This comparative study will focus on senior high school internships to examine whether these

cooperative education experiences complement student learning and furthermore, enhance knowledge
previously gained through a traditional classroom setting. It specifically will focus on preparation of the
students for the internship experience, identify signs of links to prior classroom learning, explore if the
internship allowed the student to develop new skills and finally seek connections between academic
theories and their practical application in the workplace.

High impact learning practices encourage students to be more engaged with their education via
facilitated experiences that develop their characteristics as a learner. These may include, but aren’t
limited to, the development of their problem solving and research skills, collaborative work assignments
with peers, reflective learning practices, and the application of theory to real-world situations.

Many well-known educational theorists have suggested that work based experience as a teaching tool is
superior to traditional learning methods. Dewey was one of the first, who in ‘My Pedagogic Creed’
explains that the process of education has two key sides, one psychological and one sociological. In
essence, Dewey suggests that students are more motivated to learn when they can see and understand
relevance in a real world setting and often this occurs through interactions outside of a classroom.

Dewey's work is reinforced by Freire who also suggests alternative learning styles for students. Freire
was the first author to seriously challenge the ‘Banking Method’ of education, which is a traditional style
of teaching where the instructor deposits information into the students’ “empty” heads. Students are
viewed as unfilled vaults and the teacher's role is to fill this space with vast amounts of knowledge
necessary for completion of their academic courses. As a result, the students tend to remember facts
but don’t necessarily seek their meaning. Freire's suggestions for incorporating experience into the
learning process reflect the thoughts of Dewey, Lewin and Rogers and other educational theorists.
Although he is seen as an advocate for the School of Critical Pedagogy his writing expresses similarities
associated with the experiential education process including self-efficacy, learning from experience and
the importance of the relationship between student and teacher. Freire's work is significant in many
ways, not least because it encouraged educators to explore alternate pedagogies.

The examination of learning styles and the role experiential education plays in the development of
student's skills and knowledge has been the focus of research by David Kolb (1984). Kolb's work was
conducted in the 1970's and he created a measuring tool for learning styles which now underpins much
experiential pedagogy and also gave rise to the related term, Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). Kolb
outlines how people learn and how knowledge is gained and developed through practice. He states that
learning is ‘…the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience’
(Kolb, 1984: 41). He continues to suggest that each person has a unique way of processing information
and retaining knowledge and he advocates the need to explore different learning styles including those
that evolve through practice.

According to Kolb, this type of learning can be defined as "the process whereby knowledge is created
through the transformation of experience. Knowledge results from the combinations of grasping and
transforming the experience."

Experiential learning theory differs from cognitive and behavioral theories in that cognitive theories
emphasize the role of mental processes while behavioral theories ignore the possible role of subjective
experience in the learning process. The experiential theory proposed by Kolb takes a more holistic
approach and emphasizes how experiences, including cognition, environmental factors, and emotions,
influence the learning process.

Experiential Model Theory

In the experiential model, Kolb described two different ways of grasping experience:

Concrete Experience

Abstract Conceptualization

He also identified two ways of transforming experience:

Reflective Observation

Active Experimentation

These four modes of learning are often portrayed as a cycle.

According to Kolb, concrete experience provides information that serves as a basis for reflection. From
these reflections, we assimilate the information and form abstract concepts. We then use these
concepts to develop new theories about the world, which we then actively test.

Through the testing of our ideas, we once again gather information through experience, cycling back to
the beginning of the process. The process does not necessarily begin with experience, however. Instead,
each person must choose which learning mode will work best based upon the specific situation.

The positive impact on careers was also a finding of Wan et al. (2013) whose longitudinal study on
internship effectiveness using structured equation modeling showed that incorporating internships
(along with formal mentoring) into the curriculum had a positive impact on a student's personal growth.
Furthermore, Lee and Dickson (2010), p. 33 sampled 600 students about their experiences between
classroom and experiential learning and “…recommend that the academic functions of experiential
learning and the classroom environment be considered synergistic in nature where the result of both
the classroom environment and experiential learning assignments together is more powerful than each
function on its own”.

“You need experience to get experience.” This seems to be the biggest issue for young adults
transitioning into the workforce these days.

Employers in today’s labor market rely heavily on resumes that illustrate a relevant work history,
whether that’s from internships, volunteer work, or actual job experience.

A practical work background carries a major significance when attempting to enter the job market. It’s
all about competition.

Not only are businesses competing against each other for a competitive advantage, but people are also
competing to land that coveted position in a company.

An internship is the building blocks necessary for creating the path to a successful career.

1. An Internship Provides Real Life Experience and Exposure

An internship enables you to gain first-hand exposure of working in the real world.
It also allows students to harness the skill, knowledge, and theoretical practice they learnt in university.

