CHAPTER 6. IMPLICATIONS AND FUTURE RESEARCH
6.2 Creating a Research Plan for Programmatic Development
Internship program designers need to approach research into other programs with an understanding that experiential learning can be complicated and programmatic design may reflect the individualized needs of students and departments. As explained in an article evaluating a program in a marketing department of a Midwestern university, “There is no one internship model that is right for all departments but all departments are likely to find benefits from either a required or voluntary internship program. It is important to match the type of internship program with the goals of the department and other institutional/geographical considerations” (Divine et al 7). This project supports this assertion. The development of the GSU English Department reflects this in the student-centered and flexible structures. This approach may work well for some departments, but others may have different objectives and needs.
As noted in the previous section of this chapter, the first item on the list of best practices is the establishment of a research plan for programmatic development. For program directors seeking to build upon existing programs, the work of this project suggests an approach for learning about other college and university internship programs. While developing this project, I was very cognizant of the limited resources available in the disciplines of English and writing studies about other internship programs; thus, I sought to create a model of inquiry that other internship program designers could adopt and modify for their purposes when assessing, developing, and building existing internship programs at other institutions. The research for project was divided into five parts, and each section had specific goals. In this section, I will review and summarize the five sections and steps for programmatic review.
• Development of the Overall Research Plan, Methods & Methodologies, and IRB. The first area of inquiry, represented in Chapter One, had two foci: (1) the plan for the overall project; (2) an exploration into what constitutes an internship. This is a logical starting point for program designers. Establishing the scope of the research project allowed for focus on what and how I would collect the needed information. I strongly encourage program designers to begin with the development of a detailed research plan. If a program designer has an interest in sharing his or her research with a larger community of scholars, obtaining institutional IRB approval before beginning the project is essential, as much of the information may be gathered through interviews with faculty members or students involved in the internship program of interest. The IRB application process shaped this project and resulted in a research framework. The second facet of the first area of inquiry was consideration of the terms “intern” and “internship.” As labor laws and institutional policies can change, defining the terms and revisiting the characteristics of these kinds of experiential learning experiences is essential for program designers.
• Literature Review. The second area of inquiry, which was represented in Chapter Two, worked to discover what sources are available about internships. The literature review represents the work of scholars and experts working specifically with internships, as well as experiential and work-based learning in a variety of disciplines. Program designers seeking to understand the complexities of internships can review these secondary sources and build upon this list as new literature becomes available. The primary sources
identified in this project provide suggestions as to where program designers might find relevant information within an institution. The methods and methodologies section
suggested a research approach that uncovers vital information about a specific program using primary and secondary sources, as well as autoethnography.
Discovering Opportunities for Internships. In Chapter Three, I moved to the third area of inquiry, which looked to opportunities for internships that serve English studies, rhetoric, and composition students. The goal of this chapter was to first examine the broad, cultural, and historical conversations about internships in order to articulate the opportunities these
discussions create for program development and expansion. As Dr. Crusoe explained during her interview, it is important for faculty members to follow the public dialogues about internships to develop programs that serve the needs of students and community partners. What I found of particular importance was the public support for higher education to help students better prepare for the careers they will seek upon graduation—internships and other work-based learning initiatives create pedagogical opportunities that extend classroom learning in response to this call. In addition, this chapter considers the term “work-based learning” and provides background information about related practices such as apprenticeships, vocational training, co-ops, and service learning. An understanding of the nature of these initiatives allows program directors to differentiate between internships and other community-based learning practices.
Considering University Location within a Community for Internships. The fourth area of inquiry moved from broad, public discussions in the media and academic scholarship to consider how the location of a university impacts internship programs. While I was interested in where students might find internships in the community surrounding GSU, considerations of how the university is located within a large, metropolitan business community was the impetus for this part of the project. The review of secondary sources and historical materials regarding GSU’s founding, as well as more recent information about the university’s mission and connections to
the business community, revealed the significance of a university’s location for programmatic support. Knowing that the Atlanta business community founded GSU in order to teach and train individuals to return to industry in the area created a unique climate for pragmatic, pre-
professional, work-based learning initiatives. Explorations into the founding of a college or university and the current mission and vision for community engagement can be valuable information for program directors seeking to establish or grow an internship program.
Researchers may also want to expand this area to look at departments such as career services, service learning, or community engagement to learn how their influence could impact English Department initiatives.
Once I had an understanding of GSU’s historical foundations, I moved to the English Department records. I elected to focus on three main areas in my archival research: the evolution of the program, the projects and internship sites, and the focus of the internship program
directors for course design. The records revealed the faculty members and department developed a program that was focused more on serving students than building community relationships or adding to the body of internship research. This may have been due to the time constraints for programmatic development by faculty members who also had other responsibilities within the department. Nonetheless, the records revealed how the internship opportunities and course enrollment grew under the leadership of faculty members working efficiently to move students from GSU classrooms to professional work environments for learning. From this chapter, I hoped program designers would not only discern the value in historiographical research before developing or building a program but also identify where the records might be located.
Identification of Structures for Internship Course Design. The fifth and final area of inquiry relied upon interviews with faculty members and internship providers to explore the
structure of the GSU internship program. Working through the four areas of inquiry before this section prepares a researcher or program designer to identify information absent from the
literature or primary sources. It also allowed me to approach the faculty members and internship mentors with a deeper understanding of the GSU program and the practices in other internship programs. Because I had reviewed the scholarship, developed a working definition that followed experiential or work-based learning practices and FLSA standards, I was prepared for the
interviews.
The five areas of inquiry, as well as reflection on my own experiences as an intern and internship mentor, allowed me to construct a project that I believe is replicable. If I were to examine another college or university program, I would approach the project in a similar way.
The use of secondary and primary research, particularly review of the archives and inclusion of interviews, allowed me to gain a rich understanding of how opportunities, locations, and structures work together to create a narrative that is likely specific to a particular university.