Search results
1 – 10 of over 2000Vijaya Sherry Chand and Ketan Satish Deshmukh
The difficulties higher education institutions in developing countries face in finding adequate and relevant onsite student internship opportunities make a case for online…
Abstract
Purpose
The difficulties higher education institutions in developing countries face in finding adequate and relevant onsite student internship opportunities make a case for online internships. The purpose of this paper is to present an online internship model, developed over a two-year period, which challenged students to engage in learning-by-doing projects that addressed a key barrier in the implementation of ICT policies in public education, the paucity of audio-visual content in local languages.
Design/methodology/approach
The design of the model comprised the development of instructional videos by 340 interns, the evaluation of the videos by two interns and their testing by 31 interns through a field experiment using a between-subjects pre-test – post-test design in 54 schools. The process was repeated the following year with the field experiment replaced by the development of teaching manuals. The changes in reflective learning among 112 of the 119 interns who developed video content in this repeat round were assessed.
Findings
The field experiment found that the intern-developed videos improved Mathematics and Science scores among school students but not the attitudes to these subjects. Participation in online internships improved reflective learning.
Research limitations/implications
The evaluation of change in reflective learning is based on self-reported measures.
Practical implications
The online internship model presented in the paper can address concerns related to inadequate internship opportunities, while addressing gaps in public policy implementation by systems such as education, health and rural development.
Originality/value
The paper outlines the design of an online student internship model and a methodology for implementing it. The study indicates the feasibility of a low-cost, large-scale online model of internship.
Details
Keywords
Amy Irwin, Joy Perkins, Leah Luise Hillari and Darja Wischerath
The world of work is becoming digital, a process accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and resultant remote working guidelines. Online internships have become more popular…
Abstract
Purpose
The world of work is becoming digital, a process accelerated by the recent COVID-19 pandemic and resultant remote working guidelines. Online internships have become more popular in this context, and yet there remains a lack of research investigating how these internships are perceived across stakeholders. The purpose of this paper was to begin to address this research gap by exploring academic, student and employer perceptions of online internships with a focus on employability.
Design/methodology/approach
The research explored 156 stakeholders (53 students, 50 academics and, 53 employer/professionals) perceptions via a mixed-methods online study encompassing quantitative responses to internship vignettes, alongside open-ended questions designed to explore stakeholder attitudes in more depth.
Findings
Stakeholder groups reported similar attitudes towards online internships. Overall, online internships were viewed as valid, flexible, work experience, linked to skill development and likely to enhance student employability. However, concerns were raised regarding communication protocols and development, intern isolation and a lack of organisational immersion.
Practical implications
Based on the research, the authors make three recommendations to continue to enhance and develop the online internship experience: ensure multiple methods of regular communication between student and organisation, attempt virtual immersion in the organisation and assign each intern additional support beyond their immediate supervisor.
Originality/value
Based on a holistic and novel analysis of key stakeholders' viewpoints, this paper provides much needed insights and evidence on how to design and quality assure effective online internship practice.
Details
Keywords
This paper examined the evaluation of the virtual internship program for KAU IT students during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 summer.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examined the evaluation of the virtual internship program for KAU IT students during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 summer.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method survey was utilized for the data collection. Out of 164 enrolled students in the 2020 summer training program, 147 students opted to participate. This gives a response rate of 89.6% of the total students' number who could participate. In addition to collecting quantitative data, qualitative data were collected. The sources for qualitative data were survey open questions, weekly reflective writing and video recordings.
Findings
The quantitative result showed that the students were satisfied with their virtual internship. These results were further qualitatively explored and discussed under five themes: information and knowledge, work experience, live interaction, the comfort of achieving tasks and soft skills. The outcomes showed that the plan which offered students opportunities to be trained online with real companies accomplishing real work tasks was the best in fulfilling the requirements of the internship. Thus, it emphasized the importance of a strong alliance with the industry to provide useful virtual internship opportunities.
