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internship
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.
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