WIL at the University of Waikato? - Karsten Zegwaard
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WIL at the University of Waikato? Karsten Zegwaard
Overview • What is WIL? • Why the focus on WIL? • Types of WIL? • The Waikato developments • Managing WIL across the institutions • Resources • Questions
What is WIL
• WIL as an educational approach is not new
• The term might be semi-new (~20 years), however, the practice
certainly not
• Work-integrated learning (WIL), an umbrella term for a range of
related learning activities.
• The US tends to use the term Cooperative Education (Co-op) for a narrow
practice of work placements
• Co-op 2.0 tends to be used for WIL
• There is no single definition of WIL (but watch this space), but the
IJWIL definition is particularly useful
• Institutions often develop their own definition
What is WIL
an educational approach that uses relevant work-based
experiences to allow students to integrate theory with the
meaningful practice of work as an intentional component of
the curriculum.
Defining elements of this educational approach require that
students engage in authentic and meaningful work-related
tasks, and must involve three stakeholders; the student, the
university, and the workplace/community
IJWIL (www.ijwil.org)Why the focus on WIL • There is an increasing focus on employability outcomes as a way to improve quality of life • Internationally, higher education is under increasing pressure from governments and employers to evidence direct links between higher education and employability outcomes • Education is an (expensive) investment and referred to as an ‘industry’. • Return on investment • Employability outcomes vs employment outcomes • Students pursue education as pathways for careers • WIL is a powerful way of drawing together prior learning, including outside the curriculum, within an authentic, relevant, and applied learning experience • Internationally, increasingly incorporated into higher education curriculum
Types of WIL • Many forms, much variety, inconsistent terms used to describe them • There is no one ‘right practice’ or one ‘best practice’ • Each have their benefits and weaknesses • Select what works best for each context, consider: • Established practice • Professional accreditation requirements • Level of resourcing available • Type of current staff and their passions (academic and professional staff) • Strongly recommend diverse practice • provides institutional WIL resilience during times of change
Work placements (full immersion) Work-related projects (non-placement WIL)
• Work placements • Applied projects
• Co-op placements (cooperative education) • Consultative reports/literature reviews
• Practicums • Community-based musical/cultural performance
• Internships • Competitions
• WIL placement/experience • Industry projects
• Industry placements • Entrepreneurships
• Enterprise/start-ups
• Field placements/clinical placements
• Relevant community projects (e.g., adopt a gully,
• Community placements habitat for humanity builds)
• Industry-based learning (IBLs) • Community service (e.g., Marae service)
• Professional practice • Capstones
• Summer research scholarships • Scenario-based learning (simulations)
• Apprenticeships?
• Shadowing? Must have an external client/stakeholderWIL at Waikato • WIL is compulsory for all undergraduate students • Generic undergraduate degree structure (introduced 2008) • Curricular Enhancement Project (CEP) resulted in a new Curricular Design Framework (CDF) • Socialisation of CEP began in 2015 • Three compulsory 15 point papers (courses): • Foundations paper • Cultural perspectives paper • WIL paper • Took effect for all students first enrolled in 2018. • For most degrees, WIL is in the third year • The first full cohort of students undertaking compulsory WIL was in 2020
Mapping and resourcing • Reviewed current WIL activities • What WIL offerings were there, who was running these offerings • Created a label to track these offerings • Created a WIL working group • Initially chaired by the DVCA • Membership from the faculties • Established practitioners • Careers Office • External engagement • H&S • Procurement of a WIL platform – SONIA • Set up a WIL Central Unit to support new developments
WIL Platform (SONIA)
• WIL can have a heavy administrative burden that can be automated
• Managing workflow
• Student selecting opportunities, preferencing
• Employers uploading opportunities, preferencing
• Automate work performance evaluations
• Automated reminders
• Automated agreement process
• Reporting and overview
• Archiving
• Auto-populate the CRM
• Need to track relationships and move away from excel sheets and booklets
• Tracking, emergency managementManaging WIL across the institutions Broadly, three common structures 1. Devolved to the schools/faculties, no centralised activities • Very common, often starts this way • Specialised to the context, locally supervised • Can compete against other schools • Lack of transparency for central • Inconsistent practice 2. Blended (hub and spoke), some centralised activities, some in the schools • A compromise. 3. Fully centralised, no school involvement • All within “one house”, specialised WIL staff • Often no school/faculty involvement • A separate branch of the university
Hub and Spoke (central office, school-based groups) • Keep relevant relationships close to the discipline context. • Allows for easier additional benefits • WIL staff who understand the discipline context • SAC funding goes to the school offering the WIL subject • Deans able to manage their paper offerings and delivery • Some elements best centralised • WIL platform resourcing and maintenance, CRM • Assist WIL curricular design • International placements • Higher level relationships • Events, PR • Policy and procedures • Legal compliance • Strategy, direction, central support • Quality reviews/audits (quality enhancement processes).
