466
G. Wilson and R. W. Pretorius
Unisa-Telperion partnership proved that it is indeed possible for a university to offer
WIL experiences for nature conservation students.
It has been demonstrated, although based only on reflection from the lecturer’s
point of view that these WIL engagements contribute greatly towards getting students
work-ready through exposure to real-world learning experiences (Wilson and Wilson
2016). Students work, learn and build their experience in a safe and student-friendly
environment, while receiving guidance from their lecturers. This allows them to gain
confidence and a better understanding of the WIL component of the curriculum.
They also benefit from engaging with the reserve staff and management while they
are practicing sector embedded skills and knowledge. In order to add more depth to
this research, the next step is to obtain insight regarding student perceptions on the
WIL sessions offered at Telperion, which can be used to make changes or redirect
attention where necessary.
5.2 Potential of WIL to Add Value to Sustainability Learning
As a functioning nature reserve, Telperion provides an enabling environment for
the nature conservation students who participate in the WIL excursions to develop
and test workable responses and strategies to real-world sustainability issues. This is
achieved in a collaborative, team-work context and is guided/mentored through the
actions of the supervisors and through the support of academics and sector stakeholders. In this way the three competency clusters for sustainability learning (Brundiers
et al. 2010) namely practical knowledge, collaborative efforts and strategic knowledge, are addressed to a varying extent and through various ways and means. The
multiple conservation topics, which students are confronted with during the WIL
excursions to Telperion, require of them to develop and hone their strategic and
practical knowledge in order to address and complete the set tasks satisfactorily.
Additionally, these tasks require students of different gender, age, language and cultural backgrounds to collaborate if they are to succeed. The tasks which are set, focus
on actual sustainability problems and/or challenges, and therefore present the students with real work place opportunities to apply what they have gained from their
engagement with classroom theory.
5.3 WIL as Living Lab for Sustainability—Concluding Ideas
and Next Steps
The conservation campus at Telperion Nature Reserve, which provides opportunities for WIL and research, is an example of a satellite facility of a higher education
institution, and which functions as a living lab for sustainability. The uniqueness
about the Unisa-Telperion WIL partnership is that it brings together an ODL insti-
G. Wilson and R. W. Pretorius
Unisa-Telperion partnership proved that it is indeed possible for a university to offer
WIL experiences for nature conservation students.
It has been demonstrated, although based only on reflection from the lecturer’s
point of view that these WIL engagements contribute greatly towards getting students
work-ready through exposure to real-world learning experiences (Wilson and Wilson
2016). Students work, learn and build their experience in a safe and student-friendly
environment, while receiving guidance from their lecturers. This allows them to gain
confidence and a better understanding of the WIL component of the curriculum.
They also benefit from engaging with the reserve staff and management while they
are practicing sector embedded skills and knowledge. In order to add more depth to
this research, the next step is to obtain insight regarding student perceptions on the
WIL sessions offered at Telperion, which can be used to make changes or redirect
attention where necessary.
5.2 Potential of WIL to Add Value to Sustainability Learning
As a functioning nature reserve, Telperion provides an enabling environment for
the nature conservation students who participate in the WIL excursions to develop
and test workable responses and strategies to real-world sustainability issues. This is
achieved in a collaborative, team-work context and is guided/mentored through the
actions of the supervisors and through the support of academics and sector stakeholders. In this way the three competency clusters for sustainability learning (Brundiers
et al. 2010) namely practical knowledge, collaborative efforts and strategic knowledge, are addressed to a varying extent and through various ways and means. The
multiple conservation topics, which students are confronted with during the WIL
excursions to Telperion, require of them to develop and hone their strategic and
practical knowledge in order to address and complete the set tasks satisfactorily.
Additionally, these tasks require students of different gender, age, language and cultural backgrounds to collaborate if they are to succeed. The tasks which are set, focus
on actual sustainability problems and/or challenges, and therefore present the students with real work place opportunities to apply what they have gained from their
engagement with classroom theory.
5.3 WIL as Living Lab for Sustainability—Concluding Ideas
and Next Steps
The conservation campus at Telperion Nature Reserve, which provides opportunities for WIL and research, is an example of a satellite facility of a higher education
institution, and which functions as a living lab for sustainability. The uniqueness
about the Unisa-Telperion WIL partnership is that it brings together an ODL insti-