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Wolfgram, M., Chen, Z., Vivona, B., Rodríguez S., J., Akram, T., & Hora, M.T. (2020). Results from the College Internship Study at Northeastern Illinois University. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions. UW-Madison.
Abstract: This report includes preliminary findings from the first round of data collection for The College Internship Study, which is a mixed-methods longitudinal study of internship programs at Northeastern Illinois University.
The study includes an online survey of students in the second half of their academic programs (n=330), focus groups with students who have and who have not had an internship experience (n=24), and interviews with career coaches and faculty (n=6). The research questions guiding this study focus on how stakeholders conceptualize and define the idea of internships, institutional capacity for administering internship programs, participation rates by certain student characteristics, and the relationship between internship program structure and student outcomes. This report concludes with recommendations for specific steps that students, faculty and staff at Northeastern Illinois University, and employers who supervise interns can take to increase participation rates, access, and program quality for internship programs in Chicago, Illinois.
Hora, M.T. (2020). What to do about internships in light of the COVID-19 pandemic? A short guide to online internships for colleges, students and employers. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions. UW-Madison.
Abstract: This resource guide is intended for students, career services professionals, faculty and employers who were planning on engaging in traditional face-to-face internships in the Spring or Summer of 2020. With mandatory closures of many organizations, social distancing requirements, and “shelter in place” orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is unlikely that many interns will be able to complete their internships on-site as planned.
June, 2020
The Our HMoob American College Paj Ntaub Team: Bailey B. Smolarek, Matt Wolfgram, Mai Neng Vang, Ying Yang Youa Xiong, Lena Lee, Pa Kou Xiong, Odyssey Xiong, Ariana Thao, Lisa Yang, and Payeng Moua
Psychosocial Factors and Outcomes of College Internships: An Integrative Review
Iseult Gillespie, Jiahong Zhang, and Matthew Wolfgram
Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT)
University of Wisconsin Madison
Literature Review #3
This review identifies key features of psychosocial factors and outcomes associated with internship participation for college students. The review examined 42 studies, the majority being quantitative and cross-sectional in design. Results indicate that a) since 2010 there has been an increase in the number of empirical studies of the psychosocial factors and outcomes of college internships in the education research, psychology and career development fields; b) The studies commonly focused on internships in business, tourism, and sport management fields; c) The authors cite a broad range of theoretical frameworks, including career construction theory (Ocampo et al., 2020; Pan et al., 2018), social learning theory (Anjun, 2020) and the job characteristics model (Stansbie et al., 2013); d) This review of the research identified several student psychosocial characteristics that may influence internship experiences and outcomes, such as emotional intelligence, proactivity, self-efficacy, and conscientiousness; e) there were positive relationships between internship participation and a number of psychological outcomes. These included psychological outcome measures such as increases in self-perception, perception of surroundings, and mental health indicators, career development outcome measures such as professional development, career adaptability, career commitment, and career exploration, and learning outcome measures such as GPA and skill development. These findings indicate that internships have profound psychosocial ramifications that should be taken into account in their design and assessment. The review may be beneficial to researchers, educators and policy-makers seeking to optimize student internships from a psychosocial perspective. Recommendations for future research and practice are suggested.
Wolfgram, M., Vivona, B., & Akram, T. (2020). On the intersectional amplification of barriers to college internships: A comparative case study analysis (WCER Working Paper No. 2020-4).
Abstract: Research shows that college internships yield academic, economic, and professional benefits. However, the ability to locate and participate in internships is not equitable across all student demographic and socioeconomic spectrums. There are multiple complex barriers to internship participation for students with low socioeconomic status, and for those who are minoritized by race, gender, or other factors. Contextual factors such as finances, work responsibilities, travel, and gendered familial obligations intersect to amplify the challenges to internship participation. In the research described in this paper, the research team conducted focus groups among 24 students from a comprehensive federally designated Hispanic-Serving Institution. The team explored the data using intersectionality theory and comparative case study analysis; and in this paper we present a comparative case study analysis of five students in our study. We determined that delineation of barriers into types, such as financial, social, and cultural, runs the risk of misconstruing students’ actual experience when they struggle to access internships and other educational opportunities.
