AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIAN COLLABORATIVE EDUCATION NETWORK (ACEN)
ACEN held a National Conversation on work-integrated learning on 18th June. Representatives of over 30 tertiary education institutions attended and discussed how their institutions were responding to recent changes in higher education and future opportunities. Enablers of innovative WIL practice in the current context identified include: flexibility in delivery, professional accreditation and alternatives to placements, co-design with industry and leadership support. Challenges include: access and equity issues, scarcity and sustainability of placements and lack of support for increasing industry engagement.
Other current ACEN activities:
- Critical Conversations continue to be strongly attended with recordings available on the website:
- 11th June: “Reflection and Reflective Practice in WIL”
- 9th July: “Strengths and Strategies of Simulation-Based Education”
- The next Critical Conversation – 7th August: “Project Based WIL: Platforms, Practices and Pedagogies”
- ACEN Student Scholarships of $1,500.00 awarded to 8 students
- ACEN is sponsoring the special edition “COVID 19” of the IJWIL
- Research Conversation held 26th June “Publishing in WIL”
- ACEN Research Grants Awarded to 2 Early Career Researchers Grants of $5,000 and 3 Full Research Grants of $10,000
- ACEN 2020 Virtual WIL Summit: beyond 2020 Creating the Future with WIL, 27 & 28 October 2020 with over 40 presentations, showcases and round-tables. Information and registration here.
- ACEN National WIL Awards now open
- Digital Ethics and Portfolios.
Franziska Trede
President, ACEN
CANADA
CO-OPERATIVE EDUCATION AND WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING CANADA (CEWIL)
Greetings from Canada!
CEWIL continues to host regular townhall calls with our membership as we move through different stages of recovery across our provinces. In September, most post-secondary institutions across the country will be primarily online. However, there are some institutions that are looking to welcome back students in-person as much as possible. No matter what the coming Canadian fall looks like, we will continue to support each other.
We also carry on to collect data (thank you to Judene Pretti and her team at Waterloo’s Work-Learn Institute for collecting and collating the data) where we continue to see that our WIL opportunities are running behind in our year over year comparisons, as well as our in campus job postings – both in co-op and in other campus postings. As a result of the pandemic, our May – August work experiences were approximately 17% behind our 2019 numbers. It has been through a tremendous amount of work from the Canadian WIL ecosystem to sustain this level of opportunity for students during the pandemic and while we know that students have suffered opportunity losses through this time, there has been a great amount of innovation, support and care from employers, community, post-secondary, government and tech partners. We are currently trending 29% behind our 2019 work experiences by those who have reported their numbers for this coming September – December time-frame. However, we are confident that the same supports and innovative approaches will assist students in securing meaningful work opportunities this coming fall in Canada. We continue to collect stories of support and inspiration on our CEWIL website and resources from across the country to be housed in our CEWIL resource hub.
From an association perspective, we are looking to make some changes to our by-laws that will have our board members and leadership serve 2-year terms in their roles, as well as expand voting rights and processes for our industry board positions and chairs of our Accreditation and Quality Assurance Councils.
Lastly, we would like to thank WACE for their work to pull the global community together to learn and lean on each other – it has been a time where learning from the promising practices of each other has allowed us all to work through the realities of the pandemic.
Cara Krezek
President, CEWIL Canada
NEW ZEALAND
WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING NEW ZEALAND (WILNZ)
As mentioned in the last newsletter, NZACE has been renamed to Work-Integrated Learning New Zealand (WILNZ). As part of this process we needed a new logo. However, we were at that time just four weeks into the COVID-19 lock-down, a time of much scrambling for many WIL students as WIL opportunities had to be reshaped, and in some cases, had to be cancelled. The WILNZ board wanted to set an example by providing this project as work-experience for students and in true collaborative spirit, they wanted to run the project across institutions.
Two design students, Laura Thresher from University of Waikato, Hamilton, and Libby Hare from WINTEC, Hamilton, were amongst those students who had had their initial placements terminated because of the COVID-19 lockdown. Two WILNZ board members, Karsten Zegwaard from University of Waikato and Klaus Reiter from WINTEC, acted as ‘clients’ for the two students to work in partnership to form the new WILNZ logo. Laura and Libby came up with the concept of the learner being represented as the black dot, and the institution and the employer as the two upward lines cradling the learner, reflecting how the literature describes the tripartite relationship of the three stakeholders.
Due to the lock-down, the whole project was virtual, involving many Zoom meetings and working on shared files. Laura’s and Libby’s work experience included negotiating the terms of reference for the project, planning the project, working with their clients, creating multiple logo versions, working with multiple stakeholders and feeding into the decision-making process of a national organisation. The development of the logo has been a success story of two WIL students from separate institutions working in partnership for WILNZ. Congratulations and thanks to Laura and Libby on the great logo that they have produced.
