Work-integrated Learning Placements Research Articles

Transferable Skills And Graduate Attributes: Analysis of health services management students’ reflections on an industry-based placement

Purpose: Work Integrated Learning (WIL) supports learners to acquire transferable skills and graduate attributes for employability through placements in settings aligned with their future profession. The purpose of this paper is to explore, student reflections on the attainment of transferable skills and university graduate attributes on health service management (HSM) work integrated learning placements in one Australian University. Design/methodology/approach: The study used data collected from e-portfolios from two cohorts of students who completed placements in the health industry. Structured e-portfolios recorded student reflections, these were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively. To analyse the reflections, content analysis and mapping of narratives to transferable skills and University graduate attributes was used to evidence their attainment by learners on placement. Findings: The data demonstrated that students attained transferable skills and university attributes and reflected upon them in their e-portfolios. However, not all transferable skills and attributes were evidenced in student portfolios. Ethical thoughts and actions, respect and capability with First Peoples, citizenship and social responsibility, negotiation and conflict resolution, research and organizational membership were not comprehensively demonstrated. Reflective skills and learning how to reflect could be further emphasised and practiced within the curricula. The outcomes of the study can be used to strengthen the focus of reflective e-portfolios, inform the development of HSM curricula and support academics teaching in WIL programs to further clarify expectations on reflection. Originality: This paper is of interest to Universities aiming to equip graduates with transferable skills and the attributes to thrive in complex and rapidly changing work environments. The study identified further research opportunities that could inform the design and content of e-portfolios to demonstrate the skills attained on placement.

Supporting learners in prison healthcare work-integrated learning settings through simulation: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundNursing students and nurse preceptors indicate that a comprehensive orientation is vital to successful work-integrated learning placements in Prison Health Services. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a Prison Health Service orientation package that included innovative asynchronous online video simulations with branched decision-making and feedback opportunities to stimulate learning and improve students’ feelings of preparedness for a placement in this setting.MethodsA cross-sectional pre and post design was used to evaluate the resource. Students were given access to the package and invited to complete a pre-placement survey evaluating the resource and their feelings of preparedness for placement. Following placement, they re-evaluated the resource in terms of how well it prepared them for the placement and how well prepared they felt. Third year Australian undergraduate nursing students from one university who completed a Prison Health Service work-integrated learning placement in 2018, 2021, and 2022 were invited to participate. Placements were unavailable in 2019 and 2020. Independent t-tests were used to determine differences in scale means and level of preparedness between pre- and post-survey responses.ResultsTwenty-three of 40 (57.5%) eligible nursing students completed the pre-placement survey and 13 (32.5%) completed the post placement survey. All respondents to the pre-placement survey indicated that they felt satisfactorily, well, or very well prepared after completing the orientation package prior to their clinical placement. Students were significantly more likely to consider themselves well prepared by the package after they had attended placement (p < .001). All students post placement indicated that overall, the simulation resources and the specific simulation scenario about personal boundaries and management of manipulative behaviours was useful for their placement. The majority of students would recommend the orientation package to other students. Suggestions for improvement included streamlining the resource to reduce the time to complete it.ConclusionsAsynchronous online simulation with the capacity for branched decision making and feedback along with a comprehensive online orientation package were perceived as useful to prepare undergraduate students for placement in the Prison Health Service work-integrated learning setting.

Virtual Health Promotion Work-Integrated Learning Placements: A COVID-19 Consequence or Preparation for the Future?

We explored student and industry supervisors' experiences of virtual work-integrated learning (vWIL) health promotion placements during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a descriptive phenomenological qualitative methodology, we conducted semi-structured interviews with eight students and eight supervisors of undergraduate health promotion-related placements at community, not-for-profit and government organizations. We asked participants about the aspects of their placement they found most enjoyable and challenging, their preparation, workload, and thoughts on placement structure. We audio-recorded and had the interviews transcribed. Our thematic analyses revealed four key themes: (1) the impact of COVID-19 on work and study, (2) benefits of vWIL (real-world application and career clarification, transcending barriers and saving time, and feeling less intimidated), (3) challenges of vWIL (experiencing workplace culture, providing support and guidance to students, and relationship building), and (4) recommendations on the evolution of vWIL (increased preparation and consider a hybrid model). Our findings suggest that vWIL is a viable and sound mode of delivery for health promotion-related placements, particularly in situations that inhibit face-to-face learning. It has the capacity to enhance the work-readiness of health promotion graduates while adding flexibility to professional preparation workplace-based training programs, providing opportunity for capacity building locally across rural and remote areas, as well as globally. Future research should examine the effectiveness, practicality, and feasibility of implementing placements across different models including face-to-face, virtual and hybrid.

