WIL course design

Faculty with student

Work-integrated learning (WIL) course design  

At the Centre for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), we are committed to enhancing the quality of education through innovative WIL course design consultations for instructors looking to update existing WIL courses, evolve current courses to include a WIL component or build a new WIL course from the ground up.

Our WIL course design model integrates the principles of backwards design and constructive alignment with the key components of quality WIL. This creates meaningful learning experiences that maximize learning and bridge the gap between academic knowledge and real-world application. The backwards design approach focuses on the intended learning outcomes for students, guiding instructors to design a curriculum that supports those outcomes. 

Our WIL course design model

Course design triangles with six design elements.

Constructive alignment views course design as the alignment of learning outcomes, assessments and instructional strategies, while quality WIL emphasizes the equal importance of considering pedagogy, experience, assessment and reflection (PEAR). When designing WIL, consider: 

  • When WIL happens, how it’s taught and for what duration? 

  • How will the WIL experience be supported both in the course and by the host to create a positive and meaningful student experience? 

  • How are the learning outcomes aligned with the development of workplace-relevant skills? 

  • Is there space for critical self-reflection to guide students towards understanding their skills, contributions and opportunities for growth? 

By integrating these components with traditional course design elements, we ensure that our courses not only meet academic standards but also provide valuable, well-conceived WIL experiences for students. 

WIL primary intended learning outcomes

This resource will help instructors identify and implement learning outcomes for their work-integrated learning (WIL) course. Intended learning outcomes serve as clear, measurable objectives that define what students are expected to achieve by the end of the course. By articulating specific WIL competencies and skills, these learning outcomes will help instructors design and integrate meaningful WIL experiences that are aligned with the assessment of the WIL outputs.

To use this resource:

  1. Start with category description: Determine which categories of competencies your students will encounter during their WIL experience. This will help you understand the overall themes and their relevance to your course.
  2. Move to key concepts: Within each category, identify the essential ideas and skills your students will learn. These key concepts should be relevant to your course objectives and WIL context.
  3. Finish with learning outcomes: Select the learning outcome that aligns with the category and key concept you identified. You can tailor the outcomes to fit the unique aspects of your course and WIL experience, focusing on what students can do or demonstrate from their learning.

Categories

Lifelong learning

Category description

Lifelong learning involves continuously acquiring and applying new skills and knowledge to adapt to evolving workplace environments.

Key concepts

  • Critical analysis and goal setting
  • Continuous improvement and learning
  • Strength recognition and utilization

Learning outcomes

  • Critically analyze personal and professional experiences to set intentional, informed career goals

  • Identify areas for growth and engage in learning opportunities to promote continuous improvement
  • Assess personal strengths and apply them effectively to enhance professional performance and personal development

Communication

Category description

Communication involves effectively conveying ideas, actively listening and translating knowledge to diverse audiences.

Key concepts

  • Effective communication
  • Active listening
  • Knowledge translation

Learning outcomes

  • Demonstrate clear and concise communication in professional settings with colleagues, supervisors and clients

  • Exhibit attentive listening skills by appropriately responding to feedback and engaging in workplace discussions
  • Translate discipline-specific knowledge into accessible language for diverse audiences

Discipline-specific skill integration

Category description

Discipline-specific skill integration involves applying specialized knowledge and skills from academics to real-world workplace settings.

Key concepts

  • Concept and skill application
  • Problem definition and strategy development

Learning outcomes

  • Apply academic concepts and skills to real-world work environments, demonstrating a practical understanding of how knowledge translates into professional practice
  • Analyze complex workplace problems and develop effective strategies to address them

Professional relationship building

Category description

Professional relationship building involves developing and nurturing meaningful connections with colleagues, mentors and industry professionals to enhance career growth.

Key concept

  • Effective relationship building

Learning outcomes

  • Establish and maintain professional networks and effective working relationships that contribute to career development

Professional skills development

Category description

Professional skills development involves enhancing essential workplace competencies, such as teamwork, project management, self-management and ethical decision-making to prepare for successful careers.

Key concepts

  • Teamwork and problem solving
  • Project management
  • Professional ethics and conduct
  • Initiative and self-direction

Learning outcomes

  • Collaborate effectively in teams, demonstrating skills in problem solving, time management, decision-making, critical thinking and reasoning
  • Plan and manage projects by setting objectives, allocating resources and meeting deadlines
  • Demonstrate adherence to ethical standards, professional conduct and a commitment to integrity and personal responsibility
  • Exhibit initiative and the ability to work independently, contributing meaningfully to organizational goals

Navigating change

Category description

Navigating change involves developing adaptability, flexibility and awareness of diversity to manage workplace environments effectively.

Key concepts

  • Change management
  • Cultural competence

Learning outcomes

  • Adapt to dynamic workplace environments by demonstrating flexibility and managing change effectively

  • Apply cultural competence in diverse workplace settings by working respectfully and effectively with individuals from varied backgrounds

CLEAR reflection process  

Reflection is a key component of WIL, facilitating knowledge transformation and fostering deeper self-awareness and understanding. It is an evidence-based, integrative, analytical, capacity-building process that serves to generate, extend, critique and document learning.  

Reflection is a learned skill. Many students are unfamiliar with the process and benefit from guidance to help them derive meaning from an experience.  

Five tier funnel with key elements for reflection.

The five key elements of the CLEAR reflection process were created to: 

  • mobilize reflection for the learner  

  • support the development of decision making, goalsetting and problem-solving skills  

  • promote the ability to integrate multiple concepts  

  • deepen understanding of oneself and one’s identity 

  • maximize learning 

Capture

Collect all the information related to the experience under consideration:

  • Look both inward (thoughts and feelings) and outward (observations)
  • Take stock, do not evaluate

Link

Group the individual discrete pieces of information:

  • Identify connections between current pieces of information and past experiences that had similar bits of information
  • Decide what might be similar and what might be different

Examine

Make sense of the experience using the collected information and the identified connections:

  • Why did it unfold as it did?
  • How did actions or inactions influence the direction of the experience – both desired and undesired?

Assemble

Bring it all together:

  • Reassemble a fuller version of the experience based on the collected information, identified connections and applied reasoning
  • Identify your takeaways

Respond

Situate the analysis of the experience within personal values and membership of the broader community:

  • How does what you do impact others?
  • What did you learn about yourself?

Additional resources 

The CLEAR reflection guide provides an overview and background of the CLEAR reflection process, a fulsome description of each stage and sample prompts.

The course-level reflection matrix leverages the CLEAR reflection process and supports instructors in customizing reflection assignments to align with their course’s specific needs and objectives, ensuring that students engage deeply with their learning experiences.

To download the course-level reflection matrix or the CLEAR reflection process, see our templates and guides page.

Creative Commons license

This content from the Centre for Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), Co-operative and Experiential Education, and the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ is licensed under a . You’re welcome to share and adapt the material for non-commercial use, with proper credit and under the same license. For other uses, contact centreforwil@uwaterloo.ca.