Work Integrated Learning for Staff FAQ

How do I identify Work Integrated Learning (WIL) at course level

At UQ a course can be considered to have a WIL component if it meets the following criteria:

The course provides an opportunity for students to integrate (or observe the application of) discipline specific skills and/or theory into work practice. This can be:
1. In an actual work environment (workplace) supervised by an industry professional, or
2. In collaboration with an industry partner on a project, or
3. In a simulated work environment - using equipment and practices that are standard in industry, or
4. Site visits, field trips or study tours where students can observe the application of discipline specific knowledge, or
5. Development of an enterprise to address a social need/business problem/market gap, or
6. Reflection of current employment to understand how discipline specific skills/theory can be applied, and;
Where possible, the knowledge being applied is made explicit by the course facilitator/preceptor, and;
Students are assessed on their involvement in these activities, and;
Students meet course learning outcomes through the integration or application of theory and/or skills to the practice of work, and the course learning outcomes articulate this.

How can I tell if my course can be considered a WIL course?

It is most important to consider the intent of the course.

A course that uses one or more WIL activities with the explicit intention of teaching students how to integrate discipline-specific theory with practice, and/or how to apply their technical skills to their professional practice is WIL. This must be articulated clearly as a learning objective for the course, and students will be assessed on their application of discipline specific theory/skills to professional practices.

Where one or more of the activities described above is used as a singular learning activity in a course but the objective is not to explicitly develop the student’s employability then the course is not WIL.

Ask – what is the primary purpose of this activity in this course?

If it is to develop student employability then it is WIL

If there is another primary objective then is it likely not WIL.

Follow this Flowchart to help identify if the activity is WIL.

How can UQ assist me to develop a WIL activity or course?

Contact the Student Employability Centre, in the first instance: Cate Clifford: c.clifford@uq.edu.au or Anna Richards: a.richards4@uq.edu.au.

The UQ Institute for Teaching and Learning is a rich source of resources to support your teaching and learning. Contact ITALI directly for further details: https://itali.uq.edu.au/home

Join the Work Integrated Learning Knowledge Network (WILKN). This network of academic and professional staff gather to share best practice, resources and knowledge. If you would like to connect email: wil@uq.edu.au

What are the hallmarks of good WIL design

Ensuring worthwhile WIL experiences requires designing WIL as an integral and integrated part of the curriculum, rather than as a ‘bolt on’ experience. Worthwhile WIL placement experiences are dependent on a shared understanding of purpose and role, quality supervision, appropriate task allocation, student preparedness, and authentic assessment practices.

Good practice includes:

Clear links with the course;
Processes and procedures that are supportive and clearly articulated;
Engagement with industry that is clear and effective where expectations are understood;
Opportunities for students and industry partners to meaningfully reflect on the experience;
Appropriate dedicated resources including personnel.

The WIL Guide to Good Practice

Effective evaluation and assessment of WIL

Evaluation and assessment of WIL is critical for ensuring the quality and outcomes of your WIL program.
See what your UQ colleagues are doing with WIL Authentic Assessment Tools: http://www.uq.edu.au/teach/uqassess/

Three of the most common purposes for evaluation are to:

Gain a better understanding of the needs within a particular context to inform WIL design. (Needs assessment)
Identify ways to improve the implementation of the program. (Implementation)
Report on the degree to which the program achieves its intended outcomes. (Evaluation of program effectiveness).

When developing evaluation for WIL consider:

What do you want to find out, and why is this important?
What information needs to be collected and from whom?
How will you collect this information? (e.g. participant observation, surveys, focus groups, interviews, standardised testing)
How will you analyse the information? (e.g. quantitative, qualitative)
What do you intend to do with the findings of the evaluation?
Who else might be interested in your findings?
Do you anticipate any challenges?
Post evaluation - How can your program evaluation be improved?