Conceptualising responsibility and hostility within work-integrated learning placements for students with disabilities

The expectation for universities to support students’ employability through work-integrated learning placements demands investigation into how opportunities are inclusive to students from a diversity of backgrounds. In this paper, we explore the experiences of students with disabilities during work placements, drawing on qualitative data collected through six focus groups with students (n = 27). Analysed through the frame of stigma, the results show how students bear an unfair burden of responsibility in their placement experiences, as they shoulder consequential decisions to disclose and/or request accommodations to support their learning. In this study, work placement environments were often somewhat hostile, both in relation to their built environments but also through the bias and/or prejudice of others. The results shed light on the difficulties that students with disabilities face in their placements and underscore how educational equity is multi-layered, requiring scrutiny of the student life-course including access to opportunities in professional fields.

Graduate Employment Outcomes of Health Service Management Work Integrated Learning Placements

Introduction: Australian universities are increasingly focused on graduate employability outcomes. Industry and government are also seeking job-ready graduates. Employment outcomes for degree programs are measured by national surveys. Understanding employment outcomes for health service management university programs however are not able to be determined by these surveys as the data are not sufficiently granular. Universities embed a range of employability activities into their degrees to promote and support job-ready graduates such as work-integrated learning placements. Study design: This study employed a novel approach to measuring employability outcomes for graduates who had completed a health service management work integrated learning placement. Findings and research outcomes: Our study shows that graduates of a health service management program who complete a work-integrated learning placement have good employability outcomes and are gaining employment in roles related to their degree. Further research is needed to understand the impact of the placement and other embedded approaches in health service management degree programs to determine the role of each of the possible contributing factors

Evaluating allied health students’ readiness for placement learning

BackgroundExperiential learning opportunities, such as work integrated learning placements, are often challenging for health professional students. It is therefore imperative that students are adequately prepared before engaging in placement learning. Operationalising ‘readiness for learning on placement’ as a construct, is necessary for providing quality student feedback and assessment.MethodsAn integrative mixed methods approach was adopted for this study, utilising a survey to canvass the perspectives of academics, students, and placement educators around the construct of readiness to inform potential assessment items. An assessment tool measuring student readiness for placement was then developed. Data from occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech pathology programs were evaluated using Rasch analysis to explore the unidimensionality of this construct.ResultsThe online survey was completed by 64 participants, confirming the importance and measurability of foundational skills integral to readiness for placement learning. These foundational skills were then reflected in a pilot 20-item tool covering domains of professional and learner behaviour, communication, information gathering skills and reasoning. The Rasch analysis of 359 pre-registration student assessments confirmed unidimensionality, suggesting that the skills and attributes (operationalised as assessment items) that are considered part of ‘readiness for placement’ are components of this construct. Together, these findings provide support that the items on this tool are relevant and representative of the skills and behaviours that indicate readiness for placement learning. Two items regarding documentation and appropriate professional dress demonstrated some lower importance scores and interpretation variance warranting further investigation.ConclusionThrough the exploration of the construct of readiness for placement learning, we have created and subsequently revised, an innovative assessment tool that measures novice students’ pre-placement capabilities. Further research is now needed to explore the psychometric properties of the tool.

Exploring the experiences of students with disabilities in work-integrated learning

ABSTRACT Work-integrated learning (WIL) or university placements are valuable opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in an authentic work setting and help support their transition from university to employment. However, as our study evidenced, students with disability face significant and unique barriers to securing and completing WIL placements. In this study, we surveyed students with disability at an Australian university (n = 132) to explore their experiences and perceptions of WIL placements. Our findings indicate that while many students are motivated to participate in placements, they have concerns about how their disability, medical or mental health condition(s) will be accepted by the organisations and whether their requests for accommodations will be facilitated without judgement from supervisors. The findings from our study are relevant to the fields of disability/inclusion and employability, as the results showcase that current policies and practices do not adequately support diverse students.

