Purpose: This study identifies gendered disparities among women students participating in work-integrated learning and explores the effects of the disparities on their perceptions on perceived opportunities, competencies, sense of belonging, and professional identity. Design/methodology/approach: A series of semi-structured focus groups were run with 59 participants at six higher education institutions in four countries (Australia, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom). All focus groups were designed with the same questions and formatting. Findings: Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed two overarching themes, namely perceptions of self and interactions with others in work placements. Theme categories included awareness of self-presentation, sense of autonomy, perceived Allies, emotional labour, barriers to opportunity, sense of belonging, intersections of identity, and validation value. Originality/value: This study fills an important gap in the international literature about gendered experiences in WIL and highlights inequalities that women experience while on work placements.  

This study examined the similarities and differences in sense of belonging, mental health, and well-being of higher education students from three countries. A cross-sectional design using a quantitative online survey was used to collect demographics, and perceptions of sense of belonging, mental health, and well-being. Participants were recruited from three universities in Canada, Germany, and Sweden. All students from the three countries reported only moderate emotional stability; neutral satisfaction with life; moderately strong levels of sense of belonging; and only moderate control of self and events, happiness, mental balance, self-esteem, social involvement, and sociability. Students in Sweden compared to Canada and Germany reported significantly stronger sense of belonging. Additionally, students in Sweden compared to students in Canada reported significantly stronger emotional stability and higher self-esteem. Higher levels of sense of belonging were strongly related to positive mental health and well-being. No significant differences as a function of sex, age, year-of-study, and program of study were found within and across countries. The findings shed light on the mental health status and well-being of students in two European countries where little research on student mental health has been conducted. Additionally, comparisons are made between student mental health in Canada and these European countries. The results validate the importance of a sense of belonging as it relates to the mental health and well-being of all higher education students. Findings can inform the design of promotion and prevention programs aimed at improving and maintaining mental health and well-being outcomes. 

Today’s working life faces a major ongoing transformation characterised by increased complexity and specialisation of work and conditions for lifelong learning. This requires competencies beyond traditional theoretical knowledge, including the ability to prepare for uncertainty and unknown outcomes. Therefore, involving students in work-integrated learning (WIL) and learning how to learn for lifelong learning is essential. At University West in Sweden, educational programs are WIL-based and developed in collaboration with strategic partners to provide a relevant and attractive range of programs and courses. In this study, we argue that it is a shared responsibility for academia and business organisations to collaboratively develop innovative approaches to working and learning to secure a future workforce ready for a complex working life and continuous competence development. The purpose of the study is to identify and provide knowledge underpinning the understanding and application of WIL in higher education and working life. The goal is to develop a framework that supports key stakeholders in understanding, designing and applying WIL. Findings from this study suggest that the collaboration between teachers, partners, and students can be strengthened by a quality framework supporting the planning, implementation, reflection and improvement of WIL-based education and competence initiatives. The main contribution of the paper is a nuanced description of WIL conceptualizations along with a multi-perspective approach, bringing multiple perspectives into the development and application of WIL. It also highlights how a framework based on these foundations can support quality development and enhance the application of WIL in higher education and working life.

For graduates to be able to compete in the global world, study programmes must include knowledge, competences and skills that ensures that students with a higher education degree are ready for both a complex working life and continuous competence development. This demands competencies beyond traditional theoretical knowledge, such as preparing for uncertainty and unknown outcomes. Therefore, it is essential to engage students in learning to learn, i.e., lifelong learning so that the tools and methods for learning in higher education can also be developed through future work.

At University West (UW) in Sweden, this means that programmes are developed in collaboration with societal partners to provide a relevant and attractive educational offer. The University West uses the concept of work-integrated learning (WIL) to embrace a sustained/systematic collaboration with strategic partners outside academia. We consider that knowledge is created in the encounter between academia and our strategic partners, through the integration of knowledge, skills and competences acquired both within academia and work life.

To achieve a strategic and qualitative development of work-integrated learning (WIL), the Board of University West in 2018 decided to WIL-certify all educational programs including a sustainability perspective and enhance this process by engaging in strategic partnerships with stakeholders from civic society to international companies. The process is a development of existing and future programmes and their pedagogical approach. The WIL certification process has developed into a renewal of the pedagogical approach through a development process based on a lively exchange of experiences from study programme representatives from political science to nursing; and discussions with our strategic partners that benefits both students, staff as well as the strategic partners through competence development and lifelong learning.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned so far and present a conceptual quality framework for WIL in higher education with a clear connection to sustainable development. Based on the experiences from the development of the institutional WIL project and a Swedish Innovation agency (VINNOVA) research project we aim for a better understanding and insights into how theoretical and practical knowledge can enhance learning both within academia and within strategic partners. Data collection activities include workshops and focus groups with selected participants from the target groups at the university (managers/prefects and teachers) as well as at the collaborative partner organization (managers and supervisors/mentors). Initial findings suggest that the meeting between academia, working life and the surrounding society can ensure that insights, solutions and mutual development are created to meet the challenges society faces. The paper will discuss the methodology of creating work-integrated learning environments that include well-functioning communication and a community of practice (Wenger, 1998) connecting learners, teachers, and other staff with local, regional and national stakeholders.

