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Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 50, Number 2, July 2010
Pathway for student self-development: A learning orientated internship approach
Bonnie Cord and Mike ClementsFaculty of Commerce
University of Wollongong
Higher education is facing new challenges in preparing students for the workforce. As demands increase for students to differentiate themselves when seeking employment, it becomes necessary for higher education and vocational providers not only to understand these challenges, but also to provide a pathway for students to develop the skills necessary to become sought-after employees. This paper presents a learning orientated internship approach as one such pathway that aims to provide students, as adult learners, with the opportunity to apply their knowledge and gain new skills in a work context. The paper provides insight into students self-reported learning outcomes after undertaking the learning orientated internship program. Preliminary findings reveal that communication, interpersonal skills and personal insights are common areas of self-development through this program.
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Introduction
Preparingstudentsforthechallengesofindustryisacentralroleforhighereducation.Industry,however,isseekinganewbreedofstudent(Nicholas2009),onethatcandifferentiatethemselvesfrompeersbybeingabletoengagewiththeorganisation,thecommunityandtheworld.Highereducationmustunderstandthesechallengesandprovideasupportivetransitionintotheworkforcebyfostering
thenecessarylearningtocompeteinthemarketplace.
Astheworkplaceevolves,therearesignificantinfluenceswhichgovernandshapetheneedtoprovideapathwayforourstudents.Withglobalizationandincreasinginternationalcompetition(Carnoy2002),thereispressureonorganisationstoinnovatefordifferentiationandmanagetheadaptationtochangeeffectively.Greateremphasisisbeingplacedonknowledgecreation(Gow&McDonald2000)andtechnologicalinnovation(Castells2000)fororganisationalcompetitiveness.Thereismoredemandnowonindividualsandtheirsocialandeconomiclives(Moreland2005).Asmanyorganisationsbecomeawareoftheirsocialandethicalresponsibilities,pressureisbeingplacedongraduatestonotonlyhavejob-relatedskillsbutanawarenessoftheenvironment,ethicsandthecommunity(Jackson2009a).Employersarealsoplacinggreateremphasisongraduateswhoare‘workready’.Softskillsarebecominghighlysoughtafterqualities,movingawayfromcompetency-basedrecruitmentdecisionstowardstheabilitytoeffectivelycommunicate,interactandempathisewithclientneeds(Hodges&Burchell2003).
Inpresentingourcaseforapathwayfortransitioningstudentsintotheworkplace,webeginbydiscussingworkplacelearningthroughsoftskillsandlearningframeworks.Awork-relatedlearningprogramisthenpresented,asonesuchpathwayforpreparingstudentsforindustry.Wethenpresentourfindingsfromanalysingstudents’self-reportedsoftskillsthroughtheprogramandoffersupportfor
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highereducationtoengagewithindustryinadualefforttopreparegraduateswhoarereadyfortheworkplace.
Learning in the workplace
Learningsoftskillsisimportantforprofessionalandorganisationalsuccess.Softskillsareofteninterchangedwiththeterm‘genericskills’,orcontrastedwithhard,technicalskillsanddiscipline-specificskills.Thedefinitionof‘softskills’includescommunicationskills(Stovall&Stovall2009),interpersonalskillsandelementsofpersonalcharacteristicssuchasemotionsandvalues(Kohler2004).Softskillshavebeenlinkedtoemployability(Stovall&Stovall2004),expectationsofindustryandprofessionalbodies(Jackson2009b,Murphy&Calway2008)andaccordingtoGoleman(1995)softskillscanbeattributedtoanindividual’ssuccessorfailuremoresothantechnicalskillsorintelligence.Thedevelopmentoftheseskillspriortograduationcanthereforebecriticalinthepreparationofstudentsfortheworkforce.
Learningframeworkssuchaswork-basedlearning(WBL),work-integratedlearning(WIL)andwork-relatedlearning(WRL)arebecomingleadingmechanismsforstudentlearninginaworkcontext.WBLislearningthroughpaidorunpaidworkbyapplyingknowledgewhileatahighereducationlevel(Gray2001)butspecificallyfocusedontheacademic-prescribedlearningoutcomes(Moreland2005).SoftskillsmaybelearntthroughWBL;however,theprimaryfocusisnotonpersonaldevelopmentorworkplacelearningtechniques.
