Flashpoints in students' work-integrated learning in business : implications for curriculum design

This paper reports on a study of student responses to a work-integrated learning (WIL) program for undergraduate business management students in their final semester. The program was designed for large classes, and requires students to undertake interviews of targeted businesses on behalf of local government Councils which were focused on supporting their local business communities. The summative assessment included small-group research reports for the Councils based on these interviews. The students' preparation for the WIL experience was designed to mitigate the inherent risks of curriculum-based WIL for large cohorts. The preparation, including scaffolded formative written and in-class activities in a series of compulsory classes, was designed to brief students on the requirements of the projects, and to equip them with the appropriate knowledge and skills for completing the projects. Drawing on an analysis of student reflections and their feedback on their experiences, this exploratory interrogation of the data indentified three "flashpoints" in the students' experience of WIL that were central to their learning. These flashpoints, or insightful moments of reflective learning or revelation, occurred at three broadly identifiable occassions during the teaching session and, while these flashpoints were sometimes problematic for students, it is argued that they made important contributions to students' learning. The paper canvasses the relevance of these flashpoints for the design of WIL in capstone courses in business.