Search

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is crucial for the development of employability skills and has an influence on employment outcomes. Given the significance of WIL pedagogies for graduate preparedness and transitions into work, concerns have been raised on the barriers to access and participation in WIL for some cohorts of learners. Equity and inclusion in WIL, that is, considerations for diverse learners once enrolled into a subject or course with varying WIL components, is not a new concept with some guidelines purported over a decade ago. Designing WIL to accommodate for equity and inclusion, however, has presented challenges with few studies offering navigation for curriculum design. This paper draws on empirically sound curriculum design principles for inclusion for learner variability through Universal Design for Learning (UDL), to offer the UDL for WIL design framework. The paper presents conceptual and practical contributions for educators of WIL experiences to reduce barriers and integrate student voice to support all graduates’ career transitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has been suggested as a potentially beneficial addition to modern doctoral education. However, there is little research outlining the specificities of WIL aimed at PhD students. This paper explores the range of WIL opportunities available to PhD students through a review of secondary data. The findings indicate that WIL opportunities are non-homogenous and vary widely across their structure and implementation. Patterns emerge to indicate that WIL opportunities tend to be optional, paid, short-term, focused on horizontal learning development, and provide opportunities for boundary crossing outside of academia. These findings imply that WIL has the potential to complement doctoral education by providing opportunities to experience cross-sector or cross-discipline learning and development. However, higher education institutes might consider becoming more involved in the design and implementation of WIL for PhD students. Additional research is required to understand how WIL opportunities fit into doctoral education and to evaluate existing WIL opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing Allied Health (AH) graduates who are skilled in responding to public health needs is crucial, particularly in rural areas where workforce shortages and poor health outcomes are common. However, workforce shortages make it difficult to provide rural work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities to teach these skills. This paper presents a model of Service-Learning (SL) that innovatively employs WIL for AH students while addressing rural health needs. The model was developed based on the experiences of a rural WIL team who implemented over 400 SL WIL experiences over six years. Key aspects highlight the importance of relationship building and meeting the needs of three key stakeholders, namely the community and host-site, students, and the enrolled university. Student support, interprofessional education and evaluation were also embedded in the model. This SL model adopts a flexible approach and provides a useful guide for developing SL for WIL despite challenges in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities are far less likely than their peers to participate in work-integrated learning (WIL). This gap may contribute to the high levels of unemployment for people with disabilities. Unemployment rates compound when accounting for intersectional identities, with disabled people of color experiencing even higher rates of unemployment. Skill development through opportunities such as WIL is critical to ensure equity -deserving groups can transition successfully from post-secondary institutions into the workforce. Without a transparent, collaborative accommodations process in an environment that is actively reducing stigma and ableism, it is likely students with disabilities will continue to be underrepresented in WIL and the workforce after graduation. This paper presents an overview of disability, barriers to participation, and relevant Canadian legislation. The authors then propose an outline for developing a collaborative accommodations process for WIL opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study draws on the perceptions of students who have completed authentic project-based and work-integrated assessments and explores their perception of authenticity of the assessments in terms of real work projects. In response to industry and government expectations for work-ready graduates three authentic assessments, were developed in collaboration with industry partners, covering different business program subjects. Drawing on the literature, a three-dimensional framework for authentic assessment in workplace learning was developed. These dimensions — realism, producing an authentic product, and workplace-based judgment criteria — formed the basis for thematic analysis of students’ perceptions. A case study approach was used with three authentic assessment cases. Qualitative data was gathered via focus groups and surveys guided by the three-dimensional framework. Findings suggest that factors such as social environments created by engaging with industry, realistic tasks that replicated industry activities, and working in teams contributed to the perception of an authentic projectbased and work-integrated assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiences of students with disabilities are the focus of the study, guided by the research question: What can we learn about inclusive formative assessment in work-integrated learning (WIL) from the experiences of students with disabilities? The capability approach was drawn on to theorize how inclusive formative assessment in WIL could contribute to students’ success and well-being. Five narrative interviews with six students were conducted over the course of their first year. The study found that students valued formative assessment tasks that combined engaged learning with preparation for working life. Formative assessment provided opportunities to showcase strengths and develop areas of weakness in a safe space. Above all, students appreciated lecturers who adapted assessment tasks to their needs. The study contributes to an understanding of inclusive formative assessment from the perspectives of students with disabilities and diverse learning needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Work-integrated learning (WIL), as an educational approach, is facilitated through relationships between Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and external ‘host’ organizations. Responsible host organizations should recognize that students undertaking WIL come from a range of different cultures, socio-economic backgrounds, and have varying academic, physical, and other capabilities. An inclusive workplace will seek to facilitate a positive and rewarding experience for all WIL students. Recent WIL literature has seen a strong focus on inclusive access to WIL. This article examines key elements that can contribute to host organizations providing an inclusive environment for students. Socio-cultural theories related to learning in the workplace are used as a theoretical lens. An Inclusive WIL Workplace Framework is proposed, highlighting principles, practices, and supervisor and co-worker characteristics, that can be utilized by workplaces to assess their inclusivity and address any gaps, and by students to understand the expectations of HEIs on host organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging research suggests that students from equity-deserving groups (EDGs) may experience barriers within work-integrated learning (WIL) that other students may not face, and such barriers may negatively impact students’ participation in WIL. Guided by a social justice lens, this study used interviews of co-operative education (co-op) students (n = 30) from EDGs to explore barriers that such students experienced in one Canadian co-op program. Analyses of qualitative data showed that these students experienced non-structural barriers (those that are less explicit, such as internalized discrimination) and structural barriers (those related to policy and practice, both within their co-op program and their host organizations). While some barriers were specific to a given EDG, others were common across EDGs. These findings provide a fuller picture of the kinds of barriers experienced by WIL students within and across EDGs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]