WILencompassesallvocationalandhighereducationactivitieswhicharedirectlylinkedtoanenrolledprogramandcentresonintegratinglearningandpractice(Bohloko&Mahlomaholo2008).WILissimilartoWRLinthatitallowsstudentstodevelopessentialskillssuchascommunicationandproblem-solving,whileapplyingclassroomlearntknowledge.However,whilesoftskillsmayalsobedevelopedthrough
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WILinitiatives,whatdifferentiatesWRLpracticesisreflectivepracticeandlifelonglearning.
Reflectioniscriticaltoprofessionaldevelopmentandlearningfromexperiences.Usedinhighereducation,reflectiveassessmentsinthewrittenform(suchasajournal)canbeusedtoreinforcelearning(Beck&Halim2008)andmeetacademicrequirements.Reflectionallowsstudentstoidentifylinksbetweentheoryandpractice,aswellasuncoverotherissuesthatconcernorpuzzlethem(Gray2007).Reflectiveassignmentsprovidestudentsanavenuetosupporttheirlearningbytransformingtacitknowledgeintoexplicit,codifiedknowledgetobesharedwithothersandtoinformfuturedecisions.WRLfostersstudentlearningthroughreflectivetechniques(Bockbank,McGill&Beech2002)andpromoteshigherordermetacognitiveskills,suchasjudgment(Hager2000)forself-managedlearning.
WRLisintendedtoenhancethestudent’sabilitytoengageinworkinglifeandemployability,includinglearningthroughtheexperienceofwork(QualityandCurriculumAuthority2003).Whiletraditional,work-orientedframeworksseemtofocusontheperson-jobfit,WRLactivitiesplaceemphasisonthedevelopmentofthegraduatetobetterfitthechangingeconomicsituation,societaldevelopmentsandtheevolvingjobmarket(Moreland2005).SuccessfulWRLpromoteslearningacrossthelifespan(Moreland2005),andthereforeencouragingstudentsinhighereducationtoadopttheprinciplesoflifelonglearningisincreasinglyimportantinordertocapturethese
learningskillsthroughouttheiradultlives.
WRLprogramsengagestudentsattheearlystagesoftheiradultlearninglives.Duetothechanginghighereducationpopulation,studentsareincreasinglybeingconsideredasadultlearnersbecausetheyareeitheradults‘biologically,legally,sociallyorpsychologically’(Benson2006:339).Thedegreeofautonomyandself-directionexperiencedinhighereducationalsoreflectsqualitiesofanadult
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learner(Benson2006).AWRLprogramthatpromoteslifelonglearningandaddressestheneedtobettertransitionstudentsinto
industryispresentedhere.
Learning orientated internship approach
TheCommerceInternshipProgram(CIP)attheUniversityofWollongongisanundergraduateprogramthatprovidesapathwayforstudentstoengagewithindustry.AlignedwiththeperspectivesofWRL,thisprogramadoptsalearning-orientated,pedagogicalapproachinthatithasacorefocusonstudentlearning.BoudandFalchikov(2007)arguethatforegroundinglearningandpromotingtheimportanceoflearningbeyonduniversityismissinginthediscourseofhighereducation.
StudentlearningissupportedandenhancedthroughseveralkeyfeaturesoftheCIPprogram.Firstly,theprogramoffersanindustryenvironmentsuitedtopractice.Thismeansensuringthattheenvironmentmeetstheneedsofallpartiesinvolved,tobestallowstudentstopractisetheirskillsandknowledge.Secondly,astheprogramisembeddedinasubject,theprogrampromotesanassessmentframeworkfocusedonlearning.Theassessmentdrawsstudents’attentiontogenericworkplaceareassuchasteamwork,cultureanddifferentwaysofthinking,throughreflection.Detailsontheassessmentarepresentedfurtherinthissection.Lastly,theCIPprogramaffordsasupportivetransitionintotheworkplace.Allstudentsareprovidedsupportfromtheprogramintheformofregularcontact,includingworkplacevisits.Studentsarealsoallocatedamentorwithintheworkplacetonurturetheirdevelopment.
