Student learning opportunities in traditional and computer-mediated internships

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a student learning outcome focussed assessment of the benefits and limitations of traditional internships, e-internships, and simulated internships to evaluate the potential of computer-mediated internships (CMIs) (e-internships and simulated internships) within higher education from a student perspective. Design/methodology/approach: The paper undertakes a systematic conceptually based assessment of the extent to which CMIs are able to replicate the cognitive, skill-based and affective learning outcomes of traditional internships. In addition, the key limitations of traditional internships from a student perspective are identified, and the potential ability of CMIs to address these limitations is assessed. Findings: The findings of this paper highlight that CMIs are able to replicate most of the benefits of traditional internships, whilst concurrently addressing many of their limitations. However, the current paper also identifies a number of important limitations for student learning in CMIs, and provides advice that aims to assist students in maximising their learning outcomes in these situations. Originality/value: The paper is the first to provide a systematic student learning outcome focussed comparison of traditional internships and CMIs. In addition, the paper establishes the high potential of simulated internships for student learning in higher education, and provides students, higher education providers and researcher with learning outcome focussed criteria sets that enable the empirical evaluation of CMIs in future research

The potential of computer-mediated internships for higher education

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the opportunities and limitations of computer-mediated internships (CMIs) for higher education providers (HEPs) and to outline how HEPs may maximize the benefits that arise from CMIs through strategic choices. Design/methodology/approach: The paper provides a systematic assessment of the benefits, opportunities and limitations of CMIs. A particular focus of the paper concerns ways in which HEPs may utilize CMIs to maximize student learning as well as institutional benefits in terms of the use of expertise, collaborations and the achievement of institutional targets. Findings: Benefits of CMIs include the more inclusive access of previously disadvantaged student groups to internship opportunities, as well as fewer restrictions for HEPs and employers. Given the right design, CMIs can provide a number of important learning opportunities to students while providing extensive opportunities for HEPs. However, the benefits of CMIs need to be viewed in line with the challenges that arise, such as the skill and expertise required to implement CMIs, the required investment of resources, and the currently limited acceptance of CMIs by employers. Practical implications: The findings of the paper highlight that CMIs have the potential to be highly beneficial for HEPs and students. In addition, the paper showcases how HEPs may address the limitations of traditional internships, as well as the challenges that arise in relation to CMIs, through the systematic and well supported application of technological solutions. Originality/value: The paper makes an important contribution to the literature because it is the first to evaluate the potential of CMIs for the providers of higher education programs

Advancing sustainability education in business studies through digital service learning

To support the development of a society that is attuned to the challenges presented by sustainable development, it is vital that higher education business students understand the value of sustainability, and act in a way that is consistent with these values. This paper explores a sustainability-focused experiential learning activity through investigating the utility of an emerging form of service learning in the digital space for developing global citizens. The paper presents an international case study of educators who employed digital service learning in various business education contexts. The research reports on the perceptions of higher education students in relation to their awareness, critical thinking and action for sustainability. The paper has practical contributions in identifying an opportunity for implementing sustainability curriculum into higher education for business

An exploration of student learning for sustainability through the WikiRate student engagement project

The launch of the UN Global Compact\u27s Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME1) in 2007 can be seen as a widespread acknowledgement that students of business and management need a form of education that enables them to make a positive contribution to both business and society. PRME\u27s aim of realising the United Nations\u27 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through responsible management education is built on six guiding Principles, designed to encourage business schools and universities to recognise their role as change agents and champions of sustainable development. Consequently over 700 signatories to PRME have committed to adapt their institutional strategies, curricula, research agendas, and external engagement activities to develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy (PRME, Principle 12)

The Impact of Prior Work-Experience on Student Learning Outcomes in Simulated Internships

