Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
Key Information
What: Research group exploring how to design education in collaboration with working life.
Established: 2023
Participants: Interdisciplinary group with representatives from all faculties at Kristiania.
Who can join: Researchers and practitioners interested in increasing workplace relevance in higher education and fostering strong collaboration between the higher education sector and the labor market.
Background
Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) is a pedagogical approach to education that involves three key actors: the student, the workplace, and the educational institution. The goal is to increase the relevance of education and better prepare students for working life.
Work-Integrated Learning is a well-established international field of research. In Norway, however, the term "arbeidsintegrert læring" (work-integrated learning) is less commonly used.
The AIL research group aims to respond to the government's call for increased workplace relevance in higher education. Through the group's work, we seek to establish AIL as both a concept and a field of research in Norway, thereby directly addressing the authorities’ expectations.
Publications
- Thon, A., & Brekke Hauglid. (2025). Work-integrated learning in Norway: Reviewing the field and future direction. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 2025, 26(3), 575-590.
- Hauglid, B.B., Hains-Wesson, R., Fannon, A.M. (2025). Utilizing a fun model: Supporting students’ wellbeing in project-based work-integrated learning. International Journal of Work-Integrated Learning, 26(1), 143–157.
- Annette Kallevig. (2025). Internship as a study program developer. I K. Areskoug Josefsson, P. Assmo, U. Lundh Snis, A. K. Olsson, P. Lauvås, & A. Thon (Red.), Proceedings of WIL’25: The 3rd International Conference of Work-Integrated Learning – “Shaping the Future Landscape of Work-Integrated Learning”. Trollhättan: University West. ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2
- Hanne Stavelie. (2025).Developing soft-skills for the global workplace in a Blended Intensive Programme (BIP).Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Adina Marie Nydahl and Borghild Brekke Hauglid. (2025). Identifying Learning Outcomes in Project-Based Work Integrated Learning: A Text Analysis of Student Reflections . Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Andreas Thon, Birthe Kåfjord Lange and Merete Bolstad (2025). Student Self-Regulation in WIL: A Study of Institutional and Workplace Structured Support Frameworks. Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Trond Beldo Klausen and Andreas Thon. (2025). Work-Integrated Learning and Problem-Based Learning: Exploring Complementary Pathways to Graduate Employability. Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Andreas Thon & Borghild Brekke Hauglid. (2025). Institutional Success Factors for Work Integrated Learning in Norwegian Higher Education: Insights from Provosts of Education. Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Jarle Bastesen, Kari Mette Solheim and Silje Wiig-Abban. (2025). From Standalone Projects to Strategic Partnerships: A Three-Year Case Study of Academia-Industry Collaboration Evolution. Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Rune Bjerke and Åshild Mongstad. (2025). Bridging Theory and Practice: Student Reflections on a Case-Based HRM Learning Approach in Higher Education. Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
- Olav Johansen and Aurora Gustavsen. (2025). Exploring the Dynamics of Learning-Intensive Situations in Contemporary Working Life: Implications for Organizational Innovation, Knowledge Management, and Work-Integrated Education. Proceedings of WIL 25, Digitala Vetenskapliga Arkivet – DiVA, ISBN 978-91-89969-29-2.
Characteristics of Work-Integrated Learning (WIL)
Closeness to working life: Students are given the opportunity to engage in real work situations and tackle authentic tasks.
Reflection and integration: In WIL, theory and practice are integrated. Students reflect on their own practice, often with guidance from both an academic supervisor at the educational institution and a workplace mentor.
Various models: There are different models of WIL, including internships, placements, project work with external partners, and simulations of real-life cases.
The tripartite collaboration should provide value for all involved: Students gain competence through real learning experiences. Businesses benefit from fresh perspectives, employer branding, and access to more skilled recruits. Educational institutions fulfill their social mission: to educate a qualified workforce for the labor market.
The AIL research group is your academic community if you share our interest in workplace-relevant education—whether you're a researcher, practitioner from the higher education sector, or a representative from working life. With links to international research environments in work-integrated learning, our ambition is to put WIL on the agenda in both research and practice in Norway.
Successful HEI–Industry Collaboration: Insights from WIL25 Workshop
by Borghild Brekke Hauglid & Anne-Marie Fannon.
One of the workshops at WIL25 explored what makes higher education–industry collaboration successful. The aim of the workshop was to share examples, learn from each other, and explore future possibilities for industry–academia collaboration – building connections and inspiring new ways of practicing WIL. Participants from different countries and institutions first shared concrete examples of partnerships that have worked well in their own contexts and what they needed to sucseed with such partnerships in the future.
The session then turned to Anne-Marie Fannon, Director of the Work-Learn Institute at the University of Waterloo who presented Work-Learn’s EPIC framework for industry–academic partnerships. EPIC identifies four key dimensions:
- Easy Entry – lowering barriers for industry to engage with higher education, through clear websites, catalogues of partnership opportunities, and open pathways for collaboration.
- Professional Support – providing dedicated staff, training and leadership commitment to ensure partnerships are well supported and strategically aligned.
- Integrated Systems – building internal structures such as databases, performance metrics, and institutional recognition that enable systematic and sustainable collaboration.
- Continuous Collaboration – focusing on trust, long-term relationships, and adapting to evolving needs so that engagement continues beyond individual projects.
In the group discussions, two guiding questions shaped the reflections:
1. What are the most successful examples of HEI–industry collaboration?
- Collaborative teacher education projects where students and schools learn with and from each other.
- Problem-based and challenge-based learning initiatives, such as the WE project and INNlocal, connecting students directly with organizational needs.
- Industry-linked thesis projects, giving students real-world problem-solving opportunities.
- Partnerships between sport and health organizations and universities, fostering placements, research, and knowledge transfer.
- Cross-border case studies (e.g., Norway–Sweden) demonstrating shared value and knowledge exchange.
2. What is needed to strengthen HEI–industry collaboration in the future?
- Clearer communication channels and transparent processes for engagement.
- Professional support structures and dedicated staff or departments to facilitate partnerships.
- Strong institutional commitment, with leadership support from both top-down and bottom-up.
- Opportunities for academics to spend time in industry (e.g., sabbaticals) to better understand context and needs.
- Recognition of mutual benefits, trust-building, and long-term commitment beyond single projects.
The workshop highlighted both inspiring examples and practical strategies. Together, the EPIC framework and participants’ reflections underscored that successful collaboration requires both structure and culture: systems and policies that make engagement easy, combined with relationships that foster trust, continuity, and innovation.