Withstudentlearningattheheartofourpedagogicalapproach,theCIPframework(Clements2009)wasfurtherbuiltonmeetingtheneedsofitsstakeholders;thehostorganisation,thefacultyandthestudent.AccordingtoJackson(2009a),highereducationmustplayamoreactiveroleinunderstandingtheinterestsofourstakeholders.
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Subsequently,thisprogramwasdesignedinconjunctionwithdiscussionsfromindustrywhichidentifiedaneedforaflexibleandresource-effectiveprogramthatmadearealbusinesscontribution.Forthisreason,CIPisashort,16-dayplacement,conductedduringsession.Theplacementdescriptionisbasedontheneedsofthehostorganisation,asistheselectionofthestudent.Onesemesterbeforetheplacement,hostorganisationssubmitadescriptionoftherolewhilestudentsapplyfortheprogramthroughanonlineapplicationsystemwithacoverletterandresumedirectlytothefaculty.Afterashort-listingprocesswithfacultyacademics,thehostorganisationisinvitedtointerviewthreestudentsfromwhomtheymaketheirselection.Theplacementcanbeconductedanytimeduringthefollowingsemester.
Thefaculty’sneedsaremetthroughfosteringcommunitypartnershipsandcontributingtograduatedevelopment.Thefacultyengageswithorganisationsbyprovidingknowledge-filledgraduatesaswellaspotentialcollaborationforfutureresearchopportunities.Quality,flexibilityandsustainabilityarekeyattributesdrivingtheprogram.Studentsareprovidedwithasupportivetransitionintoindustrythroughaninitialpre-placementmeetingatthehostorganisation’spremiseswiththecoordinatorandworkplacementor.Thismeetingorientsthestudentwiththeorganisationanddiscussestheirroleinfurtherdepth.Atthistime,formalagreementsaresignedbytheorganisationandbythestudent,outlininglegalobligations,suchasIP,insuranceandconfidentiality.Throughouttheplacement,studentsandcoordinatorremainincontactthroughemails,text
messagesandplacementvisitations.
Theneedsofstudentsarealsometthroughthisthreetieredstakeholdermodel.Theinternshipfitsintotheuniversitysemester,qualifiesforsixcreditpointsandexposesthemtoreal-lifebusinesschallengesandoperationsthroughparticipatinginorganisedandindependentlearningactivities.Asentryintotheprogramisbasedon
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industryselection,theprogramisopentoallsecondandthirdyearstudentsstudyinganundergraduateBachelorofCommercedegree.Thisisdifferentfromthetraditionalapprenticeschemeorworkexperiencemodel,duetothefocusbeingdrawnawayfromdevelopingjob-relatedcompetenciestoaWRLperspectiveofdevelopingthegraduatefortheworkplace.
CIPisdesignedtopreparestudentsfortheworkplacebyenablingthemtodevelopreflectiveskillstoencouragelifelonglearning.Tobepreparedfortheworkforce,‘studentsneedtodeveloptheirownrepertoireofassessment-relatedpracticesthattheywillbeabletousewhenconfrontedwithlearningchallengesthroughouttheirworkinglives’(Boud&Falchikov2007:5).Therefore,inadditiontothepracticalcomponent,theprogramisembeddedinathirdyearelectivesubjectandutilisesacombinationofface-to-faceandonlinemediumstoassessandpreparestudents.Allassessmentsaresubmittedonlinethroughane-learningforum.Assessmentsincludeadailye-log,fourmodules:workplaceenvironment,teamwork,creativeandcriticalthinking,andareflectivejournal.E-logsareduetheMondayafteraninternshipday,thisbeingatimelyandflexibleassessmentmethodtomonitorstudents’activities,providesupportandofferfeedbackon
theirreflectivetechniques.