In this paper, the extent to which a compulsory non-placement work-integrated learning (WIL) activity, in the form of a simulated internship, in an Australian undergraduate accounting program, created learning outcomes for students with different levels of prior work-experience is assessed. The paper extends prior, theoretically based literature by providing an exploratory evaluation of the experiences of students undertaking a specific simulated internship. This evaluation is important because it enables students and higher education providers to evaluate the extent to which a simulation is likely to meet the learning needs and expectations of individual students and student groups. Despite the critical importance of such an evaluation, prior literature has thus far focused on theoretically based evaluations and comparisons of simulated internships, with empirical evidence being largely absent from the literature. Using a series of semi-structured interviews with students, the current paper shows that the evaluated simulation was generally able to develop cognitive, skill-based, and affective learning outcomes, and that students’ learning outcomes were strongly influenced by their prior real-world work-experience. In addition, the paper also shows that the lived experiences of students within the simulation were much more multifaceted and diverse than anticipated in the prior literature. The findings of this paper are relevant for higher education providers and students planning to undertake a simulated internship, or other non-placement WIL activity. Potential challenges and opportunities for different groups of students arising in the analysed simulation are identified and discussed

Internships and Co-Ops

In the context of higher education, the terms internship and cooperative education program (co-op) refer to the integration of some form of workplace experience within a student's program of study. Internships and co-ops differ substantially from student's extracurricular part-time or full-time income generating work activities because they are focused on the attainment of learning outcomes, rather than payment for work. The terms internship and co-op are sometimes used interchangeably to refer to a variety of work experience programs. However, substantial longer term work experience activities (e.g., full-time work activities for the duration of a semester) that are systematically embedded in a higher education program are often referred to as co-ops, while the term internships is often used to describe smaller scale work placement or experience activities (e.g., part-time or fulltime work activities for the duration of several days or weeks) or substantial longer term work experiences similar to co-ops. Both internships and co-ops may represent a compulsory component of a students' higher degree program or an elective

Curriculum innovation in undergraduate accounting degree programmes through "virtual internships"

'Purpose' - The purpose of this paper is to discuss major criticisms of traditional undergraduate accounting programmes and to introduce virtual internships as a curriculum innovation that addresses these criticisms. 'Design/methodology/approach' - The main aim of the paper is to inspire curriculum innovation in accounting programmes though the introduction and discussion of virtual internships as a contemporary teaching model. 'Findings' - The paper provides a detailed outline of the virtual internship model, its advantages and disadvantages, and its development in practice. 'Originality/value' - The paper is likely to be most relevant for academics in undergraduate accounting programmes because it provides a practical guide to the development of this curriculum innovation

Students' feedback preferences: how do students react to timely and automatically generated assessment feedback?

This study assesses whether or not undergraduate and postgraduate accounting students at an Australian university differentiate between timely feedback and extremely timely feedback, and whether or not the replacement of manually written formal assessment feedback with automatically generated feedback influences students' perception of feedback constructiveness. The study demonstrates that students do not differentiate between timely feedback and extremely timely feedback. This result holds for both on-campus as well as off-campus students, although undergraduate on-campus students have significantly higher timeliness expectations than undergraduate off-campus students. In addition, the study demonstrates that a replacement of manually generated feedback with automatically generated feedback improves students' perception of the constructiveness of the provided feedback substantially (undergraduate) or significantly (postgraduate). Instructors may consequently be able to exploit the advantages of automatic feedback tools without having to be concerned about the impact of such feedback on student perceptions. In addition, instructors should only aim to provide extremely timely feedback rather than timely feedback, if sound pedagogical reasons are available to justify the required effort

Positive versus Negative News: Readability and Obfuscation in Financial Reports

This paper extends prior obfuscation research through an assessment of the readability and obfuscation levels in chairman and/or CEO reports of 30 listed Australian firms. In addition, possible associations between obfuscation and several basic firm level performance indicators as well as possible mitigating factors are assessed. Drawing on prior research, the Flesch readability formula is used to assess readability and obfuscation. However, a novel methodological approach is used to distinguish between cases of positive and negative news. The study finds that the analysed narratives are typically very difficult to read. A significant association is found between the presence/absence of obfuscation and year to year changes of a firm's net profit, whilst the associations between obfuscation and year to year changes of a firm's debt ratio, a firm's level of shareholder concentration, and the proportion to which a firm's board is staffed with independent directors are non-significant. This paper adds to prior literature by introducing a new basis upon which the readability of positive news and negative news, and thus obfuscation is determined. This new methodology improves the assessment of obfuscation because the definitions of its components are more closely aligned with the assessment intention of the obfuscation hypothesis