This qualitative study explores how work-integrated learning (WIL) is understood and practised in work-life settings, extending beyond the higher education context. The aim of the study is to examine how WIL manifests in work-life settings and what implications can be derived for conceptualising a quality framework for WIL directed at both higher education institutions and work-life partners. Guided by sociocultural learning theories, a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on empirical data collected from focus group interviews with teachers, managers, and supervisors at the university and a strategic partner organisation, as well as responses to open-ended student surveys. Three overarching themes were identified as key when conceptualising a quality framework for WIL: i) Enhancing WIL understanding; ii) Managing resources and supporting culture; and iii) Strengthening stakeholder engagement. Based on the findings, the study contributes a concept sketch of a WIL quality framework and four guiding principles for advancing the quality dimension in WIL. The main argument is to sustain a holistic perspective that gears a unified, integrative approach to accommodate the dynamic interrelationships and responsibilities that WIL poses on both higher education institutions and work-life partners.

This qualitative study explores how work-integrated learning (WIL) is understood and practised in work-life settings, extending beyond the higher education context. The aim of the study is to examine how WIL manifests in work-life settings and what implications can be derived for conceptualising a quality framework for WIL directed at both higher education institutions and work-life partners. Guided by sociocultural learning theories, a reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on empirical data collected from focus group interviews with teachers, managers, and supervisors at the university and a strategic partner organisation, as well as responses to open-ended student surveys. Three overarching themes were identified as key when conceptualising a quality framework for WIL: i) Enhancing WIL understanding; ii) Managing resources and supporting culture; and iii) Strengthening stakeholder engagement. Based on the findings, the study contributes a concept sketch of a WIL quality framework and four guiding principles for advancing the quality dimension in WIL. The main argument is to sustain a holistic perspective that gears a unified, integrative approach to accommodate the dynamic interrelationships and responsibilities that WIL poses on both higher education institutions and work-life partners.

There is an increasing demand in today's society to engage students in learning to learn, enabling them to become lifelong learners and continually develop their skills and competencies throughout their careers. Work-integrated learning (WIL) provides diverse learning environments that help students bridge and integrate experiences from academic and workplace settings, and thus, comprises a crucial component in preparing students for the complexities of modern working life and fostering lifelong learning skills. In the higher education sector, WIL has been developed in several colleges and universities worldwide, and countries like Australia and Canada have designed prominent examples of quality assurance for specific WIL activities. However, there are few national initiatives that combine various stakeholder's perspectives and there is a lack of knowledge about the quality dimension of WIL-based learning in both higher education and working life.

This paper builds on experiences from the strategic and qualitative development of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) at University West in Sweden. It is part of ongoing research that aims to develop a quality framework to support collaboration and communities of educators in the understanding, design, and application of WIL in both higher education and professional working life. In a previous study, we have identified and provided knowledge underpinning the understanding and application of WIL from a multi-perspective approach involving both educators, researchers, students and strategic partners. Initial findings indicate that fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and society can generate insights, solutions, and mutual development to address societal challenges. Through creating a quality framework for WIL, it becomes evident that through interaction with colleagues and stakeholders the impact of WIL on education and lifelong learning becomes more visible for all stakeholders. In this qualitative study, we take the point of departure specifically from the strategic partner perspective, with the aim to understand WIL in the practice of education according to lifelong learning in a workplace context. We pose the following research question: How can a quality enhancement framework be collaboratively applied in real-world scenarios to enhance WIL quality?

Data collection activities include workshops and interviews with participants from target groups at the partner organization. The paper will discuss the application of a WIL quality enhancement framework, with a focus on how it can support designing and applying WIL initiatives effectively in a work-life setting.

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.

Improving the quality of higher education is an important responsibility of universities and colleges. Several approaches have been developed with the goal of improving the quality of university study programs. In this paper we compare the CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) and the work-integrated learning (WIL) initiatives based on recently completed WIL certifications at University West. Through a series of workshops, the CDIO standards are compared with the aspects and criteria of the WIL certification guidelines, to identify overlapping areas and differences between the two initiatives. The results show that both initiatives overlap but also differ in several aspects. These differences could be useful to strengthen the WIL certification process at University West as well as clarifying the connection between CDIO and work-integrated learning.  

Higher education institutions (HEIs) need to continuously improve their quality to prepare the students to the society of the 21st Century. They need to develop efficient ways of collaborating with various partners in the surrounding community. Close ties with business and industry, and diversity among staff and students are necessary, especially within engineering education. An engineering degree should prepare students to develop a wide range of knowledge and skills. These range from technical, scientific, and mathematical knowledge but also soft skills such as teamwork, business skills and critical analysis, which are also central sustainability competences. It is vital that learning for engineers takes place in the context of authentic engineering problems and processes to develop these skills and to put theory into practice. 

