BRIDGING THE SOFT-SKILL GAP FROM EDUCATION TO EMPLOYMENT THROUGH INTERNSHIPS

Employers express a growing concern that recent college graduates do not possess the necessary soft-skills to transition into entry level positions seamlessly. Educators are asked by employers and policy makers to provide instruction which would develop student skills in both the “hard” (academic and technical) and “soft” (personality traits and habits) skills required to be workplace-ready. The research study was designed to understand the degree to which internships enhance student soft-skill development, specifically in the areas of communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking. Researcher-designed pre-post retrospective surveys were administered to students and one to corresponding supervisors to measure change in soft-skill development during a 13 week semester as a direct result from participating in an internship. 278 students (88%) and 287 supervisors (91%) consented to participate in the study and completed all of the items on the survey regarding soft-skill development. Macro level statistical testing using (MANOVA) was conducted to explore the relationship between the independent variable, time (13 week semester) and the dependent variables, soft-skills. Micro level paired samples t-tests were conducted on each scale and each item for students and supervisors. Results of the analysis of all soft-skill development items suggest that there are patterns among student and supervisor pre and post responses. Students and supervisors reported gains across all soft-skill development scales at the conclusion of the internship. Findings suggest that participating in an internship contributes to student soft-skill development.


Statement of the Problem
There is an increasing demand on new college graduates to be "workplace ready" when entering the job market. Not only is the current job market becoming more competitive for applicants, but it is also less likely to provide employee training programs for its new members (Abel, Deitz & Su, 2014;Cappelli, 2012). Being workplace ready involves developing skills in both the "hard" (academic and technical) and "soft" (personality traits and habits) skills areas (Schultz, 2008). While educators provide expertise and focus on hard-skill preparedness, the areas for soft-skill development, such as teamwork, initiative, analytical thinking, and communication, are often left untested for new graduates entering the workplace (Beard, Schwieger & Surendran, 2008). An internship will often be that first professional work experience for a student, and may be the best opportunity to address both hard-and soft-skill preparedness. The purpose of this research study was to understand the degree to which internships enhance student soft-skill development, specifically in the areas of communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking (NACE, 2013). The study investigated the following questions: 1.
To what degree are student interns' soft-skills including communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking enhanced through participation in a 13-week internship? (Q1) 2. How do supervisors rate student intern's soft-skills enhancement including communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking through participation in a 13-week internship? (Q2) 3. Is there congruence with how student interns and supervisors rate softskill development as a result of the internship? (Q3)

