Work Integrated Learning Programs Research Articles

Reconceptualising Student Success

The phrase 'access for student success' is familiar in the South African Higher Education (SAHE) sector since the formation of the Department of Education in 1994, a result from the desegregation of the then 17 racial departments. Numerous initiatives to address this concept have been instituted in different ways by the Higher Education (HE) institutions. These have taken the form of student support programmes which have, inter alia, included access and/or foundation provision, academic development initiatives, career development and employment preparation programmes. The University of South Africa (Unisa) has not been omitted in taking on similar initiatives. Unisa in its attempt to enhance student success offers academic development (AD) programmes such as the Science Foundation Provision (SFP), amongst others. However, academic development remains an ad-hoc activity being offered by different directorates working in silos and often times duplicating some of the services. This paper aims to present a proposal towards developing an integrated model for learner support whose objective is to identify students' academic and career needs at the point of entry; refer them to appropriate learning and career development programmes; and thereafter enrol them in a job readiness training and placement programme (JRTP) in preparation for work-integrated learning (WIL) placements. This is a mixed methods study, involving a diagnostic academic literacies assessment, student and employer questionnaires as well as focus group discussions. Participants were 'employers' of Unisa students in WIL programmes with and/or without the career development and JRTP experience as well as Unisa students in these programmes. It was found that most senior students view student success as obtaining a qualification, and being able to use such qualification in gainful employment.

University lawyers: a study of legal risk, risk management and role in work integrated learning programmes

Work integrated learning (WIL) is in growing demand by multiple stakeholders within the higher education sector in Australia. There are significant and distinct legal risks to universities associated with WIL programmes. University lawyers, along with WIL administrators and university management, are responsible for managing legal risk. This quantitative study of 41 Australian university lawyers offers awareness and insight into their role, the legal risks and their risk management practices with respect to WIL programmes. The results furnish university management, WIL administrators and university lawyers in all jurisdictions with a series of issues related to risk management that warrant further consideration. In particular the authors suggest that the appointment of a dedicated WIL lawyer, a clear delineation of risk management responsibilities through university policy and education and greater collaboration between university lawyers and WIL administrators has the potential to improve institutional risk management in the specific context of WIL programmes.

A transformative approach to work integrated learning in legal education

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the current context, scope and problems in the provision of work-integrated learning (WIL) in legal education and how the adoption transformative pedagogies in WIL which is offered in legal education can foster personal and social transformation in addition to enhancing lawyering skills. The paper draws on learning from Australia, England and the USA. Design/methodology/approach – The backdrop of this conceptual paper is WIL and transformative education. The text begins with a critique of existing WIL frameworks and practices in legal education in Australia, England and the USA. This exposes a focus on skills enhancement at the expense of social and personal transformation. Drawing on transformative learning, the paper proposes practices which can be used in WIL offered in legal education to enhance personal and social transformation. Findings – There is very little literature on how legal education and WIL in legal education can enhance personal and social transformation. Tensions continue to exist between the predominant aim of instilling the legal skills necessary to ensure that graduates are prepared for legal practice through WIL programmes and between the need to simultaneously enhance critical consciousness and social transformation necessary for active participation in social and professional life. Research limitations/implications – More research is required on the best manner in which the ideals and practices of emancipatory education can be installed within WIL programmes so as to successfully reduce the tensions between the instilling of legal skills required to practice law and the need to train students to be holistic, critical and constructive thinkers. Practical implications – The suggestions made in this paper provide a framework to adopt critical pedagogies in the provision of WIL in legal education. The theoeretical and practice-based suggestions presented in this paper are also relevant to other professional disciplines where personal transformation is desired. Originality/value – The literature on legal education predominantly focuses on enhancing lawyering skills and competencies and there is an absence of the utilisation of transformative pedagogies in legal education generally and WIL offered in legal education. Drawing predominantly on the literature and practices relating to legal education in Australia and incorporating comparative insights from England and the USA, the paper contributes to the broader literature on transformative learning. Most significantly, the paper contributes specifically to the use of transformative pedagogies in WIL offered in legal education through the suggestion of practices relating to critical reflection and dialogue which are not commonly used in legal education.

Experiential learning in accounting work-integrated learning: a three-way partnership

Purpose – Work-integrated learning (WIL) helps improve the work readiness of accounting graduates. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role played by large and small-to-medium enterprise (SME) employers in providing experiential learning opportunities to accounting students in an Australian higher education context. Design/methodology/approach – Case-study data for this research were collected from the case university’s processes, semi-structured in-depth interviews with employer representatives and online survey with WIL students. Findings – The analysis reveals that both SMEs and large firms provide good training opportunities that enhance the student’s experiential learning particularly when proper WIL structures for pre-placement processes, training, supervision and performance reviews are in place. The results also confirm that WIL is seen as a positive experience by employers and students alike. Originality/value – There is a three-way partnership between the university, employers and students in a WIL contract. Calls for collaborative research involving all three parties have been made to enhance WIL programs. This study is a response to this call.

Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely considered instrumental in equipping new graduates with the required employability skills to function effectively in the work environment. Evaluation of WIL programs in enhancing skill development remains predominantly outcomes-focused with little attention to the process of what, how and from whom students acquire essential skills during work placement. This paper investigates best practice in the classroom and placement activities which develop employability skills and identifies factors impeding skill performance during WIL, based on survey data from 131 undergraduates across different disciplines in an Australian university. What students actually experienced during placement, or what they felt was important to their learning, broadly aligns with best practice principles for WIL programs and problems experienced in performing certain skills during placement can be largely attributed to poor design. Implications for academic and professional practitioners are discussed.

A Multi-Pronged Approach to Work Integrated Learning for IT Students

This paper describes the multiple work integrated learning (WIL) schemes available to IT students at La Trobe University, Bendigo Campus. Having a number of different options for students to choose from maximizes the number of students who can have the opportunity for IT industry experience while completing an IT degree. This approach is important since IT employers are currently more likely to employ work-ready graduates. The advantages of the programs to the various stakeholders – university, IT academic staff, industry partners (IP) and students (regardless of whether they participate in a WIL program or not) – are outlined. To differentiate work integrated learning from work experience there is an emphasis on reflective practice throughout the IT work-integrated learning subjects. Some examples of students’ reflective writing are provided to illustrate this focus. Suggestions for successful WIL programs are discussed along with issues that have arisen and how they were managed.

Transfer of Learning as a Specific Case of Transition between Learning Contexts in a French Work-Integrated Learning Programme

The aim of this article is to discuss transfer of learning in a tertiary technical course in the French educational context. The focus is on a pedagogical sequence (i.e. a complex problem-solving activity) requiring different types of knowledge that students are expected to have learnt previously in the different parts of their training course (both at university and in the workplace). The theoretical approach considers transfer of learning as a complex transition, including not only cognitive but also social and identity changes. This type of transition can be more or less difficult according to the types of knowledge and the pedagogical organisation of the training course, including more or less connective activities between its different components. We recorded two groups of students during the pedagogical sequence and analysed their collective activity during the problem solving. Our findings show that students can easily transfer concrete knowledge from the workplace whereas they have great difficulty in using theoretical concepts and methods coming from the academic teachings at the university. We propose an interpretation of the students’ difficulties by analysing the characteristics of these different social learning contexts. We also discuss the way in which such types of connective activities can be designed and managed by teachers to improve their efficiency.

Workplace learning and its organizational benefits for small enterprises

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore small firm owners' perceptions of the impact of employee training on small firm competitiveness in the context of Greece.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopts a qualitative orientation. Empirical data were collected from 43 owners of small and micro‐firms operating in various sectors of the Greek manufacturing industry through personal semi‐structured interviews.FindingsThe empirical evidence reveals that informal staff training can help Greek small firms face the challenges of the future. More specifically, the interview findings indicated that workplace training can: reduce employee errors in the production process; help small firms to meet skill shortage needs; facilitate the introduction of new technology; and enhance worker employability.Practical implicationsThe paper argues that a key challenge for policy makers and employers in this area is to facilitate informal learning within small firms in order to improve firm performance. In the same manner, work‐integrated learning (WIL) seems to have a vital role to play in the performance of Greek small enterprises since WIL programs have the potential to address skills mismatch issues.Originality/valueThe study brings new insights around the benefits of informal staff training and work‐integrated learning for small and micro‐firm performance in the context of a small European country like Greece, where there has been scant research and very limited understanding.

Perceptions of Career Development Learning and Work-Integrated Learning in Australian Higher Education

This paper is a report on the perceived correspondence between career development learning and work-integrated learning programs that were delivered by career services in Australian higher education institutions. The study entailed a questionnaire survey of representatives of university career services. The questionnaire dealt with the extent to which the elements of career development learning were present in work-integrated learning programs. Results of the survey indicated convergence of the career development-learning domains of self-awareness and opportunity awareness, but relatively less integration of decision-making and transition learning. The article concludes with a call for further exploration into how universities and employers view career development learning in work-integrated learning programs.

