FIGURE 1: Model of the relatedness of undergraduate student learning in their degree to the
placement (Questions L1-L3), and the relatedness of the WIL experience to their future career
aspirations (Questions C1-C4).
Of the students (23 male, 19 female) who responded to the follow-up survey, 25 had
undertaken full-time placements and 17 had undertaken part-time placements. In addition,
21 students (50%) were still enrolled in their undergraduate degree and 15 (36%) were
undertaking an Honours capstone, with the remaining six (14%) in various other
circumstances (Table 2). With regard to the elapsed time between completion of their
placement and the follow-up survey, 12% of students were six months post-placement; 31%
between six and nine months; 38% between ten and twelve months; and 19% were longer
than twelve months post-placement. Qualitative data relating to students’ personal
comments from the follow-up survey were analyzed using an iterative coding process
supported through the use of NVivo10 software, as previously described (Papakonstantinou
et al., 2013). Note that due to the small sample size, the results described herein are specific
to this cohort of WIL students, and interpretations can only be more confidently made
through further evaluation and/or observation. The survey was carried out under the
auspices of Monash University Human Ethics number CF14/1703 - 2014000840.
TABLE 2: Demographics of SSIRPP students at least six or more months post their WIL
placement (n=42).
Status % of total students
Undergraduate
Honours
Masters
Graduate Diploma
Time off
Unemployed
50.0
35.7
4.8
2.4
2.4
4.8