Transforming the power of reflection with AI, courses and WIL experiences
Structured reflection enhances growth, insights and impact for students and faculty in experiential education.
By: Matthew King (he/him)
Work-integrated learning (WIL) thrives on the foundation of pedagogy, experience, assessment and reflection or P.E.A.R.. Of these, reflection serves as a cornerstone, transforming experiences into meaningful opportunities for growth. Across every WIL opportunity, reflection bridges the gap between classroom theories and real-world applications, to extend learning beyond the workplace.
In a WIL setting, reflection is a vital process where students analyze their experiences to uncover insights and foster career-ready skills. This process helps them connect their academic knowledge to practical outcomes, which can advance both their personal and professional development.
The Centre for WIL supports students’ reflective practices by embedding reflection into every WIL experience. In collaboration with faculty, industry partners and campus units, the Centre for WIL helps to ensure that reflection remains a consistent and valuable part of students’ WIL experience.
Reflection in the age of AI
The Centre for WIL embedded a reflection component in the new artificial intelligence (AI) professional development (PD) module. The module, a study unit within a PD course, guides students through a critical assessment of their use of AI tools. Through the reflection, students evaluate the ethical, environmental and practical implications of generative AI tools.
The Centre for WIL collaborated with Marcel O’Gorman, a professor of English and the founding director of the Critical Media Lab (CML). Rebecca Sherlock, a PhD student specializing in responsible innovation, worked with O’Gorman to develop content for the module.
The big picture for me is that students will reflect more carefully on where generative AI comes from and what the big question ethical concerns are. So not just the idea of data scraping and using data without permission, but also issues related to the environmental impact of generative AI and the massive amounts of natural resources required to use generative AI.
Reflection as a career catalyst
Reflection is central to students' employability and career readiness. More than 24,500 students participated in WIL reflection through Centre for WIL offerings in 2024. Whether in PD courses while on their co-op terms, the EDGE certificate program or Waterloo Experience (WE) Accelerate, students engage in structured reflection to articulate skills, address challenges and plan for future growth.
This process not only helps them develop professionally but also makes it significantly easier to update their résumés, as they can clearly identify and communicate the skills and experiences they've gained.
Omosefe Jessica Idahosa (she/her), a Faculty of Science student, took part in the EDGE certificate program. She leveraged her work experience at the W Store to develop career-focused skills.
“I would totally recommend EDGE,” says Idahosa. “It made me reflect on my skills and my future. I will graduate with work experience on my résumé, and I have learned how to market myself in this competitive job market.”
Jessica Idahosa, a Faculty of Science student, standing outside the W store where she completed an EDGE work experience.
Graduate-level innovation
Reflection extends beyond undergraduate programming to graduate-level WIL courses. WIL 601: Career Foundations for Work-Integrated Learning and WIL 611: Interdisciplinary Community/Industry Research Project courses extend reflection to learners, equipping them with the confidence and tools to excel in their fields.
Piyush Garg, a PhD student in Vision Science at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE)
After completing this course, I feel more confident. This course helped me realize I can use my experience from my area of study to benefit the entire team.
Anindya Sen facilitated the pilot offering of the centralized WIL 611 course. After serving as the acting associate dean of Co-operative Education & Planning for the Faculty of Arts and the director of the Master of Public Service program, Sen sees the clear benefits for students.
“Many graduate students would find it difficult to take time off from an academic semester to do full-time co-op,” says Sen. “This initiative is a way to give them a significant experiential educational alternative while also having the potential to be a strong recruiting tool for some programs.”
The collaboration in the graduate-level courses marks a broader effort to prioritize reflection as an integral part of learning across campus. The Centre for WIL is launching new resources to help faculty embed work-integrated learning, and reflection, into their courses. These resources guide students to think critically and more intentionally about their experiences to connect classroom theories with practical applications. By using the GradWIL course-level offerings to refine tools—such as templates and a WIL decision tree—the Centre for WIL is ensuring that reflection tools are accessible and meaningful.
At Waterloo, reflection is more than a practice, it’s a differentiator that amplifies the impact of WIL. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, the Centre for WIL empowers students to thrive.