Research limitations/implications
Though this study made a novel contribution to the timely literature on the COVID-19 pandemic, it is not without its limitations. The difference in the three sample sizes makes it difficult to get in-depth comparative analysis. For future research, it is highly recommended to study the impact of online training with real existing companies on a relatively larger sample number.
Practical implications
In order for a higher educational institute to successfully adopt the proposed plans for the virtual internship, here are the reflections and lessons learned from our three plans. (1) Emphasize your efforts on extending your partnership with the private sector and computing industry. (2) The MCIT training focuses on developing technical skills; therefore, it is great to be offered to students in the computing field as extracurricular activities but not as the fulfillment of the internship program. (3) Blackboard training sessions, which cover nontechnical skills, are good to be offered prior to the internship.
Social implications
For governmental human resource agencies, it is highly recommended to further develop and invest in manpower to develop online platforms. In normal situations, these platforms act as an extra training resource. In abnormal situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic, they act as useful source for online training. For students, this sudden unexpected transition from normal to online training should enrich them with the ability to be flexible and adaptive, tune them with opportunities for independent and innovative creative work, encourage them to take risks and provide them with opportunities to do things differently. As an outcome, students will enhance their self-efficacy and capabilities.
Originality/value
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, not only classes and internship programs have been done remotely but increasingly jobs have also gone in that direction. A virtual internship today might be good preparation for the virtual/remote work of tomorrow. For this reason, this study was conducted to add a novel contribution to the virtual internship literature.
Details
Keywords
Leopold Bayerlein and Debora Jeske
The purpose of this paper is to provide a student learning outcome focussed assessment of the benefits and limitations of traditional internships, e-internships, and simulated…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a student learning outcome focussed assessment of the benefits and limitations of traditional internships, e-internships, and simulated internships to evaluate the potential of computer-mediated internships (CMIs) (e-internships and simulated internships) within higher education from a student perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper undertakes a systematic conceptually based assessment of the extent to which CMIs are able to replicate the cognitive, skill-based and affective learning outcomes of traditional internships. In addition, the key limitations of traditional internships from a student perspective are identified, and the potential ability of CMIs to address these limitations is assessed.
Findings
The findings of this paper highlight that CMIs are able to replicate most of the benefits of traditional internships, whilst concurrently addressing many of their limitations. However, the current paper also identifies a number of important limitations for student learning in CMIs, and provides advice that aims to assist students in maximising their learning outcomes in these situations.
Originality/value
The paper is the first to provide a systematic student learning outcome focussed comparison of traditional internships and CMIs. In addition, the paper establishes the high potential of simulated internships for student learning in higher education, and provides students, higher education providers and researcher with learning outcome focussed criteria sets that enable the empirical evaluation of CMIs in future research.
Details
Keywords
Ilias Kapareliotis, Katerina Voutsina and Athanasios Patsiotis
Changes in the workplace have raised serious concerns about the future of work and the effectiveness of undergraduate academic programs to sufficiently prepare students for…
Abstract
Purpose
Changes in the workplace have raised serious concerns about the future of work and the effectiveness of undergraduate academic programs to sufficiently prepare students for business. The purpose of this paper is to address this concern by exploring how internship employment (placement) is implicated in the young business graduates’ employability prospects.
Design/methodology/approach
This research explored the students’ perceptions regarding their degree of “work readiness” after completing an internship program. The concept of “work readiness” is conceptualized in terms of role clarity, ability and motivation. An institution of higher education in Greece provided the sampling frame for this research. Online survey data have been used.
Findings
Students who attend internship programs assessed positively all aspects of the work readiness construct. They knew what it was expected by employers from them to do at work. They were able to effectively apply basic academic skills, high-order skills and professional skills required by employers on the job and placed greater importance to the intrinsic rewards than the extrinsic ones.
Research limitations/implications
This is an exploratory study and is designed as a foundation for future empirical studies. Further research could examine the dimensions of the work readiness concept in other geographic contexts and validate the scale measurement with larger samples.
Originality/value
The integration of scattered pieces of literature on graduates’ employability through the lenses of “work readiness” is a novel theoretical approach to explore the effectiveness of internship programs on employability prospects in the Greek context.