WILNZ has continued to provide professional development opportunities for members and in conjunction with ACEN (Australia) have offered a number of webinars related to Covid-19 as well as other WIL related topics. Members have also enjoyed being part of the WACE global webinars that have been held recently. A big thanks to those that have made these opportunities possible.
WILNZ Executive Board Members continue to provide feedback to influence the place of WIL in New Zealand tertiary education. Recently, WILNZ provided feedback to the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (a newly formed entity responsible for vocational education throughout NZ) on the ‘Mobilizing the New World’ report. WILNZ Board Members are also part of the Universities New Zealand WIL Advisory group and are working to influence improving government funding for WIL.
Good news: The conference postponed in 2020 has now been rescheduled for 28-30 April 2021 in Hamilton. We hope that our borders are open by then so we can welcome our international colleagues in New Zealand.
Kia kaha.
Jenny Fleming
President, WILNZ
Laura Thresher from University of Waikato, Hamilton, and Libby Hare from WINTEC, Hamilton.
UNITED KINGDOM
ASET THE WORK BASED AND PLACEMENT LEARNING ASSOCIATION
As life continues to adapt to the new normal, the ASET Board continues to work with partners across the country and across the world to provide the best possible help and opportunities to learn from current and develop new WIL practices. We are learning that flexibility is key and to that end are developing new workshops and tools for our members (watch this space).
The start of September is a major date in the ASET calendar, as it is the time of year when we come together as a community to share good practice. This year on the 8th and 9th of September, we are delivering #ASETConnect to which our WACE partners are also invited. Follow the link to our website for more details and an invitation to get involved.
At the time of writing, we are just about to go to press with our latest Ebulletin, which provides useful guidance and information – our last bulletin which explored the challenges and approaches taken to support our WIL staff and students, along with a look forward to the coming year is here.
As noted above, working together is a major part of survival in these challenging times and we have embraced the wide range of Global Conversations provided by WACE.
We hope to see you all at #ASETConnect, but in the meantime, stay safe and stay well.
Francesca Walker-Martin
Chair ASET
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION AND INTERNSHIP ASSOCIATION (CEIA)
In North America, the Cooperative Education and Internship Association (CEIA) is working hard to continue its outstanding programs and services offered in a variety of modalities. For our 700 members, we are emphasizing the importance of virtual offerings, colleague connections, informative resources, and leadership development.
Virtual offerings: Just this spring, CEIA offered over 20 informative webinars and most were FREE for members! Check out the Knowledge Zone for any upcoming webinars. Members stay informed of virtual offerings via announcements, CEIA NewsBrief, and social media posts.
Colleague connections: Networking is alive and well at CEIA. We have eight Regional Vice Presidents that conduct outreach to individuals in their region. We are in the process of recruiting a diverse group of volunteers to serve on our standing and ad-hoc committees.
Informative resources: CEIA’s Call for Proposals for the Annual Conference will be released in August. CEIA’s Experience Magazine™ showcases the work from a number of thought leaders in the field.
Leadership development: CEIA’s Academy is an in-depth training program for new professionals in the field. This past June, we had 66 individuals attend our Academy – Virtually in Vail. Next year’s Academy will be held in Vail, Colorado on June 8-10, 2021.
Respectfully submitted,
Dawn Koeltzow
President CEIA
WACE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH COMMUNITY (WACEIRC)
RESEARCH UPDATE
The WACE International Research Community is comprised of active WIL researchers, and those interested in being involved with WIL research activity. We run a peer-reviewed process for conference papers, select recipients for the WACE research grant, and organize professional development opportunities for emerging and established WIL researchers. We have an executive committee representing different geographic regions of the globe who provide updates from their regions on WIL research awards, grant recipients, upcoming grant opportunities, and WIL research-related events.
If you know of WIL researchers who are not yet connected to the WACE International Research Community, please contact Judene Pretti to find out how to become involved.
Dr. Judene Pretti
Chair, WACEIRC
WACE IRC EXECUTIVE
Executive Chair – Dr. Judene Pretti
Past-Executive Chair – Dr. Norah McRae
Chair Communications – Dr. Kylie Twyford
Regional Vice-Chair, Africa – Dr. Roelien Brink
Regional Vice-Chair, Americas – TBC
Regional Vice-Chair, Asia – Dr. Yasushi Tanaka
Regional Vice-Chair, Europe – Dr. Kristina Johansson
Regional Vice-Chair, Oceania – Dr. Karsten Zegwaard
Co-Chairs, Grants and Awards – Dr. Antoine Pennaforte and Dr. Jenny Fleming
Co-Chairs, Development – Ms. Judie Kay and Dr. James Stellar
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING
IJWIL SPECIAL ISSUE: RESPONDING TO COVID-19, INNOVATIVE PRACTICES OF WIL
The International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning (IJWIL) publishes peer-reviewed original research and topical issues dealing with Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) and is a great resource on work-integrated learning.