WIL structures across Waikato: Division based
School/Faculty/Division based groups of WIL staff
• The bulk of the WIL activity occurs at the School level
• Non-academic staff to build relationships with external clients and
students (before, during, and after WIL)
• ~80-120 placements equivalent per non-academic staff member
• Pastoral care a significant component
• Academic leaders managing the learning
• Same loading as for other papers/courses
• Keep relevant relationships close to the discipline context
• Additional benefits, e.g., industry funded research, guest lecturers, relevant
projects
• SAC funding goes to the colleges/school
• Deans can manage their spaceWIL structures across Waikato: Central based
WIL Central Office
• Policies, procedures, protocols, guidelines, strategy
• Crisis/problem management
• International placements
• Tracking and reporting
• Managing the WIL platform (‘owner’ and power user)
• Support and guidance for development and improvements
• Facilitates the WIL Practitioners Group and WIL Working Group
• Higher level relationship building and first port-of-call for cold
callers
• Practice enhancement reviews (quality reviews and audits)Resources: journals
• International Journal for Work-Integrated Learning (www.ijwil.org).
• Central co-op/WIL journal, open access
• Since 2000
• WIL Community Support & Research Portal. http://ow.ly/Krkb30egew7
• Online portal for resources (still being developed). Free access
• Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships (now retired, articles accessible through WIL portal)
• Journal of Workplace Learning
• Vocations and Learning
• Journal of Scholarship on Graduate Employability
• Journal of Adult Education
• Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning
• Partnerships: Journal of Service Learning and Civic Engagement
• Journal of Service Learning in Higher EducationAdvances in research, theory and practice in work- integrated learning: Enhancing employability for a sustainable future. 2022 Ferns, S., Rowe, A. D., & Zegwaard, K. E. (Eds.). Routledge. • Available now https://www.routledge.com/Advances-in-Research-Theory-and- Practice-in-Work-Integrated-Learning-Enhancing/Ferns-Rowe- Zegwaard/p/book/9780367897758 • Employability within the curriculum, designing curriculum, assessment, quality • Stakeholders, accreditation • Wellbeing, access and equity, preparation, support • Innovation, leadership, risk, governance
International handbook for cooperative and work-integrated education Coll & Zegwaard, 2011 P.390 • Aimed for practitioners • Good practice examples • Benefit chapters • Topical discussions 3rd edition out mid 2022 Good practice examples based on WIL type Challenging topics with practical application. • Wellbeing, risk, equity, culture, safety, • Integration, design, assessment, quality, accreditation, pay vs no pay • Underpinning theories, history
Resources: Books cont The SAGE series • The SAGE Handbook of Learning and Work (2021). http://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/the-sage-handbook-of-learning-and-work/book267999#contents • The SAGE Handbook of Workplace Learning (2011). Malloch, Cairns, Evans, O’Connor. https://sk.sagepub.com/reference/hdbk_workplacelearning Stephen Billet series • Mimetic Learning at Work (2014). https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783319092768 • Integrating Practice-based Experiences into Higher Education (2015). https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789401772297 • Vocational Education (2011). https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789400719538 • Learning In The Workplace (2001). https://www.routledge.com/Learning-In-The-Workplace-Strategies-for-effective- practice/Billett/p/book/9781865083643 • Strategies for effective practice (2011). https://www.routledge.com/Learning-In-The-Workplace-Strategies-for-effective- practice/Billett/p/book/9781865083643 • WORK, CHANGE AND WORKERS (2006). https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/1-4020-4651-0 • Practice-Based Education: Perspectives and Strategies (2012). https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789462091283 • Enriching Higher Education Students’ Learning through Post-work placement Interventions (2020). https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030480615 • Augmenting health and social care students’ clinical learning experiences: Outcomes and processes (2019). https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9783030055592
Resources: books cont….
