Workplace-integrated Learning and Sustaining Student Engagement

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has increasingly become an integral part of the higher education curriculum (Smigiel, Macleod & Stephenson, 2015; Wood, Zegwaard and Turnbull, 2020) for student development and for preparing learners to make a smooth transition to their next steps in education or work (Kennedy et al., 2015). WIL is a model of experiential education which allows the embedding of a workplace setting into students’ academic studies, thus enabling them to meet the demands of employers seeking work-ready graduates. It includes an engaged partnership between an academic institution, a host organization, and students.  WIL can occur at the course or program level. Instructors can integrate WIL to create rich practical experiences that add an unprecedented level of relevancy. This module will hopefully demystify challenges that occur with respect to integrating WIL in your teaching practice.