Placement educators’ perspectives of international social work students’ sociopragmatic communication skills

International students who speak English as an additional language report experiencing communication issues while completing their studies and work-integrated learning placements in a range of Anglophone countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Australia. To address this issue, accreditation and registration bodies for a number of health professions, such as social work and nursing, have advocated for increasing the test score requirements for university English language entry. However, from a sociolinguistic perspective, decisions concerning ways to address communication challenges need to take into account the unique communication skills required for functioning in specific workplace settings. It is therefore essential to identify the types of communication issues occurring during work-integrated learning opportunities (e.g. placement) and to then assess whether these should be addressed by raising general English proficiency or providing structured learning opportunities for profession-specific communication development within the course content. The present study uses sociolinguistic theory to examine placement educators’ perspectives on international students’ communication issues using the context of social work placement. It draws on the thematic analysis of interviews with 15 placement educators in Australia. One major finding is that international students’ general proficiency or ability to use specific linguistic tools (pragmalinguistic competence) is not a key area of concern for educators. The main challenge seems to involve the students’ understanding of sociocultural norms underlying workplace communication (sociopragmatic competence). This finding suggests that, rather than increasing English language entry requirements, universities need to provide international students opportunities to develop their sociopragmatic competence both before and during placement. The paper concludes with a set of recommendations aimed at supporting international students who speak English as an additional language to develop their workplace communication during their studies.

Learning in the workplace: newcomers’ information seeking behaviour and implications for education

ABSTRACT Information seeking is integral to the workplace learning of organisational newcomers including new recruits, graduates in study-to-work transition, and students on work-integrated learning (WIL) placements. Despite the importance of information seeking in newcomers’ workplace learning, previous research findings are fragmented and inconsistent. This indicates a need to inform research and practice by mapping the extant literature through a scoping review. This review synthesised and analysed findings from 25 empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals during 2000-2021 and relating to factors influencing organisational newcomers’ information seeking behaviour (ISB). The key theoretical contribution of the review is a model of organisational newcomers’ ISB and its antecedents. Through untangling complicated dynamics involved in workplace learning among newcomers, the model has implications for employers in enhancing newcomers’ learning and adaptation and for educators in preparing students for WIL placements and subsequent study-to-work transition.

The financial challenges for Australian nursing students attending placement-based work-integrated learning.

BackgroundMandatory placement-based work-integrated learning (WIL) poses challenges for nursing students who work whilst studying. The financial burden of WIL links to other known direct and indirect challenges, yet no Australian study has quantified the financial challenges resulting from attending mandatory WIL placements. Placement-based WIL costs may preclude some students from completing WIL, which may impact student attrition and the future health workforce. AimTo investigate Australian nursing students’ financial challenges related to mandatory WIL. MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey conducted with nursing students from nine Australian universities across five Australian states. The 28-question survey investigated the location of, and travels to, the most recent WIL placement; and students’ employment, accommodation, financial support, expenses and debts, and financial strain pertaining to WIL placements. ResultsOverall, 2,359 students participated. The majority were employed (84%); 65% of these reported that they were unable to work during WIL, affecting their employment. One-third incurred a financial liability from their placement, 79% reported financial hardship, and 73% found their placement stressful due to financial strain. Financial issues affected 62% of students’ health and wellbeing. DiscussionFinancial pressures related to WIL impact nursing students. While students have strategies to reduce these pressures, universities can also better manage their placement preferencing and support of students to reduce financial impacts of placement-based WIL on students. ConclusionsNursing students face substantial financial challenges related to placement-based WIL. Scholarship programs and other forms of support are required to assist nursing students to undertake WIL.

Student work readiness in Australian engineering workplaces through work integrated learning

PurposeAs part of the Co-Operative Education Program (CEP) under study, a Work-integrated Learning (WIL) student engagement framework is presented. The framework focusses on the effectiveness of the WIL program with real-world assessment tasks to prepare students for graduate employment. In order to evaluate the level at which the engineering graduates are work-ready, an analysis of qualitative and quantitative survey data from CQU students, employers and data from other sources was undertaken. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachWIL is an effective pedagogical strategy employed in engineering curriculum to engage students with workplace partners and engineering practices. However, little is known about the problems exist in the WIL processes including insufficient resources and support for mentoring students. On overcoming the problems, an effective collaboration between students, universities and engineering workplaces provides an enhanced engagement experience and enables students’ work-ready skills. Central Queensland University (CQU)’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and Diploma of Professional Practice (Co-op) students participate in two 6-month WIL placements over the course of their university studies.FindingsTo identify the impact of the co-operative education model on graduate outcomes, an analysis of student assessment data from 2016 to 2018 showed that the student employability indicators were consistently above the national average of graduate engineering students. All areas such as knowledge base, engineering ability and professional attributes, students’ performance were rated at or above the average of a graduate engineer by employers.Originality/valueAs part of practice assessment, engineering workplace employers provide an evaluation of students’ performance against the Engineers Australia (EA) Stage 1 Competency Standard for Professional Engineers, involving sixteen mandatory elements in the areas of knowledge and skill base, engineering application ability, and professional and personal attributes.

