Work-Integrated Learning Resources for Staff
The purpose of this page is to:
- Collate resources to assist with designing WIL experiences;
- Support WIL professional development, research and scholarship;
- Provide links to risk and student wellbeing issues to consider before, and during placements
- Support industry/host supervisors.
A Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) activity meets at least three of the following criteria: a) integrating theory with workplace practice, b) engagement with industry/community, c) planned, authentic activities, and d) purposeful links to the curriculum.
JCU uses the term student placements when discussing WIL with our students and community partners. Depending on the discipline, WIL/placements may also be called: clinical placements, clinical education, professional placements, legal placements, professional experience, Prof.Ex, fieldwork, field trips, experiential learning, service learning, internships, professional industry experience, professional internships, and practicums.
Student placements must be approved by JCU before the student undertakes the placement or fieldwork, and the placement must be formally recorded (see InPlace for staff below).
- ACEN Homepage
- ACEN National WIL Strategy
- ASET Work based and Placement Learning Association
- Australian Government Student Placements
- Blue cards - details for employers and education providers
- Higher Ed Services - Embedding Employability Exchange Initiative
- IRU WIL Good Practice Principles
- IRU Innovative Case Studies website - filtered to JCU submissions
JCU curriculum resources:
- JCU Career action plans for curriculum (log-in)
- JCU Careers and employment staff toolkit (log-in)
- JCU WIL assessment types
Frameworks:
Research Skills Development Framework (RSD) - University of Adelaide, and the Work Skills Development Framework (WSD) S Bandaranaike & J Willison, 2009 (revised 2014).
- Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) at JCU:
- Is a purposeful, organised, supervised, authentic and assessed educational activity;
- Integrates contributions from placement and project settings with the curriculum, with the learning outcomes arising from these contributions granted academic credit, or credit towards completing a professionally accredited degree ;
- May or may not be linked to a particular occupation;
- Allows for a diversity of WIL models;
- Integrates WIL into broader learning experiences directed towards career development learning and work readiness.
Course quality for WIL is assured in The Higher Education Standards Framework (Threshold Standards) 2015 (HES Framework). The intent of the Threshold Standards is to ensure that WIL is an effective and positive learning experience which is a seamless and integral part of a course of study. The Standards that are primarily concerned with quality assurance of work-integrated learning are found in Section 5.4 (at Standard 5.4.1). For full details, see the TEQSA Guidance Note: WIL.
Other useful links:
TEQSA Guidance Note: Wellbeing and Safety: Actions taken to promote a safe environment, and the information provided to students about the actions they can themselves take and the support available, should be tailored to the needs of particular student cohorts (Standards 2.3.2-44). This will include students who are studying in different modes of participation, i.e., on campus, online or blended modes, and students who are involved with other delivery partners (whether onshore or offshore) or in clinical or other work placements.
- ACEN 2018 Conference presentations
- Assuring graduate capabilities
- Australian Government: Engaging Employers in Work Integrated Learning: Current State and Future Priorities
- JCU staff have been published extensively in the area of Work Integrated Learning. Visit the JCU research archive for articles with the search term WIL.
- Quality of WIL assessment design in higher education: a systematic literature review
- Research Skills Development Framework (RSD) - University of Adelaide
- Work Skills Development Framework S Bandaranaike & J Willison, 2009 (revised 2014)
The InPlace Student Placement Management System is used to manage all placements. There are staff guides on using the system, and resources for staff advising students about the system.
Go to the Student Systems webpage for the access application form and further information on:
- Training Plans
- Introduction / Quick Reference
- Basic Features
- Placement Management
- Student view
- Agency View
- Other System Functions
- Query Tool & Reporting
- System Administration
- Discipline-Specific Guides
Formal agreements should be developed between JCU and an external host organisation whenever there are JCU students participating in placements or projects off campus or with an external provider. Documents can be either in the form of a service agreement, a deed, a MOU, or a student placement agreement.
Hosting students
Host guides
JCU's role
When setting up a placement arrangement, your host organisation/partner should nominate an appropriate person to supervise, support and mentor the student while on placement. This person will be the primary point of contact.
WIL supervisors are required to:
- Ensure a collaborative learning experience for the student
- Provide a positive and constructive learning environment
- Provide feedback that facilitates learning
- Guide the professional development of the student
- Offer a wide variety of experiences
- Provide opportunities students to apply professional knowledge and skills
- Assess performance (in consultation with JCU)
- Ensure a safe working environment
You can also refer potential partners to our partner with JCU webpages.
A placement agreement should be established with the host organisation.
JCU placement supervisor roles include:
- Ensuring that students are properly prepared to undertake the placement, including the use of InPlace
- Communicating regularly with the host organisation's contact person
- Supporting and collaborating with the host organisation
- Facilitating reflective practice
- Preparing confidentiality agreements, if required
- Ensuring the safety of students by completing relevant governance and insurance processes
- Managing any student disciplinary issues.