Measuring the Effectiveness of Internship Programs in Aligning Education with Industry during Covid-19: A Case Study

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of internship programs in aligning
education with industry during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research focuses on
the internship outcomes of College of Communication and Media Sciences
(CCMS) students in various UAE organizations. This study employs Kirkpatrick's
framework and analyzes 64 student reports over ten weeks to understand the
strengths and areas of improvement in aligning academic instruction with real-
world applications. The research focuses on the "reaction" and "learning"
constructs in the alignment of theoretical teachings with practical experiences
based on Kirkpatrick’s framework. The study revealed that internships offer
students a chance to gain practical experience in their field of study, and the
CCMS internship program helps students gain professional skills that are difficult
to teach in a classroom context. The findings of this study could help academic
policymakers understand the relative strengths and weaknesses of different
learning areas and refine and enhance internship offerings. The study underscores
the significance of assessing the practical application of university education in the
workplace and the benefits of internship experiences as a mandatory component of
CCMS specialization academic programmes. The research demonstrates that the
internship program provides students with hands-on experience in the media and
communication sectors, enabling them to interact directly with industry
professionals. Additionally, this study highlights the common challenges faced by
internship students, including communication with supervisors, workload
management, handling tasks beyond their current skill set, navigating limited
workplace resources, adjusting to unfamiliar work environments, and refining time
management skills.