Despite being recognised as complementary to formal learning, informal learning is not yet well understood. Using a qualitative synthesis approach, we systematically reviewed how students' informal learning interactions are represented in health professions education research. Thirty-five articles were identified. Our three-stage analysis…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is relied upon to meet important shared employability-related goals of institutions of higher education, students and employers. However, research indicates that not all students have access to and experience WIL activities. A clearer understanding of how WIL may be designed for inclusion of a diverse student…

Work-integrated learning (WIL), particularly workplace-based WIL, provides international students with opportunities to be exposed to authentic working contexts, consequently enhancing student employability development. However, the literature indicates that many international students struggle in WIL despite continuous efforts by higher education…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is proliferating in university courses across many countries. Like many educational practices, students' experience of it is shaped by the assessment processes adopted. Does assessment support or inhibit what WIL seeks to foster? To explore how students experience assessment in WIL, a small-scale investigation was…

While levels of civic engagement among undergraduate students in the United States have increased, understanding how applied learning experiences might facilitate or hinder promotion of civic attitudes, or personal importance of social and political involvement, can provide insights for both faculty and student affairs practitioners. Using…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) is widely recognised as significantly contributing to enhancing graduate employability. Empirical evaluation of its impact and value is often confined to work-based WIL (internships/placements/practicums), known to pose challenges with scalability and equitable access. Through the lens of experiential learning, this…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) affords students opportunities to apply skills and knowledge to practical work placements. Students potentially learn professional behaviours appropriate to their chosen industry sector. However, students may also face challenges they may not be prepared to navigate. One of these is gender bias due to assumptions…

International fieldschools to developing countries have become an important component of the university curriculum because they provide experiential learning and research skills, while also contributing a range of soft skills such as resilience, empathy, resourcefulness, critical thinking, and cross-cultural communication. Yet, with the increasing…

There are many different forms that work-integrated learning (WIL) takes and variants go by a range of different names. Based on current literature, key dimensions, shared by the various and disparate forms of WIL curricula, were identified and operationalised in a measurement model. The key dimensions identified were: authenticity, integrated…

The opportunity to experience work placements that complement taught and practical courses in higher education has become a central strand of many undergraduate degree programmes. While there is tacit agreement that such placements are a good thing, in recent years the numbers of students opting for work placements has been declining. This paper…

The paper presents research findings on students' experiences of the provision both of guidance and feedback, and with respect to examinations as well as coursework assignments. A first- and a final-year bioscience course unit were surveyed in each of three contrasting university departments. The resulting dataset comprised 782 completed student…

Development of college and university degree programs based entirely on workplace learning is increasing and is characterized by responsiveness to employee educational needs, employer demand, restricted government funding for higher education, and institutions' need to appeal to wider markets. These newer approaches cause considerable tension in…

Discusses work-based learning in the United Kingdom and traces its history, examines the shift from work experience to work-based learning, and the nature of current work-based learning. Key variables that appear to distinguish different styles of work-based learning are identified, and attention is given to the nature of the relationship between…

A study examined how academic staff involved in workplace supervision of students conceive of the workplace experience in four professional areas: engineering, business administration, health sciences, and social science. Five concepts are identified, and a relationship is seen between the conceptions and the quality of student learning. Staff…

Examination of the workplace as a learning environment reveals it is far from ideal and poses unique challenges to the practicum supervisor, especially when that role is assumed by a workplace supervisor. Specific interests of student and employee may not coincide, and the interests of both diverge from those of organizations and owners. (MSE)