88021 Professional Internship
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Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Description
Students develop a structured industry placement in conjunction with academic staff and an industry or cultural organisation. This involves the negotiation of a learning contract to identify the outcomes of such experience and includes the design of a detailed program of activities to achieve these outcomes. The internship placement assists in developing employment skills, knowledge and contacts, which can contribute to the student's career goals. Academic supervision is provided to assist students in identifying the capabilities they need to develop and to provide support and advice during the internship. The terms and time frame of the internship are flexible and may be negotiated between the student, industry or cultural partner, and full-time academic staff. Students are assisted to reflect on their learning experience in the workplace in the context of their studies.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:
| 1. | Identify their personal work- ready communication and creative skills; |
|---|---|
| 2. | Apply disciplinary knowledge gained from their studies to a workplace environment; |
| 3. | Critically reflect on the learning and developmental outcomes of a work placement; |
| 4. | Demonstrate appropriate professional performance, conduct and attitudes in a professional work environment. |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Ability to take autonomous decisions and responsibility (A.1)
- Ability to position work within a wider social and cultural context (A.2)
- Ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively in verbal and visual presentations (C.2)
- Ability to work with production complexity, to breakdown, organise, manage, delegate, define conventions and archive projects (P.3)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
This subject provides undergraduate Design students with an opportunity to develop and apply their academic skills and knowledge in the context of a real workplace. It enhances the students’ employability by increasing their awareness of employers’ expectations of performance and conduct and develop skills associated with exploring and securing employment opportunities upon graduation.
Teaching and learning strategies
This is a work integrated learning based subject where teaching and learning occurs primarily in a workplace based on negotiation of an internship. The content of the work placement is negotiated in consultation with academic staff and workplace supervisors. This experience is supplemented by preparatory mentoring sessions on portfolio and interview techniques in preparation of working with the industry partner. Students meet individually with their academic supervisor to discuss their progress, and for support on any issues that may arise. Students are required to follow up the work placement with a presentation and critical reflection on the experience. On-site guidance is provided by the external host organisation, which must assign a workplace supervisor to the student.
Content (topics)
In this subject, students undertake an internship with an organisation in a capacity relevant to their academic studies. The majority of students' time is spent in the workplace environment. Through their internship, students are exposed to the professional functions and activities relevant to their field of study. This assists in developing employment skills, knowledge and contacts that can contribute to their career goals. In preparation for their internship placement, students work with academic staff to evaluate their personal and interview skills, an interview portfolio and a learning contract. At the completion of the internship, students submit a critical reflection on their internship experience and a final portfolio of work completed during the internship that summarises their workplace experience.
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Internship Proposal and Interview portfolio
| Intent: | One page internship proposal with digital portfolio | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 1 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): C.2 | ||||||||||||
| Type: | Presentation | ||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 30% | ||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Critical Reflection, Internship Portfolio
| Intent: | 1 page critical reflection with digital internship portfolio | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 2, 3 and 4 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): A.1, A.2 and P.3 | ||||||||||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 50% | ||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: Workplace Supervisor's Evaluation
| Intent: | External supervisor's evaluation of successful outcomes of learning document | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This task addresses the following subject learning objectives: 4 This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.): P.3 | ||||||||
| Type: | Report | ||||||||
| Groupwork: | Individual | ||||||||
| Weight: | 20% | ||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
References
Anderson, G Boud, D, Sampson, J 1996 Learning Contracts: a practical guide. Chapter 3 p17-31
Billet, S. 2009 Realising the educational worth of integrating work experiences in higher education, Studies in Higher Education, Vol 34, no. 7, pp.827-43
Billett, S. Harteis, C. & Etelapelto A. 2008. Emerging Perspectives of Workplace Learning. Sense Publishers, Rotterdam.
Bolton, G. 2010. Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development 3rd edition. Sage Publications. London.
Fanthome, C 2004 Work placement survivals: A survival guide for students. Palgrave McMillian; Basinstoke.
Moon, J. 1999 Reflection in learning and professional development. London: Kogan Page.
Patrick, C. Peach, D. Pocknee, C, Webb, F., Fletcher, M, Pretto, G. 2008 The WIL report:
Neugebaucer, J 2009 Making the most of your placement, Sage: Los Angeles.
Schon, D.A. 1983 The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action, Basic Books.
Sweitzer, HF & King MP 2009. The successful internship. Personal, professional and civic development. 3rd Ed Cengage Learning.
Thompson, S and Thompson, N 2008. The critically Reflective Practitioner. Palgrave, Basingstoke.
Walker, D. 1985 Writing and reflection, Chpt 3 in Boud, D., Keogh, R. and Walker, D. (eds) 1985 Reflection: Turning Experience into Llearning, New York and London, Routledge Falmer.
Westerberg,C. & Wickersham, C. 2011, 'Internships have value, whether or not students are paid', The Chronicle of Higher Education, vol. 57, no. 34, pp. 1-5