What is Good WIL?
The characteristics of good WIL include:
- clear links with the course;
- strong engagement with industry;
- clear and explicit expectations of students and industry partners;
- clear processes for logistics, induction and support of students and industry partners;
- facilitated opportunities for reflection by students and industry partners; and
- dedicated support from university staff, including academics 1.4.
For WIL activities to be meaningful and effective, they must be authentic, clearly linked to learning outcomes, and effectively assessed. Engagement with industry is key to the effective design of WIL.
In this section, we provide tools and guidance for designing and delivering ‘Good’ WIL.
The CANWILL framework 3.5 below, provides a helpful visual representation of WIL design criteria. Click on the image for an interactive version
Key resources
- Academica Group (2015). Taking the Pulse of Work-Integrated Learning in Canada. Ontario: Business/Higher Education Roundtable. See pp 46-53 for recommendations of best practice in WIL design
- Cooper, L., Orrell, J., & Bowden, M. (2010). Work Integrated Learning: A Guide to Effective Practice. Abingdon, Oxon.: Routledge.
- Fraser, S., & Deane, E. (2002). Getting bench scientists to the workbench. Paper presented at the Scholarly Inquiry in Flexible Science Teaching and Learning Symposium , UniServe Science, Sydney. Written from a science perspective, with a focus on starting from scratch
If you have examples of your own work in WIL to share, or useful resources that you think should be included in the Guide, please contact us at acds-tlcc@deakin.edu.au
| Learning outcomes | Learning activities | Assessing WIL | ||
| Preparing students | Supporting students | Engaging students | ||
| Engaging industry | Engaging colleagues | Evaluating WIL | ||