Enhancing Graduate Attributes through Work-Integrated Learning: Students’ Perspective

Abstract

Work-integrated learning inspires students to embrace prospective future careers, thereby contributing to economic innovation and growth. Universities must incorporate work-integrated learning into the curricula to promote students’ personal and career development goals. It enables students to integrate theory and practice and to assess their experiential learning as well as exposing them to the world of work. This study investigates the contribution of work-integrated learning to enhancing graduate attributes of industrial design students at the University of Botswana. Few in-depth studies have assessed how work-integrated learning enhances the graduate attributes of industrial design students. A case study was conducted with 21 University of Botswana industrial design students. The results were based on students self-reporting after undertaking a 14-week work-integrated learning experience. The participants reported that 98% of the graduate attributes were positively attained. Teamwork and adaptability were the top two graduate attributes that were perceived to have been attained. The results suggest that work-integrated learning enables students to learn by doing, which enhances personal and professional graduate attributes important to gain employment and succeed in the workplace. Consequently, institutions of higher learning must review their teaching and learning pedagogies to align them with the needs of the work environment, civic engagement and the fourth industrial revolution to produce technically and professionally competent graduates. The curriculum review should also foster a decolonial and transformative lens in higher education in the Global South