Past studies have addressed the role of the university, student interns and, the faculty advisor; here, we attempt to fill in a missing piece of the experiential-learning process by examining the role and importance of the often overlooked internship supervisor. A survey was developed and distributed to 343 recent internship supervisors. Their…

The primary form of experiential education in political science is an internship in a government office. Too often, however, with little actual monitoring of their experiences, government interns become little more than classic office "gofers." Fortunately, there are strategies to make political internships not only useful learning experiences for…

A survey of the academic requirements of internships, benefits in taking part in an internship, and problems encountered in internship programs are described. Results indicated that one of the problems with internship programs occurred when faculty did not have direct control over the experience. (CW)

The importance of evaluating student interns as part of a regular performance appraisal system for all employees is discussed, along with the role of the internship coordinator or faculty sponsor. The first step is deciding what should be measured: interns' personal characteristics, job performance, and results. The most useful form of performance…

There are training dilemmas which are characteristic of medical settings. Clinical psychology students interning in a hospital setting are unfamiliar with the hospital culture, and the demands of patient care require a practical active approach. Experiences with training clinical psychologists to consult with pediatricians are reviewed. Disparate…

The practicum experience in the field of recreation and leisure studies is an important aspect of a student's preparation for the field of recreation and leisure services. This workbook covers the requirements for everyone involved in the practicum experience: student, agency, agency supervisor, college/university, director of field placement, and…

The role of instructional personnel in supporting students on field experience assignments is discussed. After identifying current monitoring practices, attention is directed to: making effective use of experience for learning, making progress toward learning objectives, providing students feedback, providing additional resources, and continuously…

Suggestions are made for defining policies and maintaining the quality and integrity of the educational processes that are part of social science internship programs. The suggestions relate to sponsorship and supervision, the desired learning outcomes and performance standards, and student evaluation. (MSE)

This paper focuses on approaches to designing and managing the undergraduate intern experience in political science, and its companion disciplines, public administration, and public policy. Specifically, it describes ways of connecting the internship with the undergraduate curriculum to provide skill building experiences for students as part of…

Discussion of the growing use of practicums and field experience in college programs as a means of preparing students for the world of work looks at ways in which the practicum is conceptualized, implemented, and evaluated. Shortcomings are identified, research into the role of supervision is recommended, appropriate learning objectives are…

A University of Canberra (Australia) internship program in library and information sciences is a 12-month program based on the principles of experiential learning that is seen as successful by students, workplace mentors, and faculty. Processes for matching student and mentor, selecting and preparing mentors, and stimulating reflective practice…

A sample of 54 health administration education programs were examined to identify and analyze current practices in field experience programs. The six primary areas investigated include: (1) the prevalence of field experience requirements; (2) the objectives and characteristics of field experience components; (3) the experiences encountered in…

Four main areas are addressed in this guide for learners and mentors in internship experiences in postsecondary education: (1) career orientation and planning; (2) experiential learning theory; (3) individual learning and development; and (4) program implementation and evaluation. Part One of the text identifies the structure of work in…

This handbook is designed for college faculty concerned with developing effective off-campus experiential learning programs, and with assessing the outcomes of these programs. The theoretical background of experiential learning is discussed, and the practical and implementation issues are emphasized: definition of educational objectives,…