ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the elements of work-integrated curricula, and draws on 19 years of operational experience of work-integrated learning (WIL) at Middlesex University in the United Kingdom, which has demonstrated that WIL is not just about vocationally orientated subjects. It defines WIL and considers the elements of constructing a negotiated WIL curriculum including learning agreements, reviews, projects and reflective practice. WIL has a focus on higher education level knowledge, skill acquisition and application. The starting point for WIL programs is often a forward-focused review to establish what relevant knowledge and skills the individual brings to the program, which can lead to formal accreditation via recognition of prior learning. WIL has at its core reflection on experience in order to make sense of that experience by relating it to abstract concepts or theories. WIL also provides the opportunity to test out theories through active experimentation and engagement with real world problems.
