CALL FOR BOOK CHAPTERS

2025-10-04

Book Title: Work-Integrated Learning in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Equity, Innovation, and Partnerships for Bridging Theory and Practice

         

 Editor:               Prof. Cias T. Tsotetsi

                            TsotetsiCT@ufs.ac.za
                            Campus Vice-Principal: Academic and Research
                            University of the Free State
                            Republic of South Africa

Background

Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) has emerged as a cornerstone of higher education, particularly in contexts where professional competence and workplace readiness are critical outcomes. It is embedded across a wide spectrum of disciplines and institutions, including teacher education, nursing and health sciences, engineering, business and management, information and communication technology, agriculture, law, creative industries, and the technical and vocational education and training (TVET) sector. Across these diverse fields, WIL offers students authentic opportunities to connect theoretical frameworks with practical learning, cultivate employability skills, and develop professional identities. Nevertheless, persistent challenges remain, including uneven access to placements, resource constraints, superficial or poorly aligned partnerships with industry, and contested approaches to assessment (Cooper, Orrell, & Bowden, 2010; Jackson, 2018; Pit et al., 2020).

The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in both education and the workplace intensifies these debates. Virtual internships and digital placements are reshaping the reach of WIL, extending opportunities to students previously excluded from conventional models while simultaneously highlighting inequalities in digital infrastructure and access (Lee, 2025). AI-enabled mentoring platforms and automated feedback systems introduce new possibilities for scalability and responsiveness, although concerns persist regarding the erosion of human-centred guidance, professional judgement, and ethical mentoring (Brown & Zhang, 2024). Furthermore, automated placement-matching systems and AI-driven assessment tools are improving efficiency but raise questions about fairness, authenticity, and academic integrity (García & Thomas, 2023; Boud & Rooney, 2018).

Although the scholarship on WIL has grown considerably, most research has concentrated on placement models, employability outcomes, and institutional–industry collaboration (Patrick et al., 2008; Jackson, 2015). In contrast, parallel studies on AI in higher education largely focus on teaching, learning analytics, or personalised instruction (Luckin, 2025; Bond et al., 2024). What remains unexplored is a consolidated body of work that interrogates the intersection of WIL and AI—how digital technologies reshape professional learning experiences, how equity can be safeguarded in technology-mediated placements, and how innovation and partnerships can be mobilised to ensure WIL remains relevant in a rapidly changing society.

This edited volume seeks to address these gaps. It will draw on empirical research, theoretical and conceptual analysis, academically sound opinion pieces, and case-based accounts from a variety of disciplines and institutional types, including universities, polytechnics, TVET colleges, and other relevant institutions. The aim is to capture the complexity of WIL in the age of AI, with a focus on numerous interconnected themes, which are not limited to advancing equity and inclusion for diverse student groups, designing innovative models of WIL that integrate digital and human elements, and strengthening partnerships between higher education, industry, and community stakeholders. Consequently, this book will provide a much-needed interdisciplinary platform for scholars and practitioners to reimagine WIL as a transformative approach to bridging theory and practice in an AI-driven world.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Prospective contributors are invited to submit abstracts to the book editors at Info@errcd.com and copy TsotetsiCT@ufs.ac.za using the subject line “Work-Integrated Learning Book.”

ABSTRACTS FOR CHAPTERS SHOULD INCLUDE

  • A concise title
  • Author/s name/s
  • Author(s) institution/affiliation
  • Contact details
  • An abstract (250 words or fewer)
  • Should clearly outline the focus, methodology, and significance of the chapter
  • Not more than five keywords

TIMEFRAME (October 2025–April 2026) 

  • Abstract submission begins on October 1st and ends October 30th 2025.
  • Abstracts are accepted or rejected within 14 days after submission, and if accepted, you will be required to submit your full article via the publisher’s online submission system, which will be provided alongside the abstract acceptance letter.
  • The guidelines for the full chapters will be provided alongside the abstract acceptance letter. However, the length of the full chapter is between 5000 and 8000 words, including references. APA 7th Edition citation, formatting, and referencing style applies.   
  • A similarity index of 10% or less is required for an abstract and the full chapter to be considered for review. Upon submission, all abstracts and chapters will undergo screening using Turnitin software.

PUBLICATION TIMELINES

  • Call for chapters start date: 1 October 2025
  • Abstract submission deadline: 30 October 2025
  • Abstract review and notification deadline: 14 November 2025
  • Full chapter submission deadline: 30 January 2025
  • Revised chapter deadline: 31 March 2025
  • Final publication date: 30 April 2025

PUBLICATION MODE

  • The book will be published as an open-access resource, available both in hard copy and online versions. Each chapter within the book will have its own Digital Object Identifier (DOI) and will be accessible and linkable to author’s Profiles online.

EDITORS’ PROFILES

Prof Cias Tsotetsi is an Associate Professor and Vice Principal: Academic and Research at the University of the Free State. He has been the Assistant Dean in the Faculty of Education at the same university until the end of 2024. Cias holds a PhD specialising in Philosophy and Policy Studies in Education. He worked in the schooling environment for approximately 24 years before joining this university in 2010. He has authored and co-authored several research articles and conference papers on community engagement, teacher development, and Participatory Action Research methodologies, as well as Work Integrated Learning, among others. He has successfully supervised several postgraduate students to completion. Cias has participated in partnerships and NRF-funded projects with peers from universities such as UKZN, UNIZULU, UNIVEN, DUT, and SPU. He is currently working on two projects funded by the NRF and the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of the Free State.

References

Bond, M., Khosravi, H., De Laat, M., Bergdahl, N., Negrea, V., Oxley, E., & Siemens, G. (2024). A meta-systematic review of artificial intelligence in higher education: A call for increased ethics, collaboration, and rigour. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(4), 1-41. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-023-00436-z

Boud, D., & Rooney, D. (2018). The potential of assessment in work-integrated learning: Transforming university and workplace practice. In G. Messmann, M. Segers, & F. Dochy (Eds.), Informal learning at work: Triggers, antecedents, and consequences (pp. 212–228). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315441962

Cooper, L., Orrell, J., & Bowden, M. (2010). Work integrated learning: A guide to effective practice. Routledge.

Jackson, D. (2015). Employability skill development in work-integrated learning: Barriers and best practice. Studies in Higher Education, 40(2), 350–367. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2013.842221

Lee, C. (2025). Virtual Internships as Equitable Alternative Work-Based Learning Spaces: Examining Access, Quality, and Outcomes for Underserved Students. Computers & Education, 105439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2025.105439

Luckin, R. (2025). Nurturing human intelligence in the age of AI: rethinking education for the future. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 39(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLO-04-2024-0108

Patrick, C., Peach, D., Pocknee, C., Webb, F., Fletcher, M., & Pretto, G. (2008). The WIL report: A national scoping study. Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

Pit, S. W., Longman, J., Rolfe, M., Smith, L., & McAllister, L. (2020). Investigation of the validity and reliability of a placement quality survey for measuring rural student work-integrated learning placement quality. International Journal of Practice-based Learning in Health and Social Care, 8(2), 41-56. https://doi.org/10.18552/ijpblhsc.v8i2.649