References 10 References
1 Advances in Research Theory and Practice in Work Integrated Learning Enhancing Employability for A Sustainable Future, (2022)
2 Ajjawi, Rola, MOVING FORWARD: Mainstreaming assessment for inclusion in curricula, Assessment for Inclusion in Higher Education: Promoting Equity and Social Justice in Assessment, pp. 231-237, (2022)
3 Journal of Research Method in Education, (2015)
4 Social Learning Theory, (1977)
5 Social Foundations of Thought and Action A Social Cognitive Theory, (1986)
6 Exploring the Returns to Continuing Vocational Training in Enterprises A Review of Research within and Outside of the European Union, (1998)
7 Developing Agentic Professionals Through Practice Based Pedagogies, (2009)
8 Billett, Stephen Richard, Pedagogic Practices Supporting the Integration of Experiences, Professional and Practice-based Learning, 13, pp. 195-223, (2015)
9 Björck, Ville, Taking issue with how the Work-integrated Learning discourse ascribes a dualistic meaning to graduate employability, Higher Education, 82, 2, pp. 307-322, (2021)
10 undefined, (1995)
Quick Actions
Full Text via DOI
Citation Metrics
18
Times Cited (Scopus)
References 10
Document Identifiers