Industrial internships as integrated learning experiences with rich learning outcomes and spin-offs

Abstract

At graduation engineering students should be able to use the engineering skills they learnt in advanced industrial applications with preferably little additional training. Authentic design and innovative engineering problems and questions in the life of an engineer should therefore be identifiable subjects in engineering curricula. An important contribution to the attainment of these targets can be obtained by a compulsory internship in the Master programme. Internships can be transformed from a period of work off campus into effective integrated learning experiences with rich learning outcomes. Many of the outcomes relate to key capabilities that eachengineering student should have at graduation, to be prepared for the world of work and create the best chances for a successful career, such as employability, organisational sensitivity, intercultural communication, ethical accountability, professional responsibility and lifelong learning. This paper describes how TU Delft Faculty of Aerospace Engineering has implemented the internship in its programme, including its assignments and assessments with feedback from and to the students, with the aim to have real impact on student development. It describes how company feedback is provided to the students and how this is also fed into the education quality assurance cycle, and in what respect the internship can stimulate the collaboration with industry to achieve a win-win situation. An excellent and professional organisation is a critical success factor. The logistic challenge to coordinate the planning, organisation and assessment of more than 300 - 400 Master students per year, who take an internship all over the globe, is big and demanding. Securing a sound account management with the more than 600 industrial companies, who provide the opportunities for our engineering students, is a condition to achieve sustainable internship opportunities of high quality.