Fokiya Akhtar, Zayed University
Tarannum Parkar, Zayed University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

International Journal Of Instruction

Publication Date

1-1-2025

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.

ISSN

1694-609X

Publisher

Gate Assoc Teaching & Education-Gate, Switzerland

Volume

17

Issue

4

First Page

537

Last Page

556

Disciplines

Education

Keywords

internship, measurement, academic environment, academic program, learning alignment

Indexed in Scopus

no

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series

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