Work Integrated Learning is the Profile of the University

University West has developed and worked with work integrated learning (WIL) in our courses and research for almost 20 years in order to utilize the qualities of work placement.

Through WIL, our students broaden their academic knowledge and prepare for working life at the same time as gaining experiences and insights they can bring back to the university.

WIL is an ideology
Today, working life is continuously changing and this makes learning at work yet more important. When working life changes the education must also change, and a close link between university and work becomes increasingly important. For the undergraduate education at the university, we have developed pedagogical methods based on WIL which we systematically work with in order to promote the students' chances to integrate knowledge based on research with knowledge based on experience.

In parallel, we work on research and development projects aiming to study and advance continuing professional development in the workplace.

WIL in practice - some examples
Recurring placement periods are included in our teacher training programmes, nursing and specialist nursing programmes and the social pedagogy programme. This means that the students spend educational periods in workplaces linked to their future profession. They gain a deeper understanding of the different sides of their future profession and obtain invaluable experiences.

Through the so called Co-op, Cooperative Education, our students who study to become engineers, economists and systems analysts can sandwich their studies with periods of paid work in businesses or organizations. The students get a theoretical education combined with experiences from working life at the same time as they prepare socially for working life during the placement periods.

Research in work integrated learning
Work integrated learning is an important field of research. The research is often interdisciplinary in character. Sometimes the research involves creating new forms of learning, sometimes it involves learning at work, where researchers evaluate various forms of integration between higher education and work.

Researchers within most disciplines available at University West collaborate in different projects on work integrated learning. Authorities, businesses and organizations participate in several of the projects. There is also ongoing collaboration with researchers at other universities in both Sweden and abroad.

Collaboration is a prerequisite for WIL
A close collaboration with the surrounding world concerning educational and learning issues in various environments is a prerequisite for working with WIL as pedagogical method for higher education. The university today has about 100 collaborative partners in the education of healthcare and schooling, manufacturing industry, entertainment industry and private and public service industry.

In 2002 University West was commissioned by the government to develop forms for work integrated learning as part of the work with pedagogical renewal of higher education.