The Importance of Self: Developing Students’ Self Efficacy Through Work Integrated Learning

Studies have found that the use of professionals and industry representatives can enhance students' confidence and their self-belief (Subramaniam & Freudenberg, 2007). Self-efficacy is an important measure of an individual's capacity to cope with learning and performing, whether at university or in the workplace. Bandura's social cognitive theory defines self-efficacy as 'beliefs in one's capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given attainments' (Bandura, 1997, p.3). The importance of a person's efficacy cannot be underestimated as it can influence the courses of action they choose to pursue as well as how much effort they will expend in given situations. Prior studies have found that a student's self-efficacy is correlated with various outcomes including self-regulatory behaviour (such as awareness of learning approach used and time taken), motivation constructs, and academic performance (Collins, 1982; Zimmermann, et al., 1992; Pajares, 1994; Keef and Roush,1997; Christensen, Fogarty and Wallace, 2002). In terms of improving and developing self-efficacy, studies indicate that self-efficacy can be enhanced in various ways, which includes work integrated learning (WIL) (Tucker & McCarthy, 2001; Subramaniam & Freudenberg, 2007). This paper reports how a Professional Development Program (PDP) with WIL characteristics was developed and integrated into an undergraduate degree to allow for the development of students' self-efficacy through mastery experiences, modelling, social persuasion and physiological states. This paper details the procedures that have been developed, and provides preliminary evidence on the impact of the PDP in the 1st year of delivery and compares this with a control group from another campus without this program. We argue that the WIL program in an undergraduate degree in partnership with industry has assisted students in gaining a greater understanding of 'self' and improved their self-efficacy.

A Model for “Work Integrated Learning” in Mechatronic Education

Developing technology is leading to cause the new vocational brands. Mechatronic technician is one of the new vocational brands. To find a job for the mechatronic technicians have been taken the most valuable education that comprises knowledge and skill. It is obvious that school-based education is not enough for industry. University-industry collaboration is inevitable for the mechatronic technician. In this study a work-integrated learning (WIL) project between Uludag University Vocational School of Technical Sciences (UUVSTS) and FIAT&TOFAS Co. that is one of the leading automotive companies in Turkey has been carried out in the frame of university-industry collaboration. The main objective of this project is to train technicians in the real working area and in this way to get them vocational qualification meets the industry requirements. In this study a WIL program which is applied in UUVSTS is discussed with technical and social contributions to students and introduced from viewpoint of making an ideal mechatronic program and cooperative education model for vocational schools.

Work-Integrated Learning in Maritime Archaeology: An Australian Approach

In recent years the Maritime Archaeology Program (MAP) at Flinders University has developed an innovative work-integrated learning program, in association with industry partners that includes fieldwork opportunities and internships (work-placements). This is largely in response to suggestions from consultancy companies and government agencies about the lack of job-ready skills among maritime archaeology graduate students. This is a very flexible program that aims to provide students with opportunities of at least two weeks and up to 3 months to develop both fieldwork skills and more general work practices. This paper will argue that work-integrated learning assists the graduates to get a position and then helps them to do well in that job. Participating in daily work practices and experiencing fieldwork are seen as keys in producing work-ready graduates.

Perceptions of desirable graduate competencies for science and technology new graduates

Work‐integrated learning (WIL) programmes that combine on‐campus classroom‐based study with off‐campus authentic work experience are a growing area of interest internationally. Despite widespread practice of WIL, there are few reports that shed light on appropriate pedagogies for the work experience in particular. As with any form of education, providers hold certain views as to desirable outcomes in terms of graduate profiles and of desirable graduate competencies. A complication for multi‐party WIL programmes is that educational stakeholders (e.g., staff working in tertiary education provider institutions and employers) may hold different views as to desirable graduate competencies. Here we argue that an understanding of stakeholder views of desirable graduate competencies is an essential prerequisite of pedagogical design. The research reported here is an intrinsic case study and comprised an investigation of perceptions of 24 desirable graduate competencies for new science and technology graduates entering the workforce both today, and in ten years’ time. Stakeholders for four sector stakeholder groups (n = 458): undergraduate students (n = 71), recent graduates (n = 143), employers of graduates (n = 172), and faculty (n = 72), were surveyed using a previously reported and validated instrument. The research findings suggest that science and technology stakeholders see all 24 competencies as desirable, and see the importance of all skills and some skills in particular as likely to increase in ten years’ time. Despite emphasis on cognitive and technical skills (often termed ‘hard’ skills), the single most desirable skill is ability and willingness to learn, a behavioural skill (often termed ‘soft’ skills). It is proposed that classroom‐based instruction is unlikely to produce graduates with the desired skills, and that work‐integrated learning may have a role to play in the development of graduate competencies.