Introduction

WIL in the context of higher education is a model of experiential education as per Kolb’s theory (Kolb, 1984; Kolb & Kolb, 2012) - which intentionally integrates students’ theoretical academic studies within a workplace or practical environment The purposeful integration of theory with practice supports learning, with the workplace serving as the mechanism for the enhanced learning, and while students are the primary focus of WIL, the essential philosophy is an educational partnership between universities, employers, and communities with the aim of providing students with an enriched learning experience (Blom, 2013; Johnston, 2017).

Students who participate in a work-integrated learning (WIL) program during their higher education studies are often better prepared for work after graduation compared to students who do not receive discipline specific practical experience (Mandal & Edwards, 2021; Smith et al., 2019; Weldon & Ngo, 2019). But does this better preparedness come with a price? Do these students - who often spend months away from their campus community – have adequate access to important support networks and/or do they struggle with their well-being? Research has shown that overall well-being, social and peer support, social connections, and establishing a strong sense of belonging are believed to be important in a successful school-to-work transition and achieving a strong career identity (Conely et al., 2014; Huegaerts et al., 2020; Ruschoff et al., 2018). Students who participate in WIL – however have less access to their peers and the university community due to being away for work terms (McBeath et al., 2018). It is unknown whether this influences their overall well-being and subsequent transition to full-time work after graduation. As such, they deserve attention in the research on participation in WIL programs and the subsequent transition to the labour market.

Goal and Research Questions

This study furthers our understanding of how support systems and sense of belonging impact student mental health and well-being during work-terms. The results can inform the design of a support intervention aimed at improving and maintaining health and well-being outcomes for WIL students. Results also contribute to the literature regarding WIL, sense of belonging, peer support, social connections, well-being, and preparedness for school-to-work transitions.

The study involved developing and administering a quantitative measure to examine aspects of, and the importance of, peer support and sense of belonging on improved mental health and well-being for WIL students. We also examined the role that social media and social connections played in this relationship. More specifically, we addressed the following research questions:

1. What perceptions do WIL students have about sense of belonging and peer support?

2. What demographic factors impact sense of belonging and peer support?

3. How does WIL influence peer support and sense of belonging?

4. How are peer support and sense of belonging related to mental health, and other psychological and health related outcomes in our WIL students?5. What role does social media and in particular virtual social connections play in sense of belonging, peer support, and well-being?6. What is the relationship between sense of belonging, peer support, social connections, mental health, and preparedness for school-to-work transitions? 

Methods

Data was collected from three institutions of higher education, namely University of Waterloo in Ca nada, University West in Sweden, and Baden-Heidenheim Cooperative State University (DHBW) in Germany. Ethical clearance was secured at all three institutions prior to data collection. Participants (WIL students) completed an online survey addressing sense of belonging, social and peer support, school-to-work self-efficacy, social media use, and well-being during their WIL placements. In addition to demographic variables (sex, age, year of study, and number of WIL placements) and constructed items measuring school-to-work efficacy and social media use for support and belonging, the survey also contained the following published scales:

• Sense of Belonging Instrument (SOBI: Hagerty & Patusky, 1995)
•  Psychological Sense of School Membership (PSSM: Goodenow, 1993)
•  Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL -shortened version: Cohen et al., 1985)
• Self-Description Questionnaire III (SDQ-III: Marsh & O’Neill, 1984)
• Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS: Diener et al., 1985)
•  Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale (WBMMS: Massé et al., 1998) 

Consent to participate was indicated by the participant’s voluntary completion of the online survey. The survey took approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. After correcting for missing data, the final data set had a sample size of 480 (University of Waterloo, n=190; University West, n=112, DHBW, n=178).

Data Analysis

Descriptive analyses provided frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations for the demographic variables. A series of t-tests were run to determine significant differences on the dependent variables as a function of country and demographics. A series of ANOVAs followed by Tukeys’ HSD post hoc analysis, were run to determine significant main effects. Levene’s test was performed for the demographic independent variables and the assumption of homogeneity of variance was satisfied. Finally, correlational analysis was run to examine significant relationships between the dependent variables – Sense of Belonging, Peer Support, school-to-work efficacy, Mental Health, and Well-Being. Incomplete scales (i.e., missing data) were eliminated from the analysis.