The work integrated learning experience of a university student with intellectual disability: a descriptive case study

ABSTRACT Inclusive higher education programs support people with intellectual disability (ID) to be included at university. However, until recently such programs have not typically offered the opportunity for students with ID to engage in Work Integrated Learning (WIL) experience. This case study investigates the experiences and processes involved in facilitating a university WIL placement (at a secondary school) for a student with ID (pseudonym: Serenity). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Serenity and key stakeholders involved in the process. Participants (N=6) were asked about their experiences of the placement processes; the challenges they experienced; and the outcomes they observed. They were also asked to provide suggestions for future WIL placements for students with ID. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Five major themes were identified: authentic experience; good preparation; support before and during placement; student characteristics; and opportunities for direct work experience. Outcomes can inform future inclusive WIL experiences for university students with ID. Recommendations are provided regarding further investigation into employability skills that are transferable from university-based learning to the workplace.

Characteristics of nursing and allied health student placements in the Northern Territory over time (2017-2019) and placement satisfaction.

Assess nursing and allied health student satisfaction with their remote Northern Territory integrated learning placement and consideration of future rural/remote work Describe the characteristics of these students Examine changes in student characteristics over time. A cross-sectional survey of students and a review of student placement data. Northern Territory, Australia. Former students having a work integrated learning placement of more than 1week in the Northern Territory from 2017 to 2019. Agreement with the statements 'This placement has encouraged me to consider living and working in a rural or remote location after I graduate' and 'Overall, I was satisfied with my placement.' The administrative record review examined student numbers, and placement length over time. A total of 341 students responded to the online survey. Overall satisfaction with the placement was very high (93%), and 84% agreed/strongly agreed that the placement had encouraged them to consider working in a rural or remote setting. High-quality clinical supervision and educational resources were associated with overall placement satisfaction. Overall placement satisfaction, prior interest in working remotely and satisfaction with educational resources were associated with consideration of working remotely. The number of students having a placement increased by 29% in 2017 to 2019. The number of placement weeks also increased (35%). The number/placement time of nursing and allied health students has increased in the NT. Satisfaction with remote work integrated learning placements is an the important pathway to growing a local health professional workforce in remote and rural settings.

Towards praxis: A practice architecture analysis of the work-integrated learning placement experiences of three Australian engineering students

ABSTRACT Australian universities have a remit to produce work-ready graduates and engage students from equity groups. In engineering education, accredited Australian programs commonly respond to Engineers Australia’s required engagement with professional practice by mandating completion of a specified number of hours in work-integrated learning (WIL) placements as a graduation requirement. Placements are frequently self-sourced, under/unpaid, full-time and available at set times. These conditions, largely beyond students’ control, limit options for students supporting themselves through paid work and for students with family commitments. In an investigation framed by the theory of practice architectures, we addressed the question: What are the institutional preconditions shaping WIL placement practices that enable and constrain particular students’ access to, experience in, and leverage of professional learning at work for their future careers? Our analysis of three individual student interviews identified key student practices—applying for, doing, and leveraging placements—that are enabled and constrained by material-economic arrangements in family, university and work life, cultural-discursive arrangements in career development activities and social-political arrangements in personal and engineering networks. Identifying this architecture of practices is an important step towards an equitable transformation of WIL engineering placements.

Integrating the World of Work Into Initial TVET Teacher Education in South Africa

South African Policy on Professional Qualifications for Lecturers in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (2013) provides a framework of professional qualifications for lecturers in the TVET system, which requires work-integrated learning placements in both education and industry settings. South Africa, however, does not have a convention of industry placement for vocational lecturers. This absence led the Department of Higher Education and Training, with the European Union, to co-fund a research and development project, the ‘effective delivery of the work-integrated learning (WIL) component of TVET and adult and community education and training lecturer qualification programmes’. The key output of this project was the development of a comprehensive curriculum framework for the industry-WIL component of the qualifications. This paper provides a reflective analysis of the multiple institutions, the national process through which the curriculum framework was developed and the knowledge generated through it.

