WIL Australia - SA/NT Chapter Led Conversation

Embedding Work-integrated learning across a new university college

Adelaide University is a new university built on the strengths of the University of South Australia and University of Adelaide. From January 2026 the Adelaide University student body will exceed 65,000 enrolments and the University will be Australia’s largest educator of domestic students. The College of Creative Arts, Design and Humanities is one of six Adelaide University Colleges, and a Work-Integrated Learning ‘hub and spoke’ curriculum framework has been developed for the College to offer a scaffolded and consistent WIL experience to students across 14 undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs. The courses are integral to the final-year experience, providing a bridge between university learning and professional practice, and embedding key employability knowledge and skills. Informed by theoretical frameworks that foreground real-world problem solving and experiential learning and acknowledging that students learn by connecting experiences with their own knowledge and understanding, the curriculum provides opportunities for both discipline-specific content and broader-based learning. While student experience and outcomes are paramount, aligning the WIL courses within a common structure also maximises efficiencies in management, through consistent procedures, and in teaching, as College-wide content can be delivered through the hub and discipline content through linked spoke courses.

Presenters:
Associate Professor Kathryn Bowd, University of Adelaide, Associate Dean Work Integrated Learning, Faculty of Arts,  Business, Law and Economics.
Associate Professor Sally Lewis, University of South Australia, Professorial Lead Teaching and Learning, UniSA Creative.
Dr Stuart Dinmore, University of South Australia, Senior Lecturer Academic Development, Teaching Innovation Unit.