Instructor Resources

This resource page and materials were created by Dr. Christine Hatchard, unless otherwise noted. Feel free to modify any of the documents below to meet your own needs. If you have any questions or would like sample syllabi for online and in-person field experience/internship courses, please contact Dr. Hatchard or if you have suggestions or resources to contribute, please contact Dr. Goodwin.

Resources for Registering a Student for an Independent Study Internship

Independent Study Ex Ed experiences are registered via e-Form (found on WebAdvisor) and require a syllabus and ex ed learning outcome matrix be submitted as supporting documentation.

When completing the syllabus and application form, be prepared to enter in student's goals, planned dates for in-person meetings (interview dates), and specific assignments and artifacts assessed for each learning outcome.

Required assignments for all Independent Study Ex Ed experiences include a reflection journal and log of hours, supervisor evaluation, portfolio, and final reflection paper. More assignments can be included as are appropriate.

The sample syllabus provided by the General Education Oversight Committee can be found here.

General Education Experiential Education Independent Study Resources can be found here.

Sample Syllabus

Sample syllabus for independent study internship meeting 2023 ex ed requirements

Record Keeping

Sample Placement Confirmation Form
Sample Log to Track Hours
Sample Journal

Grading

Assignment of Grades for Field Experience - provides grading assistance for internships with suggestions for differentiating between grades A-F

Supervisor Evaluation Forms

Sample Supervisor Evaluation Form #1 (suggested midterm eval)
Sample Supervisor Evaluation Form #2 (suggested final eval)
Sample Supervisor Evaluation Form #3 - from Janice Stapley, Ph.D.

Sample Assignments

Goals - this assignment is related to the journal/log form posted above and differs from the Learning Goals and Objectives required for course registration
Site Description - this includes interview questions for the interns to ask their supervisors
Reflection Questions - can be included in weekly journals or discussed individually or in groups
Little Piece Project - students are asked to use their initiative, unique skills and creativity to improve their internship sites
Portfolio - This is easy to edit and swap in different assignments. Questions for a reflection essay are included. By the end of the semester, students have a wonderful portfolio that documents their personal and professional development over the semester.
Conference Poster Directions for students presenting at the Biannual Research Conference
Resume/CV and Interview Assignment (no related document) - during an individual meeting at the end of the semester, students bring their resume/CV which they have updated with their internship. Oftentimes, they require assistance in writing the entry in a a way that highlights their skills. We also role-play the portion of a job interview where they discuss their internship.

Individual Meetings

In-person meetings provide the opportunity to discuss the internship experience with students and addresses personal and professional development.

Students are required to bring their log/journal to each meeting. Instructors can skim the journal entries and any significant or interesting events can be discussed.

In addition, topics for a didactic component and assignments prepared prior to each meeting help to guide the conversation.

Topics might include: how to set goals, keeping a journal and making meaningful entries, ethics, professional conduct, networking, resume/CV, interviewing for jobs, impact of internship on career choices, presenting at the conference, application of psychological principles to their internship, etc.

Related assignments due at the meeting might include: expanded goals and objectives, oral reports (e.g. site description assignment above), the three most important ethical principles related to their sites, oral or written proposals for papers or assignments (e.g. "Little Piece" Project above), a completed resume/CV with the inclusion of their current internship, annotated bibliography, drafts of papers/assignments, midterm or final supervisor evaluations, conference poster or talk, etc.

I try to have at least one assignment due at each meeting that might coincide with a particular topic. Other topic ideas can be found in the recommended texts below.

Recommended Texts

How Can I Help? by Dass and Gorman
The Successful Internship by Sweitzer and King
Power in the Helping Professions by Guggenbuhl-Craig
Your Last Day of School by Woodward