Hora, M.T., Vivona, B.,Chen, Z., Zhang, J., Thompson, M., & Brown, R. (2020). What do we know about online internships? A review of the academic and practitioner literatures. Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions Research Brief #10. University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Abstract: Internships are one of the most widely promoted co-curricular experiences for college students, and the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting shelter-in-place orders led to a substantial growth in the availability and popularity of online internships. However, little is known about the impacts of online internships on student outcomes. In this literature review we present key trends and findings from the academic and practitioner literatures on online internships. Relatively little empirical research exists on online internships, but researchers have found that pre-internship orientations, self-regulated learning, sufficient technology, and effective supervision are important for successful experiences. Our review also highlights that considerable variation exists among online internships, especially with respect to the host organization (i.e., employers or third-party vendors), compliance with standards for legitimate and high-quality internships, and duration. Ultimately, we conclude that standards articulated for “legitimate internships” by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and for rigorous experiential learning programs by CCWT should also be applied to online and/or remote internship programs. We conclude our review with recommendations for students, postsecondary professionals, employers and higher education researchers.
Community-Based Participatory Action Research
Baily Smolarek & Matthew Wolfgram
Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT)
University of Wisconsin Madison
Literature Review #2
The Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions is conducting three student-led Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) projects which involve our staff mentoring students of color in the social science research process, to develop a research inquiry into how students of color experience college and the transition to work. One CBPAR projects is with African American students at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, another is with students with immigrant backgrounds at Madison College, and the third project is with HMoob American students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The studies at UW-Whitewater and Madison College are in their preliminary stages, whereas the study at UW-Madison with HMoob American students is concluding a round of data collection and starting analysis of the data. To illustrate how CBPAR works in action, in the following sections, we describe how we have used it at UW-Madison with HMoob American undergraduate students.
Wolfgram, M. (2020). Refugees and the audit culture of international higher education in the United States. New Directions for Higher Education, 2020, 55–66. https://doi.org/10.1002/he.20382
Hora, M. T. (2020). Hiring as cultural gatekeeping into occupational communities: Implications for higher education and student employability. Higher Education, 79(2), 307-324.
Benbow, R.J., Lee, C., & Hora, M.T. (2020). Exploring college faculty development in 21st-century skill instruction: An analysis of teaching-focused personal networks, Journal of Further and Higher Education, https://doi.org/10.1080/0309877X.2020.1826032
Hora, M.T., Chen, Z., Parrott, E., & Her, P. (2020). Problematizing college internships: Exploring issues with access, program design, and developmental outcomes in three U.S. colleges. International Journal of Work Integrated Learning, 21 (3), 235-252.
Hora, M.T., Parrott, E., & Her, P. (2020) How do students conceptualise the college internship experience? Toward a student-centred approach to designing and implementing internships. Journal of Education and Work, 33 (1), 48-66.
Hora, M.T., Newman, R.T., Hemp, R., Brandon, J. & Wu, Y. (2020). Re-framing student employability: From commodifying the self to supporting student, worker and societal well-being. Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 52(1), 37-45.
Chin, M.Y., Cohen, C.A.B., Hora, M.T. (2020). Examining US business undergraduates’ use of career information sources during career exploration. Emerald Insight.
Workplace Training and Cognitive, Intra- and Inter-personal Skills: A Literature Review
Sophia Slocum & Matthew T. Hora
Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT)
University of Wisconsin Madison
Literature Review #1
This summary of the research literature on workplace training activities focused on cognitive, inter- and intrapersonal skills is the first in a series of literature reviews published by the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions (CCWT) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. These brief summaries of the empirical literatures are intended to provide scholars and professionals engaged in research, policymaking and practice on college-work issues with insights into the nature and scope of research on topics central to contemporary college-workforce debates and strategies.
Hora, M.T., & Lee, C. (2020). Industry in the college classroom: Does industry experience increase or enhance how faculty teach cognitive, inter- and intrapersonal skills? Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Executive Summary: Competencies known variously as “soft” or “21st century skills” are increasingly linked to college students’ academic and career success, and faculty with industry experience are hypothesized to be uniquely qualified to teach these skills. Yet little research exists on this topic. In this paper, we report findings from a mixed methods study of the degree to which industry experience influences how STEMM faculty teach teamwork, oral and written communication, problem-solving, and self-directed learning skills in 2- and 4-year postsecondary institutions. Using inductive thematic and hierarchical linear modeling techniques to analyze survey (n=1,140) and interview (n=89) data, we find that faculty place relatively low emphasis on these skills, but that industry experience is significantly associated with teaching oral communication, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Other factors including race and perceptions of departmental teaching norms also influenced skills-focused instruction. Industry experience also informed problem-based learning activities, knowledge of desired workplace skills, and a focus on divergent thinking. Given that industry experience is an important, but not the only influence on skills-focused instruction, policies aimed solely at hiring faculty with industry experience will be of limited utility without a corresponding focus on training in teaching and instructional design.