Classroom discussions often focus on students internship experiences as a way of forming a bridge between the classroom and the world at large. A final project is completed on-site in which a student analyzes the organization with which he or she has interned. In addition, program evaluations now ask students to undertake a self-analysis about their learning. These evaluations are then shared at reentry seminars. These efforts have helped to give a meaningful structure to students reflections, creating an unbroken thread that helps them to weave together the various dimensions of their experience.
Reflection is only one, albeit essential, part of the international internship program.
Students learning is an interplay of the reflective and the active, with each giving impetus to the other. An apt image that captures what students experience is a pendulum that swings back and forth in a constant rhythm from reflection to action. It is holistic, encompassing both the experiential and the intellectual, and continuous, involving students in an ongoing process. It is precisely this sense of ownership that makes the international internship such an effective and well-liked learning experience. The evolution of these programs has made them both more appealing and more meaningful for the students who participate in them.