The IJWIL is running a special issue related to the current COVID-19 pandemic. There will be articles related to good practice of WIL using remote, virtual, and simulated approaches in addition to research and positioning papers that will help inform the WIL COVID-19 discussions as we progress forward. There has been a strong response to the call for papers and the special issue will be published mid-September. If you would like to receive notifications from IJWIL when new articles are published, we encourage you to go to the IJWIL website, click on the ‘get notifications’ at the top right of the homepage, and sign up. We would also like to draw attention to two recent articles published in Issue 3 that is of relevance:
- Enhancing discipline-specific skills using a virtual environment built with gaming technology
- The professional orientation of first-year student teachers in a non-placement work-integrated learning program
Dr. Karsten Zegwaard, Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Judene Pretti, Associate Editor
Dr. Anna Rowe, Associate Editor
GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS
WACE has been holding a free webinar series called Global Conversations examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic from a range of perspectives on work-integrated learning. Two webinar topics have been completed across two time zones with over 450 participants from 14 countries. For those that missed out the recordings are now available on the WACE website:
Global Conversations #1: National Perspectives
Australia / Asia / West Coast North America – Recording
Europe / Africa / Central & East Coast North America) – Recording
Global Conversations #2: Employer Perspectives
Australia / Asia / West Coast North America – Recording
Europe / Africa / Central & East Coast North America – Recording
UPCOMING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
COVID-19 AND EMERGING WIL RESEARCH
Details on upcoming professional for co-operative and work-integrated education (CWIE) practitioners and researchers is as follows:
Option A:
28th/29th July (Time zones: Australia / Asia / West Coast North America)
Moderator: Dr. Karsten Zegwaard, Director of Work-Integrated Learning Research, University of Waikato, New Zealand
Panelists:
- Dr. Bonnie Dean, Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health, University of Wollongong, Australia
- Dr. Judene Pretti, Director, Work-Learn Institute, University of Waterloo, Canada
- Dr. Buratin Khampirat, Assistant Professor of Educational Research, Suranaree University of Technology (SUT), Thailand
- Dr. Karen Nulton, Teaching Professor and Director of Writing Assessment, Department of English and Philosophy, Drexel University, United States
For more information and to register for Option A click here
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Option B:
30th July (Time zones: Europe / Africa / Central & East Coast North America)
Moderator: Dr. Judene Pretti, Director, Work-Learn Institute, University of Waterloo, Canada
Panelists:
- Erik R. Alanson, Director, Computing & Information Technology Co-op Programs and Associate Professor, Division of Experience-Based Learning & Career Education, University of Cincinnati, United States
- Dr. Roelien Brink, Deputy HOD: (CEP, Online & EUC) Applied Information Systems, College of Business and Economics, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
- Dr. Ashley Stirling, Vice-Dean, Academic Affairs, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Canada
For more information and to register for Option B click here
GLOBAL WIL MODULES
Expressions of interest are now open until August 21, 2020 for the 2nd round of Global WIL modules for 2020. These modules provide WIL practitioners with the opportunity to undertake professional development online with colleagues from across the globe and will run from October to November 2020.
- Global Perspectives in Work-Integrated Learning
- Industry/community engagement for Work Integrated Learning
The modules were developed and are presented by representatives of four national associations, including Australian Collaborative Education Network (ACEN), Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL formerly CAFCE), New Zealand Association of Cooperative Education (NZACE), The Vilar Network (Sweden), and have been running for 4 years with participants over eight countries from across the globe.
RESOURCE SHARING
GUIDE FOR ONLINE WIL PLACEMENTS AND PROJECTS
The research team from Deakin, RMIT and University of Tasmania, Australia, who are investigating virtual WIL for an ACEN funded research project, have released an interim guide to assist WIL practitioners who are newly offering placements and major projects online instead of face-to-face. The guide covers pedagogical practice as well as technological considerations.
A final guide will be released once the team has collected and analysed their data, anticipated by the end of the year. Feedback and input would be most welcome.
SHARE YOUR NEWS
Do you have something you would like to share? A resource, some news, an award or achievement?
Please contact the Editor: Judie Kay judie.kay@rmit.edu.au
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