Theaimofthisresearchwastoexplorestudents’self-reportedlearningoutcomesanddevelopmentthroughreflectionatthecompletionofCIP.Itwasassumedthatstudentswouldhavedevelopedskillsrelatingtotheirdiscipline-specificknowledgeastheirplacementrolewasselectedtobethatoftheirdiscipline.Giventhatexperiencesandtheleveloflearningwilldifferbetweenstudents,thegoalofthisstudywastoinvestigateandidentifythecommonthemesamongststudentperceptionspertainingtotheirsofterskills,whicharethosenotconcernedwiththeirdisciplineinpractice.Insummary,thispaperthereforeinvestigatesthesofterskillsdevelopedthrough
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aprogramthathasakeyfocusonstakeholderneeds,flexibilityand
reflectivelearning.
Method
Data Collection.Students’reflectionsfromCIPwereexaminedandselectedduetotheirusefulnessingatheringrichinsightsintotheunderlyingdimensionsofworkpractice(Clegg2000).Dataweregatheredintwostages:first,reflectivejournalswereanalysed,andsecond,semi-structuredinterviewswereconducted.Thereflectivejournalisaculminationofthee-logssubmittedatthecompletionoftheirplacementandallowsthestudenttotakeastepbackandreflectontheirinternshipasawhole.Thereflectivejournalrequiresstudentstorespondtosixopen-endedquestionsorstatements.Studentswereaskedto‘drawonwhatyouhaveexperiencedduringyourtimeonworkplacementtoreflectonyourlearning’.Threequestionswereeliminatedfromthisanalysisastheyweredescriptiveinnature,outliningthestudent’sroleandorganisationalstructure,orspecifictothetransferofdisciplineknowledge.Thestatementsanalysedinthiscaseincluded:
1. Identifyspecificskillsyoudevelopedduringyourplacement.2. Identifywhatyouhavelearntfromapersonalperspective,during
yourinternshipplacement,includingthepossibleidentificationofstrengthsandareasinneedofimprovement.
3. Reflectonyouroverallexperienceanddiscusshowthismightinformyourfutureuniversitystudiesorprogressionintoyourchosencareer.
Studentswerealsoinvitedtoparticipateinsemi-structuredinterviews.Theseinterviewsaimedtoprobeandclarifyresponses(Aakeret al.2005),toallowstudentstofurtherelaborateonthekeythemesandtovalidatetheanalysisfromthereflectivejournals.Duringtheinterviews,thesamethreestatementswereusedasguides;
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however,theauthorssoughtclarificationandtheopportunityto
revealfurtherinsightsintothethemesuncoveredfromthejournals.
Sample.Aconveniencesampleof28studentsenrolledintheCommerceInternshipProgramattheUniversityofWollongongwasinvitedtoparticipateintheresearch.Ofthe28students,17werefemaleand11male,twoofthesewereinternationalstudentsandonlyoneidentifiedthemselvesasamature-agedstudent.ThesestudentswereallundertakingCommercemajors,with12studentsinmarketingroles,sixstudentsinmanagementpositions,fourstudentsinaccounting,threestudentsinfinanceandthreestudentsineconomics.Therolesundertakenbythestudentswerediverseandbasedontherequirementoftheorganization,howevermaybeidentifiedasrolesthatagraduateorentrylevelprofessionalwouldundertake.Theplacementsalsovariedgiventheorganisationaltype:10placementswereatlocalsmallandmediumenterprises(SMEs),sevenwereinnationalorinternationalbusinesses,sixwereatlocalgovernments,andfivewereinnot-for-profitorganisations.Intotal,all28studentsprovidedtheirreflectivejournaltobeanalysedandagreedtoparticipateinaninterview.