You can acquire endless amounts of education in your life, however, that knowledge doesn’t always
translate to the working life.

The great thing about internships is that it teaches young professionals about the specific industries and
companies they are interested in.

Even the experience of trying something new is extremely beneficial.

Doing an internship exposes you to new people in a more controlled and stable environment.

Internships provide a nice learning curve for students with little experience of the professional world.

2. The Opportunity To Learn More About Yourself

The experiences we go through are what shapes us. Your internship will not only encourage personal
development, but also greater understanding of self.

To know yourself is to know your goals and how to best achieve them.

Finding this level of clarity is difficult, but sometimes all it takes is trying someone new, out of your
comfort zone.

For example, take a Business Marketing student who decides to do an internship related to his field of
study.
That internship will give them a chance to explore what a career in business marketing would be like.
Sometimes, reality does not meet expectations.

At this point, the student is given a chance to decide whether they wish to continue with their current
career path or try something else.

3. Get Connected and Develop Your Professional Network

Networking is an exchange of information between people, with the ultimate goal of establishing
acquaintances and relationships to advance your professional career.

Sure, you can attend a networking event without doing an internship, but you would be limiting
yourself.

Partaking in an internship allows you to establish deeper relationships than you normally would talking
to a stranger one-on-one.

Being an intern gives you more opportunities to build connections with company professionals that can
be very beneficial for your future career.

Even if you think you don’t need it, it’s always good to have a backup plan. Life is unpredictable and a
time may arise when a network may come in handy.

Make sure to carry some business cards at all times because networking can occur anywhere or
anytime, even at a local coffee shop you frequent!

4. Transition Into A Full-Time Position

Sometimes graduating from college and immediately jumping into a new job position has it’s
disadvantages.
When you start out, you are the most vulnerable employee when it comes to layoffs.

If you have never worked full-time before, the change may be difficult or overwhelming. In a working
environment, not every boss is tolerant of mistakes.

In an economy where you likely cannot afford to lose your job, not being able to quickly adapt can be
devastating.

Internships offer opportunities to transition into full-time positions.

Although, it is not guaranteed, most employers are always seeking to add value to their organization.

With an internship, you’re given the opportunity to showcase your talents, commitment, and value to a
prospective employer.

5. Your confidence in professional environments will improve

Learning office jargon, the art of small talk and the decorum an office environment demands takes time
and exposure. Once you learn what’s expected from you in a professional setting , you’ll learn how to
relax more at an office and focus more energy on excelling at the work itself.

Given these points, an internship is more than crucial for your future career. Take a moment and think
about it. If you’re looking to gain experience, working as an intern is arguably the most advantageous
plan of action.

1. An internship can provide a student with paid professional work experience in a safe and structured
environment with help from experts. Typically an intern will be assigned a worksite mentor and school
based internship coordinator. The worksite mentor will help train a student and advise him or her on
how to navigate a particular worksite culture and interact with other workers. The school internship
coordinator helps the mentor and student build a strong relationship that will help the intern have
positive outcomes from their internship experience. The internship coordinator can also help the
student learn how to manage their expectations and implement successful work habits.
2. At an internship, a student can practice and improve their industry skills while also learning how to
work. Students can gain a better understanding of how what they are learning in school can help them
with their future.

3. Internships help students master professional soft skills such as communication, punctuality and
time management. These are skills that are key for success at a job and college and are highly sought
after by companies. Many employers complain that there are few candidates with excellent soft skills.

4. At an internship, a student can learn what the roles and responsibilities of a particular career are
from people working in the field. What sort of projects do they work on? What skills and knowledge do
they need to perform this job? Where did they get their education?

5. An internship can be a real confidence builder for a student. Being successful in the real world can
inspire a student to work harder at school, and be more willing to take on challenges or be outside of
his/her comfort zone.

6. Having successfully completed an internship makes a job candidate more attractive to employers.
Many companies prefer to hire students who have completed internship programs. This is because
many interns have better work habits, possess excellent soft skills, and have higher technical and
industry skills since they have received formal job training and professional guidance.

7. An internship can help a student start to build a professional network that can be a resource for the
student. A network can help a student make well-informed decisions about their career and connect
them with other professionals or opportunities that will help a student achieve success in a field.

8. Completing an internship also makes a student a more attractive candidate for colleges and
scholarships. Having “real world” work experience shows a college or scholarship panel that a student
has a clear set of goals that they are actively working towards. Demonstrating commitment and follow
through demonstrates a high level of maturity, responsibility, and willingness to do what it takes to be
successful.
9. An internship can help a student decide if a particular career is a good match for their personality,
lifestyle, passions and goals. This way a student can avoid spending time and money on training for a
career that does not really suit their abilities or needs.

10. By successfully completing an internship, a student can obtain a positive recommendation that can
be used for future employers, college admission and scholarship applications.