• The Work-Based Learning Student Handbook 2nd ed (Helyer, 2015)
• HERDSA guide: Work-integrated learning in the curriculum (Ferns, 2014)
• International Handbook of Research in Professional and Practice-Based Learning
(Billett et al., 2014).
• How to make the most of WIL (series; Martin & Hughes, 2011)
• 5 small booklets https://akoaotearoa.ac.nz/wil
• Work-integrated learning: A guide to effective practice (Cooper, et al., 2010).
• Work-based learning: Bridging knowledge and action in the workplace 2nd ed
(Raelin 2008).
• Practice-based learning in higher education: Jostling cultures (Kennedy, 2015).
https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789401795012Reports • Work-Integrated Learning Quality Framework, AAA. (McRae, 2018) • A framework to support assurance of institution-wide quality in work-integrated learning. Queensland University of Technology (Campbell et al., 2019) • Work-based learning and work-integrated learning: Fostering engagement with employers (Atkinson, 2016) • Developing the field of work-integrated learning (WIL) in Higher Education: A scoping study and curriculum inquiry (Rosse, 2015) • ASET good practise guide for work-based and placement learning in higher education (Wilson, et al., 2013) • Good practice report: Work-integrated learning (Orrell, 2011) • Work-integrated learning: Good practice guide (Windberg et al., 2011) • The WIL [Work Integrated Learning] report: A national scoping study (Patrick et al., 2009) • An exploration of the pedagogies employed to integrate knowledge in work- integrated learning in New Zealand higher education institutions (Coll et al, 2009). • Work-integrated learning (WIL): Designing and Implementing WIL curricula (Smith & Simbag, 2009?)
Associations
Work-Integrated Learning NZ (WILNZ)
Annual conferences, regular webinars,
WACE membership, access to other associations PD opportunities
www.wilnz.nz
• ACEN: resources and recorded webinars
• Critical conversations related to COVID-19
• Webinars, resources, examples of good practice
• Emerging COVID-19 research
• http://acen.edu.au/covid-19-information/
• WACE: webinars
• COVID-19 research
• https://waceinc.org/webinars/Any questions?
WIL – lets get it right The hyphen • It is Work-Integrated Learning. WIL is not WiL. • WIL = Work-Integrated Learning • WiL = Women in Leadership
WIL and COVID • Much panic management and creative thinking • Pivot, pivot, pivot • Switched to online • Remote working • Delayed placements (which creates issues) • Innovative practices • Special projects • University generated opportunities • Most placements in Canada switched to remote work • A push to non-placement WIL • IJWIL has a double special issue on the impact of COVID on WIL • Conceptualisation • Good practice examples. • Much sharing of resources and knowledge within national associations and across national associations • The International WIL community is a very supportive, sharing community
WIL developments internationally
• North America has a long history of cooperative education
• Canadian increasingly focused on WIL in addition to Co-op
• Well resourced, long established national associations
• Asia increasing the practice of both Co-op and WIL
• Thailand and Malaysia especially
• China and Japan increasing, somewhat piecemeal
• Lacking national associations to support development
• Australia rapidly developed WIL
• Virtually every university has a reference to WIL within their university
strategic goals
• Given funding to set up a national association (ACEN)
• Some universities set targets and/or a deadline for 100% WIL engagementWhat does WIL grant students • An authentic, applied learning experience • The work will have real impact • Putting into practice prior knowledge (knowing vs doing) • Draws from all prior learning experience and skills (not just university learning) • Try a career path before graduating • Informed career choices, provides career clarification • Practice ‘being’ a professional • Professional identity development • Learn new technical skills • Learn to apply technical skills in a different way • Learn workplace behaviours and norms (enculturation) • Language, processes, expectations of behaviour • Social capital and networks • Evidence of ability to work
University of Waikato: Science and Engineering work placement • Started in 1976 (Science) • Historically, a placement occurrence over the summer, • No formal preparation and no significant links to the curriculum • Assessment was 50% work performance, 50% report. • Common practice at the time (still is in some areas) • Many placement programmes were pass/fail
Preparation for Work Placement (15 credit points) • CV, cover letters, LinkedIn, interview workshops • Workplace H&S, ethics in Science and Engineering • Science and engineering sector, workplace structures • Skill reflection, personalities and traits, group work • Skills employers seek • Skills for success • Skill and skill-gap self-assessment • Oral presentations, report writing • Legal requirements, harassment, wellbeing • Reflective learning (to support reflective assignments in WIL) • Not all students easily engage in reflective learning and assessment
Placement prep: Assessment • Professional portfolio (30%) • CV (10%) • Cover letter (10%) • LinkedIn (10%) • H&S test - Moodle (10%) • Reflection on personalities (20%) • Oral presentation on presentation styles (25%) • End of trimester test (15%)
Work Placements (30 credit points) • Placement are sourced either through WIL coordinators (2/3) or self- sourced (1/3). • Must be relevant to the discipline (the major vs the degree) • 400 hours • 30 points, 300 hours, not every hour is a learning hour. • Can be located anywhere, including overseas (…..pre 2020). • End of the second year • Virtually always paid (in science and engineering)
Work placement assessment • Placement brief (5%) • H&S assignment (5%) • Learning objectives and reflection (10%) • Set at the start of the placement using SMART, feedback is provided • Reflection near the end of the placement, graded • Reflection on a key topic (15%) • Report on organisation awareness (15%) • LinkedIn update (5%) • Final report (25%) • Double submission • Work performance/professional engagement (20%) • Organised by the WIL coordinators, conducted by the employer.