Analysis.Reflectivejournalswerethefocusfordataanalysisastheseprovidedrich,self-reportedinsightsintotheirpracticallearningexperience(Smithet al.2007).Resultsfromthesemi-structuredinterviewswereusedtofurtherrevealandclarifykeythemeswhichemergedfromtheanalysis.Reflectivejournalswerecodedindividuallyforkeyterms,expressionsorphrases.Thistechniqueisknownas‘opencoding’(Strauss&Corbin1998:32)andhasbeenemployedintheanalysisofopen-endedquestionnairestorevealcommonthemes(Yanamandram&Noble2005).Anexternalthirdpartyalsocodedthedata,tominimisetheriskofoverlookingimportantconcepts(Walter2006).Thetwoauthorsandtheindependentresearcherfollowedtheprocessofinter-raterreliabilityinqualitativeresearchwherebythedatasetwasindependently
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coded,thencollectivelycomparedforagreementtouncovercommonthemes(Armstronget al.1997).Firstly,reappearinganalogouscategoriesorkeytermswereplacedintosub-themesasidentifiedbytheresearchers,thensecondly,thesesub-themesweregroupedintolargerkeythemesbasedontheircommonalitiesandjudgmentbytheresearchers.Theauthorsdiscussedandresolvedanyconcerningexpressionsbyconsideringthemeaninginthegivencontext,toreach
agreementonthethemesthathademergedinthedata.
Findings
Threekeythemesemergedasaresultoftheanalysis:communicationskills,peopleskillsandpersonalinsights.Furthertothediscoveryofthesethreekeythemes,itwasrevealedthatthedegreetowhichstudentsself-reportedthesethemeslendsitselftotheidentificationofthreedimensions:self-assurance,self-improvementandself-awareness.Thefirstdimension,self-assurance,denotesownershipofthebelieforskilltowhichthestudentisreferring.Forexample,iftheidentifiedskillwaslistening,thecommentobservedwouldbe‘Iamagreatlistener’.Theseconddimensionisself-improvement,whichsuggeststhestudentrecognisesthedevelopment,improvementorgrowthofabelieforskill.Anexampleofself-improvementwouldbe‘Ihaveimprovedmylisteningskills’.Thefinaldimensionisself-awareness,whichimpliesrecognitiononthepartofthestudentoftheneedtoimprovethebelieforskill.Inthisinstance,anexamplewouldbe‘Ineedtoworkonmylisteningskills’.Thesedimensionsprovideasnapshotofthestudents’perceptionsofthemselvesandwhattheyhavelearntordevelopedduringtheinternshipplacement.Eachkeythemefromthedata,asidentifiedbythefindingsfromtheanalysisandamplifiedwithinsightsfromthesemi-structuredinterviews,isdiscussedbrieflybelowandpresentedwithexamplesinthefollowing
tables.
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Theme 1: Communication skills
Thefirstkeythemerelatestocommunicationandincludesthefollowingcategories:generalcommunication,identificationofspecificcommunicationmethods,effectivenessofcommunicationandcommunicationaudiences.Table1presentsamatrixwithexamplesofstudents’reflectionsdemonstratingthefoursub-themesofcommunicationandthethreedimensions.Interviewsrevealedthat,althoughstudentsfelttheyhadgeneralcommunicationskillspriortotheinternshipplacement,itwastheopportunitytopractisetheseskillsinaworkcontextthatwasvalued.Moststudentsalsoagreedthattheyfeltmoreconfidentoverallwithhowtheycommunicatedaftertheplacement.Itwasfurtherrevealedthatstudentswhoinitiallyfeltverynervouswiththetasksandtheenvironment,overtimefeltmorecomfortableastheygottoknowtheircolleaguesandtheworkplacewhichenabledthemtospeakupandaskquestions.StudentselaboratedduringtheinterviewsthattheyweresurprisedintheirowncapabilitiesincommunicatingwithCEOsandgeneralmanagers.Theyrevealedthattheythoughttheywouldfeelintimidated,howeverlearntthattheywere‘peoplejustlikeus’.
