With an emphasis on WIL curriculum development and WIL assessment options, the current research seeks to better understand the concepts behind work-integrated learning (WIL). The authors used a qualitative Delphi analysis based on the literature on work-integrated learning to generate appropriate topic outputs and investigate WIL-related ideas. They include conventional and modern WIL models, traditional and modern WIL model typologies, curriculum for placement, and assessment of WIL, as well as the distinction between traditional and modern WIL needs in education. The current study incorporates experiential theory into the creation of evaluation rubrics using Kolb's notion of experiencing learning. In the current study, evaluation rubrics were developed using experiential theory in conjunction with Kolb's idea of experiencing learning. Fifteen themes from the qualitative Delphi process were used to create an evaluation matrix for the study. A 15-theme evaluation matrix for the study was developed for better work-integrated learning assessment.
TopIntroduction
One of the main goals of any government and higher education institutions is the development of human resources in line with expectations from industrial settings. The transfer of academic knowledge into industry-driven, skill-oriented learning is a problem that the Ministry of Education and higher education typically aim to solve by experimenting with alternative pedagogies. In this setting, work-integrated learning (WIL) is a pedagogical strategy that is widely used. According to Bowen and Drysdale's research from 2017, WIL has established itself as a significant strategy for reskilling and upskilling the younger generation in response to the rapid advancement of technology and expectations for value creation opportunities in technology-integrated mechanized industries. According to the WIL, higher education provides students with skills and real-world experience that are positioned for experiential learning.
The Nigerian University Commission's standards are adhered to in African education. Because the younger generation has not developed the employability skills necessary to meet the finely calibrated expectations of industries, updating the academic curriculum—integrating knowledge, theory, and practice with lecture tutorials and practice—has typically been done slowly. The pace of national progress in Nigeria through pedagogical, technological, and experiential learning has prevented effective personnel utilization. Training and development-oriented pedagogies that expose students to experiential learning are seen as a solution since science and technology-related programs must be in line with national development priorities. However, it has become a serious challenge (NISER, 2000).
The majority of postsecondary institutions in Nigeria deliver education that is mostly theoretical, which means that their students are not equipped with the fundamental competencies and abilities required by the employment market (Edukugho 2012; Anho 2011), particularly in the Nigerian labor market. In order to foster and achieve post-graduation, WIL integrates skills, knowledge, and character. This is supported by research by a number of academics (Drysdale & McBeath, 2012, 2014; Linn, 2004; Smith, 2012; Drysdale, McBeath, Johansson, Dressler, & Zaitseva, (2016); Billett, 2009; Drysdale, McBeath, Johansson, & Jackson, 2015); instill a sense of professional know-how and moral accountability (McNamara, 2013; Coll & Zegwaard, 2012; Trede, 2012; Bowen, 2016), and connect students to an unknown future.
Under the industrial training policy that was adopted by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1973, an industrial training (IT) project known as SIWES (Students' Industrial Work Experience Scheme) was implemented in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria. SIWES was designed to develop students' practical skills at universities, polytechnics, colleges of technology, colleges of agriculture, and colleges of education. It was modeled after the WIL ideals. Engineering, medical science, natural science, technology, agriculture, education, environmental science, and applied sciences are among the areas of expertise covered by the SIWES program. A functional competency built on the theories and ideas learned through the schooling-education approach is required for the SIWES program, which is a student development program through industrial attachment. It is a program for building skills that offers students the chance to become familiar with, develop, and demonstrate themselves with the essential experience in operating industrial machinery and apparatus that are not commonly available in their workplaces. As a crucial prerequisite for graduation, SIWES has been incorporated into the educational system. Even though the government has made such efforts, it was found that there is still a need to connect and complement students' academic knowledge with practical training in order for them to be successful in their careers once they graduate.