Though the remote internship is certainly not a new phenomenon, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the growth of this model for undergraduate experiential learning. As we consider this shift, we must evaluate how to best assist students completing remote internships. In this article, we argue that infrastructure offers a useful framework for…

This article describes how a special kind of academe-industry collaboration--based on a joint appointment agreement between a university and an industry site--was set up, promoted, and experienced by a professor of technical communication and his student interns. To illustrate the nature and value of this kind of collaboration, the article…

This article applies identity construction concepts to a professional and technical communication student intern's use of agency as she negotiates a unique identity for herself within a state legislature. Following a literature review, the author highlights several of the intern's key efforts to become part of this new governmental and legal…

This article argues for developing linked courses in technical communication where the instructor facilitates a service-learning curriculum and then serves as faculty advisor within subsequent internships. In these linked courses, students write technical documents before moving into internships where they write similar documents. Specifically,…

This article analyzes literature on university-workplace partnerships and professional writing pedagogy to suggest best practices for workplace mentors to mentor new employees and their writing. The article suggests that new employees often experience cultural confusion due to (a) the transfer of education-based writing strategies and (b) the…

This article reports a study of internship requirements in technical communication programs compared with three established professions and one emerging profession that have certification or licensing requirements for practitioners. The study addresses three questions about technical communication internship programs: 1) Are internships offered as…

Service-learning projects and traditional internships both prepare the student of technical communication for the workforce in many ways. What is lacking in the scholarship is a discussion of how to successfully link these two ideas. To help teachers implement courses that bridge the gap between service-learning projects and internships, I discuss…

Use of eportfolios for business communication students in an advanced two-quarter capstone brought an unexpected networking opportunity, in addition to their conventional use as a showcase for student writing and research. This article discusses how students developed their eportfolios. Then, through use of a course website providing an optional…

This essay proposes that in light of what has been called the "new economy," writing instructors need to rethink some of the pedagogical approaches and theories they use to professionalize their students. While at one time the concept of experiential or situated learning was useful for maximizing educational possibilities, everyone has moved into…

Discusses the various arrangements whereby aspiring technical writers and editors receive training and work experience within the United States federal government. (RL)

States that although internships are routine components of technical communication programs, they can offer excellent professional opportunities to English majors who do not plan academic careers. Finds that internships can enhance enrollments and retention in the English program; build credibility of the English curriculum in the nonacademic…

Internships in technical writing offer students an opportunity to apply the principles of technical communication learned in the classroom to on-the-job situations. The internship program at Oklahoma State University gives students practical experience needed to meet the demands of the world outside of academics, even at a time when companies and…

Describes a summer internship as a faculty technical writer with a business corporation, revising installation manuals based upon information from computer programers--an experience that highlighted technical writers' need for interpersonal skills. (HTH)

Describes the various categories of employment available to undergraduate and graduate technical writing students. Distinguishes between internships and externships, the latter designating practice at a location at which the student will not necessarily seek permanent employment. (HTH)