WIL Conceptual Framework and Indicators

“Integrating curricular learning with workplace experience provides students with an opportunity to combine theory and practice in a real-world work environment, deepening students’ knowledge and understanding, and enhancing work-related capabilities.” (Cooper, Orrell and Bowden, 2010).

In order to design and implement rigorous and efficient WIL Experience:

  • It is essential for the main WIL experience partners – students, workplace supervisors, and faculty share a common vision for the WIL experience.
  • It is also crucial to clearly determine and support the roles and responsibilities of the WIL Experience partners – in terms of preparation, orientation, integration, coordination, support and assessment.

To do so, Algonquin College designed the following WIL Experience Conceptual Framework with 4 key dimensions and associated sets of indicators

WIL Experience Conceptual Framework

  1. Description the purpose of the WIL Experience
  2. Description of the desired outcomes for all stakeholder groups
  3. Clearly articulated expectations of roles for all stakeholders groups
  4. Alignment of the WIL experience curriculum with the academic curriculum
  5. Alignment of the students experiential learning outcomes with the assessment practices
  1. Relevant and adequate learning environment:
    1. Authentic environment and real work experience
    2. Authentic activities with complexity matching real practices
  2. Clear roles and job descriptions
  3. Facilitation of a learning plan development and implementation
  4. Opportunity for supervision and assessment training activities for workplace educators
  5. Transportation and accessibility of workplace
  1. Clarity regarding expectations and responsibilities
  2. Establishment of a learning plan in collaboration with workplace and/or faculty
  3. Preparatory work before and during the experience
  4. Opportunity for self-assessment throughout the WIL experience (critical thinking and meta-cognition)
  5. Management of  learning challenges
    • student progress monitored by the workplace supervisor who matches their abilities with activities producing the right amount of challenge
    • Structured form of feedback
    • Opportunity to adjust learning plan where there are signs of difficulties
  1. Coursework enhances workplace learning
  2. Opportunities for observation, review and reflection
  3. Links between theory and practice: transfer of knowledge from the classroom to the workplace then back to the classroom
  4. Development of professional identities and abilities
  5. Opportunity to assess the quality of the WIL experience
  6. Informal and formal assessment practices
    1. Continued and authentic means of assessment
    2. Self, peer and/or supervisor assessments