Examining undergraduate student learning journals for indicators of developing autonomy and professional capacity in an internship course

Abstract

The internship course in Communications, Culture and Information Technology at the University of Toronto, Mississauga provides an opportunity for students' to assess their knowledge, independence and readiness for life beyond academia. Students reflect on their experiences regarding what they learn, why it matters and what their next steps might be in light of this learning. This paper examines the reflective journals of three students completing the internship course just prior to graduation and highlights defining moments that provide evidence the students are developing autonomy and achieving professional capacity. A model based on seven descriptive personality factor categories was used to create evidence indicators for coding the three journals and comparing the findings to Undergraduate Degree Level Expectations and structured learning outcomes.