Designing and evaluating quality transdisciplinary work-integrated learning: insights into practice

Higher education’s role in fostering innovation and enacting social change is increasingly important. Transdisciplinary Work-Integrated Learning (TWIL) offers opportunities to prepare students to address societal issues by transcending disciplinary boundaries and collaboratively tackling real-world global challenges. While extensive literature exists on established WIL models, research on the critical aspects of designing, implementing and evaluating impactful TWIL activities remains scarce. This paper draws together insights from 15 TWIL academics across 14 Australian universities, highlighting important design elements such as training for small group collaboration, open-ended projects, design thinking, sustained mentorship and reciprocal partnerships. Emerging challenges related to online delivery, teamwork, scalability, resourcing, and coordinating students from different disciplines. While the study highlights TWIL’s unique potential for raising awareness of global issues, building capacity for change and fostering transformational learning, it also reveals the need for thoughtful design, top-down support, and resourcing for effective provision in a challenging higher education space.