Work-integrated-learning within undergraduate science degree programs: case studies in assessment

Employability is an important outcome for students enrolled in university degree programs. A challenge in generalist degrees like the Bachelor of Science (BSc) is that the program is not focused on qualifying graduates for a specific profession, and the curricula often feature limited transferable and employment skills. Work-integrated-learning (WIL) within BSc curriculums aims to develop graduates' employability skills, which are supported by authentic assessment tasks. This paper provides a number of case studies that highlight assessment within WIL subjects in BSc degrees at Australian universities. Across Queensland and Northern New South Wales universities, WIL is imbedded into the BSc curricula via placements, projects, field experience, work simulations, entrepreneurship and reflections on current work practices. Across different universities within this group, assessment typically contains multiple opportunities for reflection. In general, most assessment incorporates an early proposal outlining the tasks to be undertaken, reflection during the industry focused activity and a final written reflection that is often supported by an oral presentation. These case studies demonstrate the use of authentic assessment which is primarily focused on the link between transferable skills developed at university and the area of employability. Development of assessment, following reflection, should ensure that authentic, industry driven tasks are incorporated into any WIL subject