Abstract
Work-integrated Learning (WIL) plays an essential role in graduate employability, but South African higher education faces challenges in implementing effective WIL practices. This research investigates the disjuncture between WIL policy and its practical implementation in graphic design programmes, a problem exacerbated by institutional resource constraints and the COVID-19 pandemic disruptions. To study the challenges, WIL practices at two public universities (Comprehensive University (CU) and University of Technology (UT)) and one Private College (PC) were investigated. The study is theoretically framed by Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) and the Connected Curriculum Framework (CCF). It poses the following guiding research question: How can a work-integrated learning (WIL) implementation framework for graphic design in higher education be developed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice, while accounting for institutional constraints, coordinators' roles, and students' diverse experiences?
The methodology for the study was a multi-method approach, in which data were gathered from institutional WIL documents, interviews with WIL coordinators, and a survey and interviews with students who participated in WIL. The analysis of the data, drawing on the ELT and CCF conceptual framework developed for the study, provided a holistic understanding of how WIL is conceptualised in policy and experienced in practice.
The study found that institutional policy and coordinator practices influenced the quality of students’ concrete WIL experiences and their opportunities for reflective observation. The study identified a central tension between an institution's capacity to foster connectedness to industry and the ability to ensure equitable access and meaningful learning outcomes for all students. The findings reveal a spectrum of WIL implementation practices, ranging from expedient, self-sourced models, which prioritise student agency but compromise quality assurance and equitable access, to formalised, centrally coordinated placements, and scaffolded, simulated, and interdisciplinary approaches.
The study concludes by proposing an adaptable WIL implementation framework for South African higher education institutions. This framework offers a pragmatic and scalable solution, supported by theory and empirical data, proposing a model that formalises WIL to ensure quality and equity while retaining the agility to adapt to resource constraints. This research contributes to the discourse on WIL in resource-constrained environments and provides a practical model for enhancing graphic design education and producing industry-ready graduates.