Needs assessment (link to above 1)

This evaluation is conducted to better understand the particular context in which the WIL activity might operate. This is typically done at the planning stage of the project to inform design, provide guidance in how resources will be allocated, and to identify areas that will need additional support. Some examples might be:

Survey of community/environment to identify needs and where students might be able to fill this gap.
Investigation into the sustainability of an existing WIL program.
Analysis of trend changes in industry and how the program can align with these changes.

Implementation (link to above 2)

This is evaluation with the intent to improve on program implementation and to inform strategies to achieve intended program outcomes. This often looks at answering the following questions:

Were the required resources available?
Was the program implemented according to the program plan?
How well did the service providers deliver the core components of the program?
Is the program serving the intended participants?
Who was excluded and why?

Some examples might be:

Investigation of student risks in fieldwork, including unsatisfactory performance and incident monitoring.
Student satisfaction surveys.
Industry feedback questionnaires.

Evaluation of program effectiveness link to above 3)

This evaluation looks to determine the degree to which the program met its intended outcomes and to produce evidence of the impact of the WIL program.

Some examples might be:

Assessment of skill development, knowledge gain or behaviour change of participants.
Surveying students and industry to identify what unexpected impacts the program might have had.
Review of the program to determine if it could be effectively replicated elsewhere.

Helpful resources:

Evaluating the quality of work-integrated learning curricula: a comprehensive framework

The step by step guide to Evaluation – WK Kellogg Foundation

A Practical Guide for Work Integrated Learning. Chapter 6 – Evaluating your WIL Program

Guidelines for WIL processes

Useful links for staff to find helpful sources of information

UQ Photography Waiver FormUQ links to policy, procedure, forms, and resources:

Governance and Risk: links to a central connection to insurance, legal, health, safety, and wellness

UQ Insurance

UQ Placement Policy

Student Placement Agreements

Assessment: Managing Teaching and Learning Projects

Forms:

These forms can be used in your placement process. They are generic and you will need to identify your specific School/Faculty, Course Name, and Course Code.

Students should have these forms explained to them.

The Photo and Video Waiver will allow you to use images or videos in your resources and for marketing and promotional activities. A separate Photo and Video Waiver has been provided for students where permission to use student images has not been sought prior to undertaking the WIL activity.

Host Agreemnent Form (Individual) (DOC, 73 KB)

Host Agreement Form (Group) (DOC, 81 KB)

Photography Waiver Form (PDF, 48.4 KB)

Code of Conduct and Photo Video Waiver (DOCX, 52.3 KB)

Other links:

Self-Assessment Checklist for Innovative WIL Models: A Guide for University Staff (Professional and Academic)

Work-integrated learning: linking research and teaching for a win-win situation; Jianhong (Cecilia) Xia, Craig Caulfield & Sonia Ferns, Studies in Higher Education, Volume 40, issue 9, Pp: 1560-1572, 2015. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03075079.2014.882302

Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN)
The Australian Collaborative Education Network Limited (ACEN) is the professional association for practitioners and researchers from the tertiary education sector, industry, community, and government representatives, involved in work integrated learning (WIL) in Australia.
ACEN provides strategic leadership for work-integrated learning research, scholarship, and practice in Australia, for its members and other stakeholders.

Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA), Guidance Note: Work Integrated Learning
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) is Australia’s independent national quality assurance and regulatory agency for higher education.

Australian Council of Deans of Science: Excellent WIL and Employability resources, regardless of your discipline.

Universities Australia: The peak body representing the university sector.

Working In Teams A Practical Guide: Learn how to build effective teams, be a great team player and manage team conflict.

Cooper, L., Orrell, J., & Bowden, M. (2010). Work Integrated Learning: A Guide to Effective Practice. Abingdon, Oxon.: Routledge. This book is intended to provide advice to and support for university teachers and administrators, who are engaging students in the provision of work integrated learning experiences.

WIL and COVID-19 links

Work Integrated Learning

International Students

Study Queensland: Information for International Students Regarding Novel Coronvirus