Effectiveness of an escape room for undergraduate interprofessional learning: a mixed methods single group pre-post evaluation

BackgroundInterprofessional practice (IPP) has been shown to contribute to quality service provision and improved health outcomes. This knowledge has led to the integration of interprofessional education into course curricula for many health-care disciplines. Offering interprofessional education in rural areas to students undertaking work integrated learning placements is challenging particularly because of the diversity of students and placement dates combined with the student focus on the assessable placement curriculum.This research investigated and evaluated the utility of an escape room as an educational modality that facilitates learning whilst providing a supportive and motivating learning environment. Our project focused on the acquisition of interprofessional practice knowledge and experience by a health professional student cohort.MethodsThis study used the novel intervention of an escape room combined with an interactive teaching session to test student engagement and learning about interprofessional practice and teamwork. The research used a mixed methods single group pre-post design.ResultsFifty students (78% female) from seventeen universities and seven professions participated in teams of three to six members. Most participants (66%) had not previously completed an escape room. The results showed that the intervention provided effective and engaging learning and was intrinsically appealing to students despite its non-assessable nature. Individual student reflection on their participation showed developing insight into the critical importance of clear communication and intentional team member collaboration in the provision of effective interprofessional practice.ConclusionsThe escape room intervention added value to the placement curriculum and proved flexible for a heterogeneous student cohort.

Exploring the preparation and the effectiveness of meeting perceived learning needs of undergraduate nursing students who undertake clinical placements in rural facilities from the perspectives of students

Universities are seeking alternative Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placements for nursing students due to increasing demand. Whilst significant research exists relating to rural and remote placements (particularly in their utility for recruitment upon graduation), there is a lack of research relating to student preparation for these placements. Third year nursing students participated in a qualitative exploratory study to provide their perceptions of preparation for WIL placements in a Queensland rural health service. While participants in this study valued their experience highly, concerns relating to their preparation were identified. These included inadequate university and facility communication, accommodation issues, and a lack of advance rostering. Negative impacts on participants included outdated facility policies and nursing practices, and a lack of acceptance from some nursing staff. Some also experienced loneliness, isolation and financial problems. Conversely, participants were unprepared for positive aspects of the placement including enjoying the rural lifestyle and sense of belonging. Students experienced greater autonomy, and more support for individual learning needs than in metropolitan placements. This resulted in higher levels of teamwork, interprofessional practice and immersion in wide-ranging experiences. Improved pre-placement information from the university and facility would enhance students’ experience of rural and remote WIL placements.

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

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.

Preliminary Insights into International Work Integrated Learning (WIL) Placements in Disability and Student Recommendations for Success

This pilot study explored the experiences of undergraduate students studying disability who undertook a three-week international Work Integrated Learning (WIL) placement in Brunei Darussalam. Presented are the students’ perspectives of the value of the international WIL and its impact on their personal and professional growth. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted and transcripts analysed using a thematic and iterative qualitative approach compatible with phenomenology. Three major themes exploring student experiences emerged: ‘valued experiences’, ‘cultural dissonance’ and ‘personal and professional growth’. Four recommendations relate to ‘selection interviews, comprehensive pre-departure sessions, accommodation, and quality university supervision’. Indicative findings suggest the placement had a valuable and positive impact on the students, increasing their cultural competence and assisting with their personal and professional growth. Additionally, the findings provide further insight on what makes international WIL placements successful and promotes optimal learning.

The WIL to learn: students’ perspectives on the impact of work-integrated learning placements on their professional readiness

ABSTRACT Work-integrated learning (WIL) has assumed life as a central feature of higher education curriculum design in a wide range of disciplines with the ultimate goal of producing work-ready graduates. Under recent Australian government initiatives affecting teacher education, placement forms of WIL have been touted as the panacea for perceived problems with graduate teacher quality; resulting in the national regulation of placement design and length in this discipline. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study into the perspectives of fifteen teacher education students from one regional Australian university. The study investigated these students’ placement experiences and the impact of these experiences on their perceptions of readiness for a career in the teaching profession. Thematic analysis is the method used to identify two key themes in the data collected through semi-structured interviews. Despite recognising the benefits of real-world opportunities for skill development and practice inherent in WIL placement experiences, the study highlights important limitations of these forms of WIL on the development of professional readiness arising from the contextual features of particular placement sites; relationships with workplace supervisors and performance pressure associated with assessment during placements. These findings not only confirm the importance of social processes in the preparation of work-ready graduates but question reliance on placement forms of WIL learning for nurturing graduates’ readiness for professional work.