Climbing the Ladder of WIL Success! : A University Teachers’ Model for In-Curricular Industry-Partnered Learning Uplift

Abstract

Multiple frameworks are available to differentiate various aspects and levels of work-integrated learning (WIL) across the university curriculum. While these add to the narrative for expert WIL practitioners, they tend to support a higher-level view not readily accessible or immediately understandable to all university educators. This paper introduces a ladder-styled framework for evaluating industry-partnered learning (IPL) integration within courses. When used as an artefact to stimulate analysis and conversation with university educators in an IPL professional development workshop in an Australian university, the framework was well received. This positive reception inspired a round of analysis as part of the first stage of an educational design research project. Analysis of the now titled “Thornton’s IPL Ladder (Ladder)” offered in this paper illustrates how it is positioned in relation to other existing WIL classification frameworks and models. The Ladder contributes towards supporting academics to benchmark the IPL composition within their own courses and to consider the possibility and appropriateness for moving a course to a higher IPL level. The next phase of the project aims for maturation of the Ladder through further stages of testing and stakeholder input.