Several initiatives focused on incorporating these skills in higher education exists. CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) is one of the most prominent initiatives within engineering education. CDIO targets the typical tasks an engineer performs when bringing new systems, products and services to the market or the society. The CDIO initiative was created to strengthen active and problem-based learning and improving students' communication and professional skills. CDIO focus on improving practical and work-related skills to better prepare engineering students for their future professional life.

University West employs another initiative, Arbetsintegrerat lärande (AIL), which “roughly” translates to Work Integrated Learning (WIL). WIL shares much of the same philosophy as CDIO. All programs at University West are currently undergoing an AIL-certification process. For engineering programs, that have been working with CDIO, it is interesting to compare them. It is currently unclear how they differ. 

In this study we compare the CDIO educational framework with the WIL-certification through a series of workshops to identify in which areas they overlap and which areas they differ. Would a program that has adopted the CDIO educational framework automatically fulfill the WIL-certification?

Purpose: Describe and develop a guide to help HEIs(Higher Education Institutions) to develop a Quality Assurance System, which engages both managers, teachers and other coworkers involved in the education process.

Design/methodology/approach: Case study, action research

Findings: We highlight the problem to get involvement from teachers and other co-workers working with a Quality Assurance System. Therefore we suggest a guide, which will increase the understanding, engagement and involvement for quality assurance in HEIs.

Originality/Value: The guide creates opportunities for successful quality assurance and quality control in HEIs, with its complexity. The guide follows the education process and has a process-oriented approach.

Keywords: Higher Education, Quality Assurance System, Quality Management, Learning Meeting, Work Integrated Learning

In September 2016 the Swedish Higher Education Authority presented a new system for quality assurance in higher education (HE) that includes both monitoring and enhancement of quality work. The new national system demands HEIs to develop their own Quality Assurance Systems and adopt the new national system to its own context. This paper describes an internal guide created to support the departments work to expand their Quality Assurance System from just monitoring to include enhancement of quality work in an applied context. The aim of the Guide is to support departments to identify which activities that need to be systematized and what needs to be documented and communicated in order to achieve both monitoring and enhancement of quality work. The Guide follows a common education process in order to assure quality in the most vital activities in the process. This paper will describe the Guide and the connection to the education process and show that the Guide is generalizable to education processes in other HEIs. The paper also suggests that when working with the Guide during so-called Learning Meetings, the organization will adapt Work Integrated Learning when developing new knowledge and hereby building a chain of trust in the organization.

Bakgrund

Hållbart arbetsliv är idag ledord för arbetslivets förändrade villkor. Inom UoH i Sverige fanns i slutet av 2017 omkring 75 000 anställda varav ca 35 000 inom forskning och undervisning (UKÄ, 2017). Det är en sektor med stor betydelse för samhällsutvecklingen i Sverige. Arbetsmiljön inom sektorn ställer särskilda krav på personalen. Förvånansvärt få studier har gjorts i Sverige om arbetsmiljön för personal inom UoH. Med förebild från Norge implementeras nu för första gången i Sverige en forskningsbaserad (krav-resurs-modellen) och sektorsspecifik ny modell för att systematiskt arbeta med arbetsmiljön, den s.k. Ark-modellen (arbeidsmiljø- og klimaundersøkelser, se figur) vid Högskolan Väst. Arbetsmiljöverkets föreskrift 2015:4 betonar den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön, vilket väl tillgodoses i denna modell.

Syfte

Att systematiskt och långsiktigt arbeta med arbetsmiljön ur ett främjande, förebyggande och rehabiliterande perspektiv på såväl individ- som organisatorisk nivå för att utveckla förhållanden som bidrar till ett hållbart arbetsliv.

Metod

Genom KIWEST (Knowledge Intensive Work Environment Survey Target) kartläggs arbetsmiljön utifrån 28 olika dimensioner. Kategorier som belyses är t.ex. sociala, uppgiftsbaserade och organisatoriska resurser samt jobbkrav och tillhörighet till jobbet. Organisatoriska förhållanden mäts med FaktaARK 1 medan genomförda insatser mäts med FaktaARK 2.

Resultat

KIWEST sändes till all personal med 20 % anställning eller mer. Utav 539 tillfrågade personer svarade 376, vilket ger en svarsfrekvens på 69,8 %. Resultatet visar att specifikt för sektorn är upplevelsen av tidspress samtidigt som arbetet upplevs som meningsfullt och viktigt. Nu följer analyser, planering, genomförande och utvärdering av insatser på olika nivåer inom högskolan. KIWEST-formuläret sänds till personalen med 3-års intervall. I förbättringsarbetet ingår även att granska och utvärdera genomförandet, därvid ingår även metodutveckling. Förbättringsarbetet sätts in i ett större organisatoriskt perspektiv och är en naturlig del i kvalitetssäkringsprocessen och ledningssystemet. ARK-processen förväntas bidra till teoriutveckling av krav- och resursmodellen samt öka kunskapen om arbetsmiljön inom UoH.