Details
Keywords
Barbara Schwartz-Bechet and Eva Garin
In this chapter, we discuss how to use technology to enhance teacher education through the discussion of teacher education programs at two Maryland universities. University of…
Abstract
In this chapter, we discuss how to use technology to enhance teacher education through the discussion of teacher education programs at two Maryland universities. University of Maryland University College, a public university, was founded to address the needs of the military overseas following the end of World War II, as an offshoot of the University of Maryland College Park. It has become the largest primarily online public, not for profit, university in the United States. Its Master of Arts in teaching program was reinstituted in 2009, after a several year hiatus. The second university, Bowie State University (BSU), is a more traditional, historically black university (HBCU) founded as a teacher education institution in the 1800s and has been training teachers ever since. Both institutions of higher education are part of the University System of Maryland and the teacher education programs are certified by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). These two universities were selected to highlight how different types of universities are implementing technology into their teacher education programs. The distinction illustrates a fully online teacher education program and a fully face-to-face teacher education program and the nuances between the two. These distinctions offer a broader view of how technology is used to enhance teacher education and to offer equal opportunity to students who want to become teachers. The chapter focuses on the uses of technology for the instruction of teacher candidates’ field experiences and internships. Technology enhancements provided in teacher preparation courses for student academic instruction and university faculty and school personnel training in the use of technology and Web 2.0 tools are discussed.
Details
Keywords
Manuel Antonio Rivera, Kevin S. Murphy and Jalayer Khalilzadeh
This paper aims to investigate hospitality study abroad experiences as an educational service in which the experience encompasses services that combine tangible and intangible…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate hospitality study abroad experiences as an educational service in which the experience encompasses services that combine tangible and intangible actions that require students to move from the classroom to a practical setting. It empirically investigates the relationship between students’ study abroad, perceived value and perceived sacrifice (monetary and non-monetary) with their overall satisfaction and internationalization intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 57 students who had completed an international externship experience were contacted and invited to complete an online survey. The online survey gauged the student’s perception of their externship experience, the overall satisfaction and the internationalization intentions. The instrument also gathered demographic information about the participants. The proposed model was estimated by using partial least squares (PLS) path modeling.
Findings
The results indicate that PLS can be used to assess the theory of consumption value for study abroad experiential learning. The results of the hypotheses testing indicate that the value students get and give is a suitable and significant predictor of satisfaction and internationalization. However, students’ satisfaction with their study abroad internship does not predict future internationalization intentions.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on hospitality students’ perceived value, satisfaction and internationalization intentions when they complete a study abroad internship program. The results indicate that the value students get and give is an appropriate and important predictor of satisfaction and attitude toward international education.
研究目的
本论文旨在研究酒店管理专业出国留学的学生体验, 此体验既包括实体化行动又包括非实体化行动, 使学生走出教室, 进行实际操作。本论文实际检验学生出国留学、价值感知、牺牲感知(物质上和非物质上)、以及他们整体满意度和国际化意向。
研究设计/方法/途径
本论文采用在线问卷采样形式, 57名参加出国实习项目的学生为问卷样本。问卷主要衡量了学生出国实习体验、整体满意度、和国际化意向。此外, 问卷还采集了人口统计信息。本论文采用偏最小二乘回归(PLS)路径建模的分析方法来分析数据。
研究结果
分析结果表明PLS可以检验出国体验学习的消费价值理论。 研究结果表明学生得到和给与的价值是一项决定其满意度和国际化意向的指标。然而, 学生对于出国实习的满意度并不能决定其国际化意向。
研究原创性/价值
本论文主要研究了酒店管理专业的学生, 当完成出国留学项目后, 他们的价值感知、满意度、以及国际化意向。研究结果表明学生得到和给与的价值是他们满意度和国际化意向的有效的决定指标
关键词
国际化行为、酒店管理专业实习、体验学习、校外实习、出国留学、价值、满意度
Details
Keywords
Jessica L. Hurst, Linda K. Good and Phil Gardner
The purpose of this study is to investigate interns’ supervisory support expectations, psychological contract obligations, job satisfaction, perception of advancement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate interns’ supervisory support expectations, psychological contract obligations, job satisfaction, perception of advancement opportunities and affective organisational commitment in an attempt to gain a better understanding of how these variables influence interns’ conversion intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on college juniors and seniors who were enrolled in retail/service programs at one of three major US universities, and successfully completed a retail/service internship. An online survey was used to assess the influence of interns’ psychological contract expectations regarding employer obligations, supervisory support expectations, job satisfaction, perception of advancement opportunities, and affective organisational commitment on interns’ conversion intentions (intent to accept an offer for full‐time employment).
