the quality of any placement, per se, a poor experience will impact on how students think about their time at university as a whole – whether that be for better, or for worse. SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT In response to all of these challenges, my colleagues and I analysed the reflective diaries of 154 Lancaster University students engaged in work placements over a three-year period. Our aim was to explore the ways in which students learn from their experiences, and to see how the internship process might be improved. Overall, our results paint a complex picture. In the first instance, we identified three key ‘meta-competencies’ that students tend to develop during their time on placement. These are selfregulation, self-awareness and selfdirection. Essentially, they are the ability of students to manage their own behaviours; their understanding of their own particular context; and the ability to manage their own learning and work. Our findings also highlight the role of socio-political dynamics of internship work in shaping students’ experiences. What this means in practice is that students’ own perceptions of the workplace and their future employment shapes the way they engage with their internship, and how they judge their own perceived successes and failures. Often, when students struggle in their internships, it is a case of misaligned expectations on the part of all involved. As such, we suggest a more learnercentred approach to work-based learning that is built around a more holistic view of what employment is, and what skills are important in the workplace. One of our key recommendations is for a stronger relationship to be fostered between the student, the university, and the host organisation, in order to encourage dialogue about the workplace as a site for learning, in which the students can create their own individual learning plan, tailored to their development needs. We also recommend that universities adapt their assessment practices in relation to work-based learning to encourage reflexivity, to help students make better use of their time on placement, and so that they can use it constructively as they prepare for life after graduation. A CHANCE TO LEARN As we know, no two internship experiences are the same. They simply cannot be! As educators then, it is our role to work closely with students and their host organisations to ensure they get the most they can from their time on placement. While internships certainly pose challenges, they are a great opportunity for students to develop and grow. FIFTY FOUR DEGREES | 49 Dr Mike Ryder is a Lecturer in the Department of Marketing. His website is www.mjryder.net This article is based on the journal paper Are undergraduate internships worth the effort? Time to reconceptualize work-based learning for building protean metacompetencies, by Dr Carolyn Downs, Dr Uzair Shah, and Dr Mike Ryder, of Lancaster University Management School; and Dr Farooq Mughal, of the University of Bath, published in Studies in Higher Education. m.ryder@lancaster.ac.uk
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