Work Integrated Learning for Staff FAQ
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
The WIL Guide to Good Practice is designed to support the establishment and continuous improvement of WIL courses.
Download the Guide More about the Guide
Please contact Cate Clifford with enquiries: c.clifford@uq.edu.au
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
The guides will assist you to implement good practice for your WIL processes.
UQ WIL Student Placement Agreements Document Storage in TRIM (DOCX, 96 KB)
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
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)
WIL Workshop and Information Session recordings
- COVID19 Attribute Collection in InPlace with Amanda Cooke
- The current WIL/WE Policy and Procedure Explained- an information session with Dino Willox, Director - Student Employability
Other links
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
- For Work Integrated Learning Australian Collaborative Education Network
- University of Waterloo – Supporting students working remotely
International Students
Aggregated UQ links
What about Blue Cards?
Portal Administrators and acces
For Portal Administrators, find detail information on how to access the portal and support, check the Overview of the Blue Card Services Organisational Portal Accounts.
I am not sure what to do with the new portal accounts?
If there are any general questions that arise with regard to the UQ portal account(s) during the portal implementation periond, please do not hesitate to contact Rene Ferm (Senior Compliance Officer) via email at r.ferm@uq.edu.au or via phone with internal extension 51097.