Institutional quality assurance of WIL

Framework

Background

The quality assurance framework was developed utilising a model based on other quality assurance approaches, and has been shaped around domains of practice, within which are articulated standards of quality, examples of evidence, and illustrations of practice. 

Through a review of literature and interviews with WIL practitioners four domains of practice were identified:

• student experience
  • … it’s got to be focussed on a quality-curriculum design with aligned assessments and learning outcomes. You can only call it work integrated learning when it’s assessed as well, so there’s evidence of the capabilities that arise through the experience.
• curriculum design
  • So it’s about the journey of the students through that WIL experience, but not just the WIL experience but how that WIL experience fits within the whole-of-course experience. So, how prepared they are before, and how we’re linking that experience to their future experiences.
• institutional requirements
  • … it [WIL practice] needs to connect in with a broader set of strategy and policy. Strategy around where we want to go as an institution.
• stakeholder engagement
  • … our partnerships and building partnerships and quality partnerships which lead to quality learning outcomes for our students need to be included in there …

These domains have formed the basis of the framework.

Product, process and presage

In his exploration of quality in higher education, Gibbs (2010) adapted the ‘3P model’ of Biggs (1993) of presage, process and product, to suggest that conceptions of quality should consider the context before students learn (presage), what goes on while they learn (process) and the outcomes of that learning (product). Similarly, Billett (2011) suggests that WIL practices can be conceptualised as occurring before, during and after the WIL experience. As a basis for the shaping of a framework of quality, considerations must be given to the processes of WIL (e.g. curriculum design, risk management) as well as the products of WIL (e.g. learning outcomes, employability) (Rowe, Nay, Lloyd, Myton, & Kraushaar, 2018; Smith, 2012). A higher education provider needs to assure the quality of the learning which occurs in, and through, the WIL experience, as well as ensuring that the experience is supported by high-quality processes and student support (Winchester-Seeto, 2019). That is, consideration must be given to preparation for WIL (the prior learning and experiences), the product of WIL (what the student gets out of it) and the processes which support these outcomes (what the institution does).

Overview of a framework for quality assurance of WIL

Under each domain, and through extensive consultation, the project has identified a suite of standards of practice.  The domains, and these standards, are captured in the following overview of the framework.

A framework for the quality assurance of WIL

Use the links below to download a copy of the framework for quality assurance of WIL.

This document provides details for each of the identified standards, examples of good practice and illustrations of current practice across different universities to help guide conversations around quality in WIL.  Resources to support benchmarking and quality improvement are also shared on other parts of this site to support the use of the framework.

Publications

Project Final Report

The final report for this project aims to capture the key outcomes, learnings and background research for this project.  It presents the rationale and understandings which have informed the development of the framework.

Other publications and outputs

The following are publications that have come from the project.  If you would like some more information, or copies of specific publications please contact the Project Team or use the links as appropriate.

M. Campbell & R. Tunny (2019) A framework for quality assurance: A presentation to the NAFEA 2019 National Conference. National Association of Field Experience Administrators (NAFEA). (https://nafea.org.au/2019-conference/)

Project Team

Our project has been support by Maria Barrett (Research Assistant).