A university-wide framework for mapping, reporting and developing work integrated learning
Thursday 4 July: Conference day two, 4:15pm – 4:45pm parallel session
Venue
Room 6 – 303-B05 Sem
Presenters
Dr Bonnie Amelia Dean
University of Wollongong, Australia
bonnie_dean@uow.edu.au
Dr Michelle J Eady
University of Wollongong, Australia
meady@uow.edu.au
Tracey Glover-Chambers
University of Wollongong, Australia
traceygc@uow.edu.au
Dr Venkata Yanamandram
University of Wollongong, Australia
venkaty@uow.edu.au
Professor Tracey Moroney
University of Wollongong, Australia
tmoroney@uow.edu.au
Nuala O’Donnell
University of Wollongong, Australia
nuala@uow.edu.au
Background
Work integrated learning (WIL) is a pedagogical strategy that enables students to practise and apply their discipline knowledge in order to build employability skills while enrolled at university. While the benefits of WIL are well established in the literature, anecdotal evidence indicates that the extent to which students engage in WIL varies, or at worst, is absent during their degree. Without a university-wide WIL strategy or unified way of talking about, reporting on or developing WIL, work-based activities risk remaining obscure or invisible to those outside the immediate program administration. This presentation introduces a new conceptual framework that offers a language for identifying, classifying and developing WIL activities across all university programs.
Since 2017, the University of Wollongong (UoW) has sought to transform our teaching and learning practices through focusing on growing real-world, inquiry-led learning opportunities. Our objective is to provide every UoW student the opportunity to engage in a variety of scaffolded, purposefully-designed and learner-centred WIL experiences within their degree. In order to scaffold WIL and illuminate where WIL takes place in a student’s degree, a new, universal framework or typology for classifying WIL activities at the subject level was developed by UoW’s WIL Advisory Committee. The Work Integrated Learning Curriculum Classification (WILCC) framework builds on and extends Universities Australia’s recent WIL audit model as well as the Authentic Assessment Framework developed by Kaider, Hains-Wesson and Young (2017). In October 2018, the University of Wollongong (University Education Committee) endorsed the WILCC Framework to be embedded into policy through the online system for subject information, enabling every UoW subject coordinator to classify their subject according to the WILCC framework. This presentation will demonstrate how the WILCC framework is being used to map WIL across all UoW degree programs, scaffold WIL in courses and identify gaps and opportunities for embedding WIL in degrees, as well as ignite discussion and foster development around student employability. In doing so, it offers a contribution to practice and an exemplar to other institutions looking to adopt a whole-of-institution approach to discussing and developing WIL.
Presentation topic
Tertiary – New developments
