This study was undertaken within the Degree in Clinical Technology program at Durban University of Technology, South Africa. Clinical technology curricula in South Africa have undergone several changes in response to the demand for a more integrated curriculum. This served as a catalyst for this study, which explored students' and academics'…

Change in the workplace is inevitable, intensified by the rapid development of global markets and demand for highly skilled and adaptable employees. One response to this demand is for higher degree students to immerse in workplace experiences aligned to their course discipline to build their employability. In consideration of higher education and…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) has the capacity to combine academic knowledge with practical experience through specialized programs. While there is extensive literature on WIL, there exists a dearth of research on learners' perspectives, particularly in comparative studies across majors. This study compares the perspectives of 164 engineering…

Assessment and feedback remain one of the biggest challenges when designing work-integrated learning (WIL) programs. Motivated by the paucity of student-facing research, this study explores the student experiences of assessment and feedback on work-placement modules across a variety of programs within a single university. Two hundred and seventy…

Confronted by the disruption of work-integrated learning (WIL) placements due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Durban University of Technology experienced multiple academic and mental health challenges. This study highlights the impact the pandemic had on students from the Departments of Homeopathy,…

Purpose: This study aims to explore the relationship between the number of co-operative (co-op) education work terms that students completed and the importance they attach to employer and job attributes (i.e. work values). Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a large cross-sectional survey of co-op students (N = 2,097) from one…

Placement as a form of work-integrated learning is a valued element of undergraduate education. Prior work explores how placement provides a site for developing professional values, skills and competences as well as identifying how students build awareness of professional requirements. Greater focus on how such processes of awareness are realised,…

Purpose: This study aimed to realign the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) curriculum at an Australian university with communication industry standards and student career goals. It proposes practical suggestions for a third-year communications studies WIL course that will effectively prepare students for professional success by integrating insights…

There are growing expectations that tertiary education graduates will be ready for working life, that is, possessing the capacities to participate effectively in an occupational practice in a specific work situation. Yet, graduates are often unprepared to fulfil this expectation. In response, tertiary education increasingly includes workplace…

In work-based learning (WBL), autodidactic, informal, nonformal, and formal approaches to learning are viewed not as dichotomous, distinct, or divergent spheres along a continuum but as intersected and clustered spheres. In WBL, prior learning, professional development, advanced standing, and other forms of learning are therefore formally…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to explore the benefits and barriers for learning in industrial PhD education through the perspectives of industrial PhD students. A work-integrated learning (WIL) approach is applied to highlight key issues that university and industry need to consider promoting mutual learning. Design/methodology/approach:…

The phenomenon of changes in the world of work makes educational institutions need to find the right strategy for carrying out learning for their students. This study investigates the impact of the integrated curriculum on the world of work, learning experience, student competence, and learning interaction, with the variable of teaching strategy…

Nursing education and the nursing profession have an artisanal character, which has dominated the profession for a long time. Work-integrated learning in nursing education means that theoretical studies are integrated with a clinical placement. The aim of the study was to describe how nursing students experience work-integrated learning in nursing…

Sonography is a highly specialized diagnostic imaging profession facing significant workforce challenges due to increased service delivery demands and a shortage of clinical training opportunities. Developing sustainable solutions is crucial for workforce growth. Using examples from the Australian workforce and education context, this paper…

Work-integrated learning (WIL) or university placements are valuable opportunities for students to apply their knowledge in an authentic work setting and help support their transition from university to employment. However, as our study evidenced, students with disability face significant and unique barriers to securing and completing WIL…