Significance of the Study
Higher education is met with the challenge of preparing graduates for rapidly changing work environments. Markets that exist today were unheard of just a few years ago (Cappelli, 2013;Reich, 2007). Increasingly, globalization and diversity of the economy require educators to re-think what is most essential for students to learn and how to prepare students to meet the emerging roles in new work environments. Workers without the skills and education to adapt to the changing work environment will be challenged to compete for employment (Andrews & Higson, 2008;Cappelli, 2012;Wirth, 1992 century skills is a most salient topic among educators and policy makers (Foster, 2013;Van Rooijen, 2011).
Recognizing the value of soft-skills and their impact on the workplace is the first step in addressing the needs of our global economy. Niche markets and businesses thrive because of individuals who possess the soft skills to initiate innovative and creative approaches to a global economy resulting in positive social and economic outcomes (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2013; Reich, 2007). Employers expect students will be "employment ready" after college graduation, possessing the necessary hard and soft-skills to be effective in the workplace although many students are not graduating from college with the essential soft skills to be effective in the workplace (Andrews & Higson, 2008;Calway & Murphy, 2007;Fischer, 2013; National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), 2013). Employers cited the five most important soft-skills valued in the work environment as the abilities to: 1. verbally communicate with persons inside and outside the organization, 2. work in a team structure, 3. make decisions and solve problems, 4. plan, organize and prioritize work, 5. obtain and process information (NACE, 2013).
In addition, nearly 75% of employers claimed they would prefer to hire candidates with relevant experiences through internships.
Employers use internships as training and retention programs to determine if the student has the necessary skills to convert from an intern to an employee (NACE employer survey, 2012). If education and industry are to collaborate in the future to prepare students for jobs that quite possibly have not yet been created, it is essential to re-think the way in which educators and employers connect around the education of students (Davies, Fidler, & Gorbis, 2011;Van Rooijen, 2011).
A few essential conditions are necessary to establish a learning environment that could lead to developing the skills needed for the new economy (Reich, 2007;Wirth, 1992). Experiential learning provides an opportunity for a student to learn in an interactive social environment with the freedom to ask questions, try new things, and hone in on developing skills with guidance from educators and supervisors (Cates & Jones, 1999;Sides & Mrvica, 2007;Sweitzer, & King, 2013). Experiential learning is broadly defined as an educational environment where students apply their analytical, oral, written, and other skills obtained in the classroom to an external setting (NACE, 2014). Pedagogical approaches to experiential learning include faculty-led research, cooperative education, project-based learning, service learning, practicum experiences, and internship (NACE, 2014). Connecting theoretical knowledge from coursework with authentic experiences in an internship provides students with an opportunity for active engagement and deeper learning Kolb & Kolb, 2005;Svinicki, 2004).
Internships as a form of experiential learning have gained momentum in higher education as an educational approach to collaborating with community partners, connecting class concepts to real-world practice, and solving problems with innovative results to meet the needs of a changing world. In the 2012 NACE first destination survey, more than half of the 50,000 undergraduate students from over 550 colleges and universities representing 50 states responded that they had participated in an internship while in college (NACE, 2012). Students highly rate the influence of internships on individual learning outcomes (Fenster & Parks, 2008). "Internship" is defined as a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent (NACE, n.d.).
The interest in skill development through participation in internships has gained global attention, leading to open dialogue among all stakeholders, including students, employers, and educators, regarding the skills individuals need to be effective in the workplace (Andrews & Higson, 2008;DelGiudice, Libutti, Dawson & Castaneda, 2013;Hasbullah & Sulaiman, 2002;Rainsbury, Hodges, Burchell & Lay, 2002). Prioritizing workplace ready skill development through workforce education for adults requires aligning higher education, adult education, and economic development ("Workforce and Education Strategies", 2009). In order to create educational partnerships with multiple stakeholders, there must be transparent communication between educators and employers, who then negotiate these multiple domains of knowledge (Peach, Cates, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Jones & Lechleiter, 2011;Schultz, 2008). It is incumbent upon educators to include the advice of employers as they address both soft-and hard-skills development. While educators focus on student understanding of theory, employers work to put that theory into practice. In addition, assessing learning goals with employer needs in mind can facilitate students making connection between theory and practice. In this way, internships may bring employers, educators, and students together to provide learning experiences which bridge the skill gap for successful transition from education to employment (Beard, 2007;Beard, Schwieger & Surendran, 2008;Thomason, 2013).

Definitions of Important Terms and Concepts
Educators: Faculty, staff, instructors, lecturers, and advisors involved in assisting or teaching students during the internship experience.
Employers: supervisors for the student engaging in an internship. The employer typically oversees the student learning experience while on site in the professional learning environment.
Experiential learning: broadly defined as providing an educational environment where students apply their analytical, oral, written, and other skills obtained in the classroom to an external setting. Pedagogical approaches include internship, faculty-led research, cooperative education, project based learning, service learning and practicum experiences (NACE).
Hard skills: academic and technical skills most often tested in higher education and associated with performing a job (Rainsbury, Hodges, Burchell & Lay, 2002).
Internship: a form of experiential learning that integrates knowledge and theory learned in the classroom with practical application and skills development in a professional setting. Internships give students the opportunity to gain valuable applied experience and make connections in professional fields they are considering for career paths; and give employers the opportunity to guide and evaluate talent (NACE).
Learning objectives: goals the student hopes to accomplish during the internship experience. Students typically create a list of learning objectives at the start of the semester in collaboration with employers and educators. At the conclusion of the internship, students provide evidence to support completion of learning objectives which often happens through portfolio or reflective journals. Soft-skills gap: the difference between the communication, teamwork, initiative and analytical skills recent graduates possess and the expectations of the employers in meeting the needs of a workplace ready environment.
Supervisor: the employer who assigns assignments and evaluates student performance during the internship experience.
Workplace ready: a new employee having the necessary soft and hard skills to perform the job when hired.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Internships, a social constructivist form of learning, have evolved with the changing industrial and societal needs over the last century (Hasbullah & Sulaiman, 2002). Prior to internships, higher education faculty and employers initiated regional cooperative extension education programs which taught students relevant competencies through resolving current problems in local industries (Eschenbacher, 1967). Over time, internships became an opportunity to engage students in observing masters in a trade, then practicing the trade to self-generate skills necessary for an occupation (Sides & Mrvica, 2007). Today, students who participate in internships are exposed to global issues providing students an opportunity to learn how to communicate effectively, work collaboratively in teams with diverse individuals, and think analytically about problems which need resolve (DelGiudice, et al., 2013).

