WORK-INTEGRATED LEARNING: VISUALIZING RESEARCH AS PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE

Work-integrated learning is strategically integrated in higher education to provide authentic practice experience. However, associating this opportunity to professional research practice prior to PhD programs is less common. We propose that the same opportunity for learning can be provided in master's education. In this paper, we report from an initiative of integrating research work practice in an informatics master program as Research Placement. The placement is integrated in the form of a 15 credit course, where students work eight weeks in an academic institution, a research institute or a research and development department in an organization. We discuss the purpose and underlying ideas for integrating, designing and organizing the course. We also illustrate how we have designed the course and how we plan to organize and enact the teaching and examination of the course.