Science WIL Capstones (15 pts) • Project with an external client (….which can be the university). • Client presents the problem/project • Students work in groups. • Some interaction with the client, varies a lot • May require contacting other externals • Community surveys • Students present the final product to the client • Report, product, service • For example • WILNZ new logo • Waiwhakareke projects • Hospice survey in Turangi • Science in schools outreach
Capstones Assessment • Group project plan (5%) • Individual midpoint update (5%) • Individual reflection on learning (15%) • Group oral presentation (15%) • Group final report (35%) • Individual professional engagement (25%) • Half group grade from client (sometimes WIL coordinator and academic supervisor) • Half peer assessment
The institution as the external client • Educational institutions wear more than one hat • Universities are not just educational providers • Accounting students working with central finance • Events and digital media students working with central PR • Music and acting students providing performances at symposiums/events • Students on a research path doing Summer Research Scholarships The institution needs to be acting as an employer, not an educator The single biggest employer of Waterloo co-op students (30,000 a year), is University of Waterloo
Managing institutional risk • WIL is a risky endeavour – must accept that. • Cannot eliminate the risk, but can reduce and manage it. • Workplace vetting • Agreement forms • Confidentiality clauses • Risk literate WIL staff • Informed students • Knowing locations of placement before they start • Site visits
Managing institutional risk cont….
• Student feedback
• At the start, during and the end
• Assessment design
• Confidential reporting structures
• Good policy design (WIL policy)
• Obvious communication pathways for students
• Central WIL platform
• Central can quickly run a check on who is where?
• National disasters and terrorism
• Compulsory requirements for international placements of insurance and
SafeTravel.govt
• Look up work by Craig Cameron and recent work by Jenny Fleming and
Kathryn Hay.Number of WIL opportunities
• How many opportunities are there?
• Market saturation
• Number of WIL opportunities needed varies with WIL model
• Placements require lots of opportunities (one per student)
• Non-placement WIL requires one opportunity per group
• or even one opportunity per class.
• Number of opportunities increase as university engages with workplaces and
communities.
• Takes time to build up
• Opportunities lead to more opportunities, success breeds success
• Important to see ‘opportunity sourcing’ and WIL as a pathway to additional
benefits.
• Funded research opportunities
• Guest speakers
• News stories
• Community and industry engagement (……rankings)
• Enhanced student learningTiming of WIL experiences Work placements • End of the second year, over the summer. (informs their subject selections for 3rd year) • Part-time through the 3rd year • End of the third year? Non-placement WIL • B Trimester second year • Summer end of second year • A trimester 3rd year • B Trimester 3rd year Where ever it fits within the curriculum, but make sure to allow some flexibility
Future directions of WIL
• Will continue to gain momentum
• Students will seek it out
• Employers will ask for it (powerful recruitment tool)
• Universities will use it as direct evidence of employability outcomes
• Governments will increasingly as for more measurable outcomes from higher
education
• Refining of quality practice
• Offerings
• Assessment for learning
• Increasing focus on reflective learning
• Health and safety
• Risk
• More WIL academic experts
• Increasing number of PhDs being undertaken in WIL
• Is an exciting space!!You can also read