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298 Bonnie Cord and Mike ClementsT
abl
e 1:
Exa
mp
les
of d
imen
sion
s in
the
Com
mu
nic
ati
on S
kill
s th
eme
Th
em
eS
ub
-th
em
es
Dim
en
sio
ns
Self
-ass
ura
nce
Self
-im
pro
vem
ent
Self
-aw
are
nes
s
Co
mm
un
ica
tio
n
Sk
ills
General
communication
skills
“IbelieveIhaveidentified
mycommunicationskillsas
astrength”
“Ialsodevelopedmy
communicationskills”
“Mycommunicationskills
areinnowayperfectedand
thereforefurtheractive
improvementinthisarea
wouldgreatlyassist”
Specific
communication
methods
“Iwasabletousemywritten
andoralcom
munication
skills,whichIpreviously
dem
onstratedwithessays
andreportsaswellasclass
presentations”
“Ifoundtheinternship
presentationhasim
proved
my presentationskills”
“[A}personalqualitythat
Ineedtoimprove[is]
confidencewhenpresenting”
Effectivenessof
communication
“Iusedpersuasionand
negotiationskillsto
justifythebenefitsofthe
recommendations”
“As Ibecamemoreconfident
Ibeganproactively
requestingandsuggesting
work,butgivenmynature
Ihadtopushmyselftobe
moreforwardandself-
promoting”
“AweaknessthatIbelieveI
stillneedtoworkonismy
assertiveness[after]Ihad
completedagiventaskand
neededsom
ethingextrato
do”
Com
munication
audiences
“EvenwhenIwasengaging
one ononewiththe
GeneralManager,Ifound
iteasytoholdanintelligent
conversation”
“Themainskill,whichhas
beenworthwhileachieving,
isbuildingconfidencein
communicatingwithsenior
managers”
“Apersonalareafor
improvement identified
from
myroleat[sic]isin
tailoringofcom
munication
skills”
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Pathway for student self-development 299
Theme 2: People skills
Thesecondkeythemeisaroundpeopleorinter-personalskillsandincludes:businessrelationshipskills,workingwithpeopleandworkplacefriendships.Table2illustrateswithexamplesthesethreesub-themeswiththedimensionsself-assurance,self-improvementandself-awareness.Studentswhodiscussedtheirnetworkingopportunitiesduringtheinterviews,revealedthat,whilethiswastheirfirsttime,mostfeltquiteateasenetworkingandcannowappreciatethevalueofbuildingrelationships.Althoughmanystudentsagreedthattheyhadimprovedteamworkskills,onlyasmallnumberofstudentswhoworkedrelativelyautonomouslyfeltasthoughtheydidnothavetheopportunitytopractiseteamworkastheyhadhoped.Fewstudentsalsoreferredtotheirgroupworkinuniversityassignmentsassettingaprecedentforteamworkactivities.Throughaskingstudentstoelaborateonworkplacefriendshipsintheinterviews,itbecameapparentthatmostofthestudentshaddevelopedfriendshipswhileonplacement,howevertheirreflectivejournalsgaugeun-solicitedinsightsandunderrepresentedthistopic.Therewasnoevidenceofstudentsreflectingontheneedtoworkonmakingfriendsintheworkplace,undertheself-awarenessdimension.
