Evaluation: The Usefulness of an Internship Program on Graduate Students' Job Role

• In Event: Evaluating Educational Programs, Partnerships, and Content

Abstract

In this study, researcher sought to understand the internship experiences of past interns at an Evaluation Center at a southeastern university to evaluate the impacts of students’ internship experience on their job performance. The framework guiding this evaluation is a pragmatic paradigm which focuses on the usefulness of evaluation findings for stakeholders. Data came from a survey administered to past interns of the Evaluation Center. A concurrent mixed method approach was used to analyze the data from 8 respondents. The results suggest that the internship program is having success. Overall, students had a positive internship experience, gained useful knowledge, and honed skills that can be transferred to their jobs.

Authors

• Odunayo Oluwatoyin Omotilewa, University of Kentucky

• Elizabeth Harris-Medina, University of Kentucky