Current Award Recipient

James W. Wilson Award – 2021 Recipient

Dr. Janice Orrell, Flinders University, AUS

Emeritus Professor Janice Orrell has had a 50 year career in education. Since her retirement in 2019, she has retained an active academic role in higher degree supervision, research and publication at Flinders University. Work Integrated Learning (WIL) is a particular focus of her research and development activities along with assessment in higher education. She is a co-author of the book Work Integrated Learning: A Guide to Effective Practice (2010), and the author of the Office of Learning and Teaching commissioned WIL Good Practice Guide (2011). She was an advisory consultant to a 4 year project on Successful WIL in Science that was sponsored by the Australian Chief Scientist and the Australian Council of Deans of Science. Much of her current understanding of WIL is derived not only from research, but also from her consultations with Australian higher education institutions on WIL and its management. In 2016 she was presented with an Honorary Lifetime Membership of ACEN for her developmental work in WIL and in 2017 gained an Honorary Life-time Membership Award in HERDSA for her contribution to research and educational practice in higher education. The quality of partnerships between industry and higher education has been a focus throughout her career informed by roles such as supervisor of students on placement, employer representative on tertiary curriculum committees, graduate career counselling and as an academic developer preparing students, academics and employers for their respective roles in WIL. Her primary goal has been to foster recognition of the need for sustained, committed and reciprocal partnerships between universities and graduate employers to ensure quality education in which students engage in ‘working to learn’ rather than merely ‘learning to work’.