Social Constructivist Theory
The theoretical framework for the proposed study is grounded in social constructivist theory, involving interplay between social interaction and active learning through experience. Social constructivist theory provides a framework for understanding how learners in a social environment learn to recognize patterns, organize thoughts, engage and communicate with others, become more informed through the interactions, and change their realities through constructing or re-constructing knowledge (Guba & Lincoln, 1994, Sides & Mrvica, 2007. Internships offer a social learning environment where communities of practitioners engage a student intern in understanding their work environment through active inquiry and collaboration. Internships enable students to participate in the activities of the expert who supervises the student during the semester. The language used in the work environment (specific to the unique industry) is often new to the student, requiring the supervisor to provide clear interpretation. The student and supervisor work collaboratively to interpret information, construct meaning and provide solutions to real-world issues.
The student is continually constructing individual understandings through a recursive building process with the supervisor. The student enters the internship with an interest in the issues associated within the shared work and actively participates in their own education with the guidance of the supervisor.
Students engage in some of the same work as the supervisor, and together they discuss ideas pertaining to the concepts, search for patterns in the information, reflect on the experiences, raise questions to better interpret the context, and provide solutions to relevant issues. Individual internship opportunities can be specifically designed for the student making the learning experience personal to the student. Each student will interpret information in different ways. Social constructivist learning through an internship encourages self regulated learning.
Self regulation involves the student being actively engaged in and responsible for their own learning. The more often the student engages with others in the work environment, the more likely they are to feel safe questioning and reflecting on processes related to learning. The social, interactive and reflective learning and development process associated with internships is best explained through the works of Vygotsky and Dewey.

Social Development Theory
Lev Vygotsky recognized the fundamental role of social interaction in the development of cognition (McCleod, 2007;Vygotsky, 1978). While both Piaget and Vygotsky shaped the foundation for constructivist theory of learning, Piaget differed from Vygotsky in his belief that development preceded learning and in his emphasis on independent discovery influencing cognition (Brown, 1987;Darling-Hammond & Snyder, 1992;Fosnot, 1996;McCleod, 2007). Vygotsky believed that learning proceeds development and, as the learner confronted a new idea, a mediator or a more knowledgeable person, would help the learner construct cognitive connections between what they experience and prior knowledge (Fosnot, 1996).
According to Vygotsky, individual development is continuously being constructed through multiple social interactions and discourse which occurs within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Vygotsky (1978) defined ZPD as, "the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance in collaboration with more capable peers" (p. 86). An essential feature of learning involves social interaction among students collaborating with more capable peers, reflecting on the interactions, and interpreting and internalizing information (Vygotsky, 1978;Rogers, 1969).
Development is a process of social change. During an internship, the educator and supervisor act as mediators for the student. The student is in a ZPD between education and employment. An internship provides a unique opportunity for the student to act and interact concurrently in an academic and a work environment. Educator and supervisor mediation in the two environments allow the student to internalize social interactions and learn how to perform in the work-place. The educator provides the student with guided reflection as they approach problems rooted in real life workplace situations in the internship. The supervisor provides context for relevant issues confronting the work environment. Together, the three individuals construct meaning from the social interactions. Ultimately, the student develops relevant skills and competencies through active and frequent engagement with the educator, supervisor, colleagues and clients.

