Welcome to Teaching Course-Level WIL
This resource hub is designed to help instructors at the University of Waterloo explore and enhance work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities in their courses.
At the Centre for WIL, we provide guidance and support for creating impactful learning experiences that connect academic theory with real-world practice through employer and community partnerships. Whether you’re new to WIL, looking to refine existing course offerings or completing a full course redesign, we’re here to assist you in bringing WIL into your classroom.
Why integrate WIL?
WIL enriches students' academic journeys by bridging the gap between theory and practice. It allows students to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings, build valuable professional skills and engage with industry and community leaders.
These experiences foster critical thinking, problem-solving and transferrable skill development, preparing students to meet the demands of today’s workforce. Through WIL, students acquire valuable insights into their chosen fields, enhancing their education with practical, career-related experiences that they can put on their resume and speak about during networking opportunities.
WIL is a way to give students a significant alternative experiential educational opportunity while also having the potential to be strong recruiting tool for some programs.
Get started with WIL
If you’re curious about how WIL could enhance your course, we encourage you to explore our resources and connect with us for tailored support. Visit our course showcases to see how other UW instructors have successfully implemented WIL and explore our overview of quality WIL components to learn more about essential components for success.
What we offer
Our services are designed to support instructors at every stage of WIL integration, including:
- Consultation and support: We offer personalized guidance on WIL course design, external partnerships and student engagement strategies.
- Self-guided resources: Access a comprehensive suite of tools, guides and templates to help you independently explore and integrate WIL into your courses.
- Quality WIL components: Learn about the key elements of high-impact WIL, including alignment with learning objectives, meaningful assessment strategies and strong external-student partnerships.
- Partnership Opportunities: Discover how to collaborate with industry and community partners to create mutually beneficial WIL experiences.
Our services complement those of other academic support units on campus to ensure continuity in the support offered at Waterloo towards continuous improvement in teaching and learning.