Results

Results indicated that WIL students from the three institutions reported only moderate levels of sense of belonging, however they perceived high levels of support from their peers. Higher levels of sense of belonging to the university community and access to high quality peer support was strongly related to better overall mental health and well-being. Interestingly, while WIL students perceived social media and virtual social connections during work terms as playing an important role in supporting their sense of belonging to peers and the university community, they preferred face to face social interactions for promoting their well-being. Additional results and implications will be provided in the presentation.

For Sweden to be able to compete in the global economy, our students with a degree from higher education must be ready for a career in working life. Today's work life is facing a major ongoing transformation, characterized by increased complexity, higher specialization, and digitalization. This demands competencies beyond traditional theoretical knowledge, such as preparing for uncertainty and unknown outcomes (Barnett, 2000; Vallo Hult & Byström, 2021). Therefore, it is essential to engage students in learning to learn, i.e., lifelong learning so that the tools and methods for learning in higher education can also be developed through future work (Billett, 2014; Islind, Norström, Vallo Hult, & Ramadani Olsson, 2021). For University West, this means that our education programs must be developed in collaboration with industry partners from the surrounding society to provide arelevant and attractive education, which corresponds to the labour market's long-term competence needs. We want our students to develop abilities and skills that enable them to be part of and drive sustainable societal development in practice.

Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is University West's overarching profile, based on the concept of advanced knowledge – characterized by complex problem solving – and the mutual acknowledgment of advanced knowledge within the academy and among its partners. What characterizes WIL at University West is that we have developed and refined a combination of different approaches over a long period, including research -based WIL, through fundamental learning concepts such as socio- cultural, critical and action-oriented learning theories. These influences have shaped WIL at University West into a dynamic and academic area of knowledge and subject. 

In order to achieve a strategic and qualitative development of work-integrated learning, the University West Board decided to WIL-certify all educational programs with a clear sustainability perspective. The quality processis called the WIL certification process. It has now been developed at the university fortwo years.Experience andrefinements are ready to mature into an overall quality framework worth conceptualizing and disseminating to more universities that systematically want to develop WIL as an explicit quality dimension in higher educa tion. The project is still ongoing but have generated some preliminary findings and outcomes from the initial phase. Data collection activities include workshops and focus groups with selected participants from the target groups at the university (managers/prefects and teachers) as well as at the collaborative partner organization (managers and supervisors/mentors). The focus of the workshops was placed on capturing the participants understanding and perspectives on WIL as a concept, and to map the conditions for and experiences of conducting WIL in teaching and learning at work. We aim for identifying good (or less good) examples of WIL, what they are, how they are understood and why they are (or are not) important.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the lessons learned so far and present a conceptual quality framework for WIL in higher education with a clear connection to sustainable development. The quality framework may function as a mediating “support object” between higher education institutions, industry partners, and actors in the surrounding society to promote WIL concepts and experiences in collaboration strategies.

During the Covid-19 pandemic social media have become an important tool for spreading information from government agencies regarding restrictions. Government accounts and public health care organizations have used different social media platforms such as Twitter to communicate with the Swedish public. The Swedish public have interacted with the information, arguing for a stricter or a more relaxed approach to Covid-19 recommendations. This social network analysis aims at exploring statistical methods to investigate patterns made by twitter accounts commenting the Swedish Armed Forces field hospital activities and the national Covid-19 strategy during the Covid-19 pandemic. Data was collected using the twitter platform and the Ncapture add-on with Google Chrome. The interactions stored in the tweets and replies section (TRS) from 227 twitter accounts were collected and coded with the NVivo auto code function. Twitter usernames that occurred in less than 35 % of the 227 TRS were deleted. The 227 extracted TRS were treated as scale items and occurring twitter-names which interacted with the TRS as respondents n=761. Analysis of the factor structure with PCA and CFA indicated four factors: 1) Military policy, 2) Right wing politics, 3) Law enforcement, 4) Politics and strategy. Structural Equation Modelling revealed interrelationships between the factors. Thus, Military policy, Law enforcement and Politics and strategy had a direct effect on Right wing politics. Politics and strategy had a direct effect on Military policy and Law enforcement. This study revealed that PCA, CFA and SEM have the potential to discover the core of a thought collective. Despite the obvious dangers with misinformation and political extremism on social media, policymakers need to tackle misinformation and disinformation, protecting electoral processes and facilitating public discussion, built on the three fundamental democratic principles of equality, representation and participation.