From case study to real-world: Scaffolding work-integrated learning to apply classroom learning
By: Matthew King (he/him)
The Centre for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) collaborates with Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) to embed a WIL experience into existing course content
When considering ways to enhance the learning experience in an organizational behaviour course within the Accounting and Financial Management (AFM) program, instructor Tiffany Cassidy saw an opportunity to bring theory to life.
“It’s an organizational behaviour course,” Cassidy says. “It focuses on how people behave in companies and organizations, and you don’t want that to just sit in the abstract.”
Recognizing that students needed more than just theoretical knowledge, the AFM team explored how work-integrated learning (WIL) could enrich the curriculum. Cassidy and the AFM team wanted to create an environment where the students could engage with real-world applications while also participating in structured learning.
Collaborating with the Centre for WIL
To bring this vision to reality, Cassidy collaborated with the Centre for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE). Maria Barichello, an educational developer from the Centre for WIL, worked closely with Cassidy to determine the best approach.
"One of the first things I do in my role is meet with the instructor to understand what they’re looking for," Barichello says.
"We consider whether the course content lends itself to a WIL experience—can students’ skills and knowledge be applied to an industry or community project? How will integrating a WIL experience align with existing learning outcomes and impact program requirements, accreditation and overall course flow? We take a comprehensive approach, looking at various factors to determine whether a course truly fits a WIL environment."
Barichello points out that the program and the instructor need to explore what makes sense for them. As the instructor, Cassidy was keen to add a WIL experience that would analyze organizational behaviour and how companies motivate, retain and recruit across generations.
Tiffany Cassidy, AFM course instructor
“Where we hit a barrier was that we just didn't have enough time,” Barichello says. “Ideally we use a full term to design the WIL experience. Coupled with the large cohort, we would have had to find around 30 organizational partners, so it was a lot to try and accomplish in a short amount of time.”
Because of the tight time constraints, those involved in the project needed an innovative approach.
Settling on a scaffolded approach
After careful deliberation, Barichello, Cassidy and CTE’s faculty liaison Julia Burke decided on a scaffolded WIL approach—one that would allow for structured integration of experiential learning elements. The scaffolded WIL model’s benefit is its adaptability.
The whole idea with the scaffolded approach was to design content with authentic WIL project integration in mind, even if the first offering relied on case studies instead of real clients. That way, when we are ready to incorporate real companies, the transition to a full WIL experience will take much less work because of the effort we put into developing the scaffolded version.
This flexibility was key to ensuring that the course could be continuously refined and improved, allowing for a smoother transition to real-world partnerships in future iterations.
“We looked at what the instructor wanted and what we could accomplish in the time we had,” Barichello says. "We ultimately crafted a large case study for students to work on in teams over the course of several weeks. We crafted it to resemble an authentic industry experience, as closely as possible, including the kind of information they would get from meeting with someone from the industry.”
The success of the pilot offering
The first run of the scaffolded WIL experience was a success as it offered students a meaningful way to apply their knowledge. Students developed critical thinking and problem-solving skills through structured projects with mock organizations while gaining insight into real-world organizational dynamics.
"Through this experience, I saw students develop their listening and question-asking skills—those essential professional skills that students sometimes underestimate," Cassidy says. "When they presented their recommendations as if pitching to a real company, their oral presentations were outstanding. This project showed the unique way WIL experiences push students beyond just working for a grade."
With the pilot complete, the AFM team is now considering what role real organizations could play in future iterations of the course. The course will continue to evolve by incorporating organizations into future iterations, which will provide even greater value to students.
The success of the AFM 480 WIL pilot underscores the impact of thoughtfully integrating experiential learning into academic programs and the value of cross-unit collaboration. As more courses utilize similar models for WIL, the scaffolded approach provides a promising framework for balancing structured learning with real-world applications.