Criteria for Faculty Evaluation of Internships

As you are conducting internship searches, you need to consider the opportunities they will provide for learning at higher levels (i.e., developing critical thinking skills). Faculty will evaluate your internship job description on the basis of the levels of learning in which you will be engaged and the learning outcomes you will achieve. The internships in which students are engaged should focus on the learning objectives listed below.

• To apply theories, methods and concepts learned in their academic program to professional environments.
• To analyze concepts or methods and identify their component parts so that a structure is understood.
• To synthesize parts of concepts in developing a new pattern, structure or plan for proceeding.
• To evaluate concepts, materials and procedures for a specified purpose.

* This criteria does not guarantee that every internship job description will be approved by the faculty. Rather, students should note that any internship they are considering should include opportunities for them to engage in the four levels of learning objectives stated above. 

Bloom's taxonomy contains six major hierarchical categories of learning. Internships in which NOVA students participate should focus exclusively upon levels 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Bloom's Taxonomy Levels of Learning:

Wiersma, W. & Jurs, S., (1990). Educational measurement and testing.  Simon & Schuster: Needham Heights

Knowledge:
The recall of a wide range of previously learned content processes, procedures, patterns, structures and the like. Knowledge includes a recall of specifics and generalities. However, all that is required is the remembering of information.

Comprehension:
The lowest level of understanding. The individual knows what is being communicated and can explain the concept of whatever is being communicated. However, use is only direct and does not involve applying or relating to other concepts, materials or situations.

Application:
The use of learned concepts in particular and concrete situations. Rules, theories, concepts and methods are the types of things that are applied.

Analysis:
The breakdown of what is communicated (concepts, methods and so on) into its component parts so that the structure is understood

Synthesis:
The ability to construct parts or elements together to form a whole. Synthesis may require developing a new pattern or structure or a plan for proceeding.

Evaluation:
The ability to judge the value of concepts, materials, procedures and so forth for a specified purpose.

How Bloom's Taxonomy is Applied Toward Internship Descriptions

Here is an example of an internship that contains clear specific job responsibilities and illustrates how the four learning objectives stated above from Bloom's taxonomy are integrated into the job description:

• Taking receipt of new hardware, maintaining invoice logs, tracking hardware and software inventory and keeping information current, prep end-user machines, prep machines for in house training. (Analysis of information)
• You will be required to provide accurate and timely status and feedback on all in-process tickets within 48 hours. (Analysis and synthesis of information)
• You will be required to assess urgent request and coordinate the assistance of senior technical support when required You will perform simple to technical functions to; assess the root cause, evaluate and implement first-time-done-right solutions, and / or recommend needed escalation. (Analysis, synthesis and evaluation of information).

Here is an example of an internship that contains very a very vague explanation of   internship responsibilities and focuses primarily on the lower levels of learning (knowledge and comprehension):

• Assisting manager in daily business, such as customer service and sales (This description would only provide you with experience at the knowledge level. The description is also too vague. What exactly will the student be doing in his or her "assistance in daily business?").
• Recording daily sale transactions in log book (This again provides experience only at the knowledge level, as in recording information you are only recalling specifics and generalities.)