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300 Bonnie Cord and Mike ClementsT
abl
e 2:
Exa
mp
les
of d
imen
sion
s in
the
Peo
ple
Ski
lls
them
e
Th
em
eS
ub
-th
em
es
Dim
en
sio
ns
Self
-ass
ura
nce
Self
-im
pro
vem
ent
Self
-aw
are
nes
s
Pe
op
le S
kil
lsBusiness
relationship
skills
“Ifeelm
ynetworkingskills
wereparticularlystrong”
“Bycorrespondingwith
businesspartnersand
clients,Ihavebegunto
buildmyprofessional
relationshipsandcontacts”
“Ishouldtakeamoreactive
roleingettingtoknowmy
lecturers…Iguessthisall
comesdowntonetworking
andtheabilitytobuild
relationships”
Workingwith
people
“By beingdeterminedin
buildingmyrelationships
withothers,Icouldbetter
understandmyposition
withintheorganisation”
“Anim
portantskillwhichI
haddevelopedwashuman
interaction”
“IbelieveIneedtospeak
upmoreandgetpeople
involvedsothatthingscan
beachievedasateam
”
Workplace
friendships
“Iformedstrongworking
relationshipswithmyfellow
team
mem
bersandhave
remainedfriendsoutsideof
workwithsom
eofthem
”
“Ilearntthatjoininganew
socialcirclecanbefunand
excitingaswellasterrifying”N/A
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Pathway for student self-development 301
Theme 3: Personal insights
Thethirdkeythemethatwasidentifiedispersonalinsights,includingpersonalconfidence,personalability,motivationandworkplacereadinesssub-themes.Table3presentsthesesub-themeswithexamplestodemonstratethethreedimensionsofself-assurance,self-improvementandself-awareness.Althoughtherewerenoexamplesofstudentsdemonstratingself-assuranceovertheirpersonalconfidencelevels,duringtheinterviewsstudentscontestedtheyfeltmoreconfidentaftertheinternshipandsomecomparedthemselvestotheirpeerswithoutpracticalexperience.Interviewsalsorevealedthatthecontenttheywerelearningatuniversitycouldbeappliedinapracticalsetting.Reflectivejournalsinthisinstance,however,didnotrepresentthefindingsfromtheinterviewsinwhichmoststudentsexpressedtheirenjoymentfortheexperience,anddemonstratedhowmotivatedtheynowfeelfortheirstudiesandtobegintheirprofessionalcareer.Moststudentsconfirmedintheinterviewsthattheyfeltmorepreparedtoentertheworkforce.However,onestudentstatedthatalthoughtheinternshiphelpedminimiseanxiety,theystillseethe‘realworld’asfarawayandfeelquiteintimidatedbytheprospect.
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302 Bonnie Cord and Mike ClementsT
abl
e 3:
Exa
mp
les
of d
imen
sion
s in
the
Per
son
al I
nsi
ght
s th
eme
Th
em
eS
ub
-th
em
es
Dim
en
sio
ns
Self
-ass
ura
nce
Self
-im
pro
vem
ent
Self
-aw
are
nes
s
Pe
rso
na
l In
sig
hts
Personal
confidence
NIL
“Idevelopedmore
confidenceinmyselfand
thatwhatIcoulddowould
reallymeansom
ethingto
somebodyandnotjustbe
done forthesakeofkeeping
busy”
“Ineedtohavemore
confidenceoverall”
Personalability
“IfeelIreallyputinmybest
andhavestartedsom
ething
ofrealbenefittothe
company”
“Isawmyselfbecomemore
confidentinmyabilities”
“IfeelIneedtohavemore
faithintheworkIam
completing”
Motivation
“Inotonlyenjoyedthe
experiencebutIreally
valuedthefactthatIwas
exposedtothepracticalside
ofaccounting”
“Theinternshiphasactually
providedmewithincreased
motivationformyfinancial
studies,sothatIcanobtain
highermarksandthus
overall,abettergraduate
position”
“OnethingImightchangeis
myattitudetowardlifeafter
universitywhichwillimpact
myconscientiousnessand
attemptsatstudy”
Workplace
readiness
“Inowfeelasaresultthat
I am
readytogetoutthere
andfacethebigbadworld
andgetagrownupjob”
“Ihavealsoachievedalotof
skillssuchasconfidencein
theworkplace”
“Inmanyways,mylack
ofconfidenceinraising
questionshinderedthefirst
partsofmyproject.Thiswill
certainlyshapethewayI
conductmyselfwithinfuture
workplacesandworktasks”
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Pathway for student self-development 303
Discussion and conclusion
Thefindingsdemonstratethat,whilethesesoftskillsarebeingdeveloped,studentsarealsotakingpersonalinsightsawayfromtheexperience.Theyalsosuggestthatthereisalearningspectrumfromwhichstudentsmaymove,fromself-awarenesstoself-improvementandself-assurance.Althoughthejourneyisaverypersonalprocess,fromuniversity(highereducation)toindustry(practice),studentswhoareabletoreflectontheirexperiencearebetterinformedonwhattheyhavelearnedandhowtheywillapplythislearningintheirfutureemployment.
