Best Practice in Internships
The Central Methodist University Internship Program follows accepted "Best Practice" in credit-bearing internships by intentionally designing the internship to meet and address the nine components developed and endorsed by the NSEE (National Society of Experiential Education) and the ICEL (International Consortium for Experiential Learning). The principles of "Best Practice" in experiential education separates a normal summer job from a credit-bearing internship by providing a well-planned, professionally supervised, and carefully monitored academic experience.
Intention - Intended result, what does the
student hope to accomplish?
In Practice: Initial meeting
with Internship Advisor to discuss why the student is interested
in an internship, what they would like to do, and how they would
hope to benefit.
Authenticity - Provides an opportunity for
testing previously learned facts and theories.
In Practice:
Sites must be approved by the Internship Advisor and found
worthy of providing an "academic" experience. Experience must be
mutually beneficial for both the host organization and the
student in order for the internship to be deemed credit worthy.
Planning - Focusing on goals and strategies,
what does the student want to learn from the experience?
In
Practice: All students develop "Learning Goals" which enables
the student to become responsible for their own learning. The
Internship Information Form with Learning Goals is reviewed by
the Internship Advisor and signed in the Dean's Office.
Clarity - Regular and committed
communication about what the student is learning.
In
Practice: The student meets regularly with the Site Supervisor
and keeps in contact with the Internship
Advisor to discuss
learning, goals, and any changes.
Orientation/Training - Importance of
background, conceptual information, and basic skills needed for
the position.
In Practice: Requirements and skills needed
for the position are clearly presented to the intern.
Monitoring/Assessment - Regular and on-going
feedback given to the student.
In Practice: The intern
discusses with the Internship Advisor his/her progress. This
assists in allowing the intern to make the connections from
classroom learning to the work requirements on the internship
site.
Reflection - Examine actions and learning on
a consistent and regular basis.
In Practice: The intern is
encouraged to reflect on their learning and how the concepts and
theories they have been taught in the classroom "play out" in
the real world.
Evaluation - Discussion with student about
"how" the goals were accomplished
In Practice: At the end of
the internship, the intern meets with the Internship Advisor to
discuss how his/her learning goals (written on the Internship
Information Form) were accomplished.
Accomplishment - Recognition and celebration
of the student's accomplishments
In Practice: Completion of
a final project, a culminating review of what the student
learned from the experience, is required. Students are some
times asked to share their experiences with other students in a
presentation.
The CMU Internship Program allows students to apply the knowledge they learn in the classroom to "real world" work experiences. Studies have shown that college graduates who participated in experiential learning have an advantage when it comes to becoming successfully employed following graduation. A background in experiential learning is also a distinctive advantage to college seniors applying to graduate and professional programs, as post-graduate education becomes increasingly more competitive. Participation in an internship often increases students' chances of beginning their careers on steady footing, allowing them to demonstrate competencies and skills needed in the world of work.
