Internship Best Practices: Criteria for Success Dr. Sheri Dressler & Dr. Amanda Pacheco Experiential Learning

What are we going to do in the next 60 minutes? Define philosophy and roles Describe criteria for designation of an internship course Discuss program design Share thoughts about controversial and logistical issues

The importance of experience…. “…for real learning to happen, students need to be active participants in the learning process rather than passive recipients of information given by a teacher” (Sweitzer & King, 2004, p. 7). Sweitzer, H.F. & King, M.A. (2004). The successful internship: Transformation and empowerment in experiential learning (2nd ed). Belmont, CA: Thomson Learning.

But is experience enough? “The cat, having sat upon a hot stove lid, will not sit upon a hot stove lid again. But he won’t sit upon a cold stove lid, either.” --Mark Twain “It is not enough just to do, and neither is it enough just to think. Nor is it enough simply to do and think. Learning from experience must involve linking the doing and the thinking” (Gibbs, 1998, p. 9). Gibbs, G. (1998). Learning by doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. London: Further Education Unit.

Defining Roles / Goals Faculty Employer (Site Supervisor) Student

Criteria for Designation of an Internship Course The experience relates to the student’s major or major-related career goal Collaboration between UCF and the site to enhance student learning Supervision is provided on-site and through faculty Structured for learning Due diligence Evaluation of students and sites is performed Minimum of contact hours per credit hour per semester at the worksite (approximately 16 hours per week for a 3 credit course) Paid or unpaid, regardless of credit

Program Design: Criteria for Site Selection Opportunities for major-related, substantial learning experiences with the right mix of training and independence? Designated on-site supervisor that understands purpose of internship? Willingness to provide orientation, ongoing supervision, evaluation? Adequate resources: computer, telephone, work space, etc. Is this a NEW learning experience for the student? Location/safety issues Student-developed sites ok? Referral process vs. open? Paid versus unpaid Others?

Program Design: Criteria for Qualifying Students Majors only, majors & minors, any student in your college, any student at UCF? Class level? Specific courses completed? GPA? Internship readiness: professionalism, motivation, work ethic, ability to commit # of hours, transportation, etc. Others?

Program Design: Criteria for Assigning Credit/Grades Assessment options: – learning objectives, papers, projects, portfolios, journals, progress reports, supervisor evaluation, participation in internship seminars, others? Number of hours per credit? Letter grade or S/U? Others?

Strategies for Monitoring the Internship Site visits Telephone/ /web-based conferences In-person seminars Reflection assignments / progress reports / mid-term evaluations

Issues to consider… Work from home opportunities Amount of paperwork asked of the site supervisor Supervision by a family member Percentage of clerical work allowed Retroactive credit Compensation versus credit Resume/interview assistance Recruiting students and finding sites Dealing with broken interview appointments Handling “terminated” students Independent contractor versus company employee Application deadlines

Summary Establish goals, policies, and procedures for program Identify appropriate sites and educate site supervisors Help students establish appropriate learning objectives Recruit, select, establish, and monitor students in sites Provide opportunities for reflection Evaluate learning