Thispaperhasidentifiedalearning-orientedinternshipprogramthatseekstomeetindustryexpectations,bymeansofdevelopinggraduatesthroughreflectivelearningassessmentsandplacingemphasisonstakeholderneeds.CIPhasseenstudentsbetterequippedtoengageinlearninginprofessionalpractice.Furthertotheindividualdevelopmentofthestudent,theprogramhasalsoseenstudentsgoontofindemploymentwithintheirhostorganisation,besuccessfulingraduatepositionsandgainlocaljobopportunitiesthroughnetworking.
Withinthiscompetitiveenvironment,studentsneedtohavebothdiscipline-specificknowledgeandthesoftskillsrequiredtodemonstrate,communicateandlearnintheworkplace.Asthegraduatemarketplacebecomesmorecompetitive,studentswhoareshortofsoftskillsmaydiscoverthatseekingemploymentopportunitiesbecomesmoreofachallenge(Stovall&Stovall2009).WRLinternships,workexperienceandlearning-orientatedprogramscanthereforebebeneficialinshapingstudentstobecomehighlydesirablegraduatesthroughincreasingtheiremployabilityskillsand
professionaldevelopment.
Encouragementandsupportofstudentsandprovisionoflearningopportunitieswillplacestudentsonthepathwayforself-development
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andlifelonglearning.Itistheresponsibilityofhighereducationtoprovideapathwayforstudentstogainthenecessaryexpertisebothintheapplicationofdiscipline-specificknowledgeandinthedevelopmentofthesofterskillsrequiredforstudentstoengage,interactandeffectivelycommunicateintheworkplace.Theauthorssuggestthatonewayofdoingthisistoembedlearning-orientatedandwork-relatedprogramsintoacademiccurriculuminpartnershipwiththewiderbusinesscommunityandreinstatelearningintheforegroundofhighereducationdiscourse(Boud&Falchikov2007).
Thelimitationsofthisstudyincludethesampleselection,whichwastakenfromtheSouthCoastofNSW,Australia,andthereforefindingsmaynotbegeneralisedtoametropolitanprospective.Theresultsarealsolimitedtoonecohort,howevertheevaluationcontinuesasthisisanongoingresearchfocus.Futureresearchmayincludecomparingthedifferentschoolswithinthebusinessfaculty,forinstancemarketingandaccounting,tofurtherrevealthenatureofdiscipline-specificlearning.
Inconclusion,thefindingssuggestthatsoftskillsdevelopedbythestudentswereinfluencedthroughacombinationoftheprogramdesignandtheCIPmodelwhichprovidedthecontextandopportunityforencouragingstudentstoexploreandengagewiththeirwiderworkplaceenvironment,ultimatelycontributingtothedevelopmentofthesesoftskills.Wealsoacknowledgethedegreetowhichindividualsembracedandconnectedwiththeseskillswaslargelydependentontheirpersonallevelofengagement.Weadvocatethatifthestudentscancontinuetoengageinthedevelopmentofthesetypesofskills,thisawarenesswillaidtheirlifelonglearning.
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About the authors
Ms. Bonnie Cord is the Coordinator of the Internship Program in the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Wollongong, Australia. Ms Cord’s core research area is student learning in a vocational context. Her current research focus includes student experiential learning and reflective learning in transitioning programs. Ms Cord’s research is also in the area of volunteerism and social marketing.
Dr. Michael Clements is a Senior Lecturer in Management and the Director of the Commerce Internship Program and Industry Partnerships within the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Wollongong, Australia. His research interest involves learning reflection from both a student and organisational learning perspective, and the relationship dynamics and the design of experiential learning programs across disciplines.
Contact details
Ms. Bonnie Cord, Coordinator, Commerce Internship Program, Faculty of Commerce, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2500Tel: 612 4221 3756 Fax: 612 4221 4410Email: [email protected]
Dr. Mike Clements, Faculty of Commerce, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2500Tel: 612 4221 5497Email: [email protected]