Findings
Findings indicate that employers can establish a foundation for intern retention by fulfilling obligations, both implicitly and explicitly. Furthermore, to ensure continued success of their interns, retailers should rely on supervisors and/or mentors to provide guidance, support and feedback.
Research limitations/implications
Research is limited to students who completed a retail/service internship during 2008.
Practical implications
Results provide practical implications to aid in internship program development, assist in interns’ educational and professional development, and enhance the likelihood of successful conversion of interns to employees for retail/service businesses.
Originality/value
This paper is based on actual feedback from interns. Findings will assist retailers in identifying how they can differentiate their internship programs from their competitors’, and how they can increase internship conversion rates. Additionally, the paper identifies salient factors that motivate interns to accept an offer for full‐time employment from their internship company.
Details
Keywords
Katharina Ebner, Roman Soucek and Eva Selenko
This study illuminates the assumption that internships facilitate labor market entry and answers the question of why internships have a positive effect on students' self-perceived…
Abstract
Purpose
This study illuminates the assumption that internships facilitate labor market entry and answers the question of why internships have a positive effect on students' self-perceived employability. It is assumed that internships enable more positive employability perceptions by reducing career-entry worries – the worries of not finding a suitable job or not being able to obtain a satisfactory career.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-wave study among graduate students currently in an internship investigated these relationships. Data on career-entry worries, perceived employability and an evaluation of the internship were collected from 80 students (mean age: 24.6 years, 68% female) from various fields of study aiming at both bachelor's and master's degrees.
Findings
The results showed that positively evaluated internships contributed to graduates' self-perceived employability by means of reduced career-entry worries over an eight-week period.
Originality/value
By considering graduates' career-entry worries – the perceived uncertainty about finding an “appropriate” career in the future – the authors introduce a new concept to the career literature and show that these worries are significant in terms of self-assessed employability.
Details
Keywords
Purpose – To explicate how to design a digital internship that encourages both the teacher candidate and the K-12 student to participate in problem-based learning. Framed by the…
Abstract
Structured Abstract
Purpose – To explicate how to design a digital internship that encourages both the teacher candidate and the K-12 student to participate in problem-based learning. Framed by the theories of academic motivation and new literacies, this chapter presents templates to demonstrate how a digital internship can be designed that results in the learning goals of both the students and the teacher candidates being met.
Design – Digital internships provide teacher candidates with the opportunity to teach K-12 students online, observe licensed teachers design and employ lessons, and analyze this pedagogical learning space, yet education preparation programs (EPPs) fail to harness this rich learning experience. This chapter makes a case for why EPPs benefit from participating in digital internships, how they can become involved, and results from this learning experience.
Findings – Findings from digital internship research studies indicate that despite frustrations, online mentoring opportunities give teacher candidates a chance to reflect on the work needed to create relationships necessary to instruct effectively. Through them, candidates can also develop dispositions of new literacies and bridge theory and practice in EPPs. Furthermore, digital internships may serve to empower teacher candidates and support them in being successful in teacher preparation coursework.
Practical Implications – Digital internships contribute to best practices in teaching digital literacies by providing examples of how EPPs can design curriculum that situates teacher candidates to observe pedagogy in online environments. These internships provide candidates the opportunity to mentor K-12 students in these spaces and provide teacher candidates time to process how they can best motivate students and give specific feedback to encourage learning. Furthermore, digital internships can include primary resources to enrich units of instruction across content areas and grade levels.
Details