Situated Learning Theory
Vygotsky's theory of social learning and development serve as the foundation for Lave and Wenger's (1991) concept of learning in Communities of Practice. Communities of Practice (CoP) are defined as "groups of people who share a concern, set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in the area by interaction on an ongoing basis" (Wenger, McDermott & Snyder, 2002, p. 4). The concept of a community of practice represents the ideal learning environment for an intern. Interns are learning through a complex set of social relationships involving discourse and collaboration with supervisors, colleagues, clients and others. Interns engage in joint activities with others within the CoP. When a CoP is cultivated, it embraces a new member, in this case an intern, who shares the same passion surrounding the profession (Lave and Wenger, 1991). Engagement in the work-place involves learning how to interpret the use of language in the environment, connecting and communicating with a supervisor or colleagues, inquiring of others, and resolving problems.
The members of a CoP are able to foster the student's knowledge and skill development by creating an environment where there is a sense of belonging.
Interns are developing their professional identity. A CoP "enables companies to compete on talent and for talent, by providing a professional 'home' for practitioners-a stable context for developing skills and reputation-as well as an intangible but crucial sense of identity and belonging" (Wegner, et. al., 2002, p. 217). For an intern, learning knowledgeable skills in this setting has the potential to move them from trainee to employee through legitimate peripheral participation. Lave and Wenger (1991) define legitimate peripheral participation as, "a way to speak about the relations between newcomers and old-timers, and about activities, identities, artifacts and communities of knowledge and practice" (p. 29). Students are engaged as full participants in learning within the sociocultural practice of their indented career.
Dewey also believed that education is a social practice involving collaboration rather than isolation. Dewey cared about socializing students into a democratic and scientific community. In his lab school (1896-1903), Dewey exposed elementary school children to a variety of occupations to create an understanding of the scientific and social meaning behind the world of work. It was an opportunity for students as individuals to understand how their own skills at a young age were integral to the way of life of their community. Dewey believed that education through occupations was an opportunity for students to identify the skills they posses and understand how they align with vocations (Mahew & Edwards, 1936). Dewey's lab school is conceptually similar to the purpose of internships as a form of active learning in a social environment.
Students explore the world of work through interacting with others in a CoP.

Reflection
Internships harmonize theory and practice by bridging conceptual and real world practice. An essential component of the learning process is to take the time to think about what is being learned and how it applies to the student (Eyler & Giles, 1999;Noddings, 2005;Schon, 1983). Reflection concurrent with the internship experience provides an educational environment where learning leads to development. Dewey ( , 2011) encouraged learners to have a direct interaction with the phenomena being studied, including purposeful reflection, which allows students to interpret and internalize the direct experience. For the purpose of this study, the definition of "reflection" is based on previous research representing Dewey's four criteria for characterizing reflection. As Rogers (2002) noted, 1. Reflection is a meaning-making process that moves a learner from one experience into the next with deeper understanding of its relationships with and connections to other experiences and ideas. It is the thread that makes continuity of learning possible, and ensures the progress of the individual and, ultimately, society. It is a means to essentially moral ends.
2. Reflection is a systematic and rigorous way of thinking, with its roots in scientific inquiry.
3. Reflection needs to happen in community, in interaction with others.
4. Reflection requires attitudes that value personal and intellectual growth of oneself and others. (p. 845) Dewey believed that education is meant to help the learner think deeply through habitual reflection (1997,2011). Dewey encouraged the active learner to consider how their beliefs shape their actions. As the learner reflects on what they know, it can influence their next interaction, decision, and potential growth.
Students engaged in internships are adapting to the work environment as a learning space versus the brick and mortar classroom. Students are challenged to think about their daily internship experiences and resolve internal and external issues they are confronting.
The interaction between a student and supervisor in an internship allows the student to participate in collaborative dialogue through an exchange of knowledge and ideas. Educators and supervisors create a scaffolding process for the student, through active inquiry, by asking the right questions about their internship experiences to lead to deeper reflection on their new understandings.
Mediating involves creating reflective assignments to meet the needs of the individual learner (Dean, Sykes, Agostinho & Clements, 2012). The process of connecting prior learning to new understandings through reflective activities and assignments is a fundamental interaction in the cognitive process. The role of the experienced individual, (i.e., the educator or supervisor), is to scaffold student learning during the developmental stages of the internship so that they may be able to carry out tasks on their own eventually. The idea of re-organizing perceptions through reflection activities allows the learner to understand self, skills and challenges. Both mediation and reflection are interwoven in experiential learning and in Vygotsky's writings.

Theoretical Models associated with Internships and Skill Development
The underlying theories of Vygotsky and Dewey are applied in three models associated with soft-skill development and learning through internships.
The first model is Kolb's experiential learning theory which focuses on student learning during an internship. The second model is Dreyfus and Dreyfus's skill development model which provides context for a student moving from "novice" to "advanced beginner" through the internship. The third model is Sweitzer and King's developmental stages of the internship which describes student intern development during the semester timeframe. Kolb (1984), well known for his research on experiential learning, believes "learning, the creation of knowledge and meaning, occurs through the active extension and grounding of ideas and experiences in the external world and through internal reflection about the attributes of these experiences and ideas" (p. 52). In Kolb's experiential learning theory cycle, he explains the direct connection between action, reflection, discussion, and learning (see Figure 1). A learner moves from concrete experience to reflective observation, toward abstract conceptualization, and finally to active experimentation (Baker, Jensen, & Kolb, 2002;Chickering, 1981;Kolb, 1984;Kolb & Kolb, 2005 (Kolb, 1984). Piaget believed that individuals develop schemas which represent categories of knowledge that help a person to interpret and understand the world (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997). During the experiential learning cycle, a student responds to an experience by processing and interpreting new information through assimilation or accommodation (Kolb, 1984). During assimilation, students modify the information to fit in with their preexisting beliefs (Hofer, et al., 1997).

Experiential Learning Theory Cycle Model
Alternatively, accommodation involves students changing or altering existing beliefs and behavior in light of new information (Hofer, et al., 1997). The cognitive process of adjusting schema influences how students approach the next experience during an internship. Adapted from "Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development," by D. Kolb, 1984. Copyright 1984 by Prentice Hall, Inc. Dreyfus and Dreyfus (2005) took an organic approach toward reflection in skill development. In their research on the development of skill from novice through expertise, they found that skills are acquired through experience. During the course of an internship students are arguably moving from "novice"-where they adhere to rules, and possess limited situational perceptions to, "advanced beginner"-where characteristics of situations are recognizable as a result of experience (Dreyfus, 2004 Active Experimentation Figure 2). Dreyfus and Dreyfus (2005) recommended becoming emotionally detached from the skill being acquired in order to logically approach expertise. Skill acquisition requires time, practice, and reflection. Practicing in a work environment enhances skill acquisition (Hannon, 2000). Students engaged in a CoP are able to continually practice communicating with colleagues and clients, work on group and independent projects, consider relevant problems specific to the field and discover ways to address those issues under the guidance of the supervisor. Peno and Siva-Mangiante (2012)

Developmental Stages of the Internship Model
The framework for student development during an internship is described in the Switzer and King (2004,2009,2013) stages of the internship model. The four developmental stages of the internship (anticipation, exploration, competence, and culmination) provide a structure for examining development that occurs within the timeframe of an internship. The first developmental stage of the internship is anticipation which involves overcoming anxieties, getting to know colleagues and clients, constructing individual learning goals, understanding the organizational culture of this learning environment and becoming familiar with the purpose and mission of the agency (Sweitzer & King, 2004. The second stage is exploration which challenges a student to adjust expectations with self, with others, with organizational values, and to identify problem areas requiring attention (Sweitzer & King, 2013). Students question adequacy of skills and knowledge in relation to responsibilities in this new learning environment. The third stage, competence, is transformative as the student feels empowered, accomplishes worthwhile tasks and seeks quality projects (Sweitzer & King, 2004. Students are more connected to the social learning environment, feel more confident professionally, and continue to become self aware. The fourth stage is culmination and requires students to evaluate their performance, identify transferable skills and engage in closure with colleagues and clients before concluding the experience (Sweitzer & King, 2004).

Adding to existing theory-proposed Transition Theory
While each of the four stages of the internship provide context for understanding student development during the internship, what prompts the transitions between the stages is given limited attention. It may be the case that soft-skill development is a necessary component of progression through the stages of the internship (see Table 1). While there are assessment methods used for measuring student learning and development, student perceptions and supervisor perceptions, there is a gap in the literature involving a comparison between student and supervisor perceptions specific to student soft-skill development (Cedercreutz, Hoey, Cates, Miller, & Maltbie, 2008;Dochy, Segers, & Sluijsman, 1999;Griffin, Lorenz, & Mitchell, 2010;Harvey, 2010;Jaekel, Hector, Northwood, Benzinger, Salinitri, Johrendt, & Watters, 2011;Nasr, Pennington, & Kettering, 2004;Sturre, VonTreuer, Keele, & Moss, 2012;Winchester-Seeto, Mackaway, & Coulson, 2010). In order to understand if soft-skill development is being enhanced through the use of internships, it is essential to understand both student and supervisor perceptions.

METHODOLOGY
The study is the third in a sequence of three steps. Initially, researcherdesigned surveys were used in a pilot study for program evaluation. Next, the survey was submitted to the IRB. Finally, secondary data analysis of IRBapproved data collection from spring and summer 2014 semesters is the focus of this study (see Appendix A).

Research Design
While anecdotal information at one public institution of higher education in the Northeast region of the United States exists regarding student skill development as a direct result of participating in an internship, it has not been quantified. Using a survey tool to sample student and employer perceptions regarding soft-skill development is likely to be a versatile and efficient way to collect, analyze, and compile results. Two researcher created survey tools were administered to analyze both student and supervisor perceptions' of student intern soft-skill enhancement during a 13 week semester (see Appendices B & C).
The surveys were designed using focus groups, expert opinions, and a program evaluation pilot study. The reliability of the scores from both the student and supervisor surveys in the pilot study were acceptable with α ranging from .66 -.88 (see Tables 2 & 3).  Table 3 Pre-Post Reliability Coefficients of Supervisor Pilot Note. N=356

Pre-Post Retrospective Survey
In an effort to reduce response shift bias, one pre-post retrospective survey was administered to students and one to supervisors to measure change in soft-skill development during a 13 week semester as a direct result from participating in an internship. Rockwell and Kohn (1989) explained that "the 'post-then-pre' method of self report evaluation offers one solution for documenting behavior change" (p. 2). Typically when researchers want to measure change over time, they administer two surveys, one at the start of participation in the subject matter being surveyed and one at the conclusion. There are two limitations to this approach. The first is that the participants are not always aware of their baseline behaviors, so they cannot accurately document those behaviors prior to the experiences (Drennan & Hyde, 2008). The information in the pre-survey may be skewed due to shift bias, as the participant is not aware of levels of understanding or depth of skills and how these apply in the context of the setting being evaluated. Second, there is a challenge in administering multiple surveys and maintaining one group of respondents in order to effectively measure change. Post then pre test allows students and supervisors the opportunity to share perspectives regarding softskill development at the conclusion of the internship. The overarching construct expected to be measured is the level of soft-skill development that occurred as a result of participation in an internship as it relates to communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking.

Sampling Design
A convenience sample of 315 undergraduate junior and senior level college students enrolled in internship courses at one public institution of higher education in the Northeast region of the United States and their corresponding 315 internship supervisors were asked to respond to a pre-post retrospective survey. One supervisor was designated for each student intern. Ninety-six percent of the students in the study were traditional-aged students, representing the millennial generation.
The student and supervisor data were initially reviewed to determine the number who had consented to participate in the study. 278 students (88%) and 287 supervisors (91%) consented to participate in the study and completed all of the items on the survey regarding soft-skill development. Both samples answered all of the questions pertaining to the soft-skill development section of the survey. With two respondent groups in a study, it is advised to have at least 68 participants in each group to detect a medium effect size with 80% power (Harlow, 2005). The sample size obtained for the study satisfies the 95% confidence level necessary to represent the population of 450 student interns (i.e., course yearly enrollment). All students and supervisors who completed the surveys were assigned identification numbers as a point of reference to provide anonymity when reporting on the survey results.
The 278 students in the sample represent 30 majors (see Table 4), with a range of 1 to 70 students from each major. The majority of the students (69%) represent six majors including a) communication studies (70)

Instruments and Data Collection Schedule
The instruments were administered online using Qualtrics. Students were

Procedure
Students were asked to reflect on their perception of their soft-skills competencies before they started the internship. Students rate their initial level of competency from (1) poor to (4) great beginning with communication skills.
Next, they were asked to rate their level of competency using the same rating scale in communication skills after they completed their 13 week internship.
Students were asked to follow this same procedure (e.g., reflect on soft-skill competency before the internship, rate themselves, rate themselves again after they had finished the internship) for rating their perceived levels of competency in teamwork, initiative, and analytical thinking.
Concurrently each student's supervisor rated the student's levels of competency on the same soft-skills of communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking. Following the same procedure as the students, the supervisors reflected back on soft-skill competency at the beginning of the internship and at the end of the experience.

Student Survey of Soft-Skill Development
The measure of soft-skills on the student survey consists of 24 items on four scales designed to measure self-perceived development in communication 3) engagement: a) initiative and b) teamwork). All 24 original questions were retained from the pilot study on both the student and supervisor surveys.

Supervisor Survey of Student Soft-Skill Development
All corresponding supervisors were asked to complete a pre-post retrospective survey mirroring the measures on the student survey in an effort to gather information regarding supervisor perception of student skill development on the constructs of interest at the conclusion of the semester. Additional questions were included, asking the supervisor to reflect on the student's performance, completion of hours required and accomplishing learning objectives however this will not be included in the study.

Overview of Data Analyses
Secondary data analyses were conducted to measure soft-skill development from the spring and summer 2014 based on the student and supervisor surveys using SPSS version 22.0. Exploratory data analysis was conducted to check for normality. Descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and ranges of scores were examined for each scale (communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking,) then for each item.
In order to assess Q1 and Q2, a data screening process was employed to check for missing values for all student and supervisor responses. Normality, and heterogeneity of variances, were examined to ensure that all assumptions were met to perform the statistical tests. The reliability of scores on the measures was examined using coefficient alpha for supervisors and students using before (pre) and after (post) ratings. Macro level statistical testing using Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was conducted to explore the relationship between the independent variable, time (pre and post 13-week semester internship) and the dependent variables (each soft-skills scale). The MANOVAs assessed the general soft-skill development before and after internships and student and supervisor responses were assessed separately.
In order to assess Q1, Q2, and Q3 of the research study; paired samples ttests were conducted on each scale and each item for students and supervisors.
The t-test was used to compare the same sample of students and supervisors at two different points in time. Using 24 pre/post items requires 24 comparisons.
Because multiple t-tests were run, a Bonferonni Correction was used to control for Type 1 error and it was found that alpha should be set at .01. A Pearson product moment correlation was conducted to assess the relationship between student and supervisor responses on pre and post ratings. Pearson is an appropriate measure to check student self report bias by including supervisor responses. A correlation matrix was examined on the subscales to account for the relationship between variables. Finally a one-way-analysis of variance (Anova) was conducted to determine if there were any significant differences between the mean scores for students in each educator's internship seminar.

RESULTS
To answer the research questions, data analysis began with a data screening process to check for missing values for all student and supervisor responses. Second, descriptive statistics including means, standard deviations, and ranges of scores were examined for each scale (communication, teamwork, initiative, and, analytical thinking,) then for each item. Third, macro level statistical testing using (MANOVA) was conducted to explore the relationship between the independent variable, time and the dependent variables, soft-skills.
Fourth, micro level paired samples t-tests were conducted on each scale and each item for students and supervisors. Fifth, a correlation matrix was examined on the subscales. Sixth, a one-way-ANOVA was conducted to determine if there were any significant differences between the mean scores for students in each educator's internship seminar. Finally, the reliability of the scores were examined using coefficient alpha. Chapter four presents the data in a meaningful way to answer each of the research questions.

Macro Level Exploratory Data Analysis
Descriptive statistics for student and supervisor responses were examined to review accuracy and patterns in the range of Likert responses (1-4), the mean scores and the standard deviations for the 24-items represented on the four scales (communication, teamwork, initiative and, analytical thinking) reported for pre and post internship. The M ranged from 14-23 representing the sum of all 6 items on each scale pre and post. Skewness and kurtosis were used to examine the shape of the data when screening for normality (see Tables 5 and 6). It was determined that the data met the criteria for normal distribution so all respondents' data were included in the study results.  Correlation matrices were examined on all soft-skill development items for both student and supervisor responses. Majority of the scores within the scales were between a .3 and .7 showing that the items were related in a meaningful way without measuring the same construct (Harlow, 2005).
Correlations were also conducted on all soft-skill scales for both student and supervisor responses. As expected, all four scales were highly correlated (see Tables 7, 8    Reliability analyses demonstrated the scores on the scales to be internally consistent based on both the student and supervisor (see Table 11) responses which ranged from .66 to .88. A reliability coefficient of .70 is considered to be acceptable, although lower thresholds are sometimes used throughout research (Nunnaly, 1978). Typically, reliability coefficients between .80 and .90 are more desirable. There were few discrepancies in list wise deletion based on all variables in the procedure.
On the student scales there were four discrepancies. The first was an option to delete the "listening intently" item on the communication pre scale which would raise the alpha from .77 to .79. Similarly, that same item if deleted on the communication post scale would raise the alpha from .79 to .80. The third item, "adhering to deadlines" was on the initiative post scale and would raise the alpha level from .66 to .67. Finally on the analytic post scale there was a discrepancy with the item; "identify skills necessary to complete a task" which if deleted would raise the alpha from .81 to .82. Since none of the four discrepancies would result in a large change in alpha if deleted, all items were retained on all scales.
On the supervisor scales the only discrepancy was an option to delete the "communicating well in writing" item on the communication post scale which would raise the alpha from .87 to .88 and not a large enough difference in alpha and the item was retained as it is theoretically sound. A one-way-Anova was conducted to assess if there were any significant Pearson product moment correlations were run to assess the congruence between student and supervisor pre and post ratings on each scale (see Tables   12 & 13). It was found that for all scales, students and supervisors ratings were not correlated. The analysis compares the averages of all students with all supervisors. Adding all of the items together reduced the variation in the ratings.

MANOVA
A MANOVA was conducted to examine differences on the soft-skill scales for both the supervisor and the student responses separately. The test was meant to explore differences in how the groups (students and supervisors) responded on soft-skill dependent variable scales before and after the internship.
Time is the independent variable representing two different points in time during the internship semester (week 2 and week 13) and the soft-skill development scales are the dependent variables. MANOVA was used to analyze repeated measures of the soft-skill development scales from the start to the conclusion of the internship.
Results indicate that students rated their soft-skills development higher at the end of the internships than at the beginning (Wilks' λ = .24, F (4, 274) = 214.86, p < .001, partial eta squared = .76). Students consistently rated their softskill development at 2 to 3 points higher at the conclusion of the internship.
Given the significance of the overall test, the univariate main effects were examined (see Table 14  It was found that supervisors rated student soft-skills development higher at the post than the pre (Wilks' λ = .415, F (4, 283) = 99.751, p < .001, partial eta squared = .59). Supervisors consistently rated the student soft-skill development at 2 to 3 points higher at the conclusion of the internship. Given the significance of the overall test, the univariate main effects were examined (see Table 15).

Pairwise t-test
Pairwise t-tests were conducted for the student and supervisor responses to examine pre-post differences for each item. Student rated their soft-skills development higher at the end of the internships than at the beginning on all 24 items, p < .001 (see Table 16). Supervisor rated student soft-skills development higher at the conclusion of the internship than at the start on all 24 items, p < .001 (see Table 17).  Higher education is asked to partner with employers to identify and teach relevant skills so graduates are able to be "workplace ready" entering the job market by developing skills in both the "hard" -academic and technical-and "soft" -personality traits and habits-areas (Biden, 2014;Schultz, 2008). It is incumbent upon educators to include the advice of employers as they address both soft and hard skills development. While educators focus on connecting theory and practice, employers work to put that theory into practice.
Prioritizing workplace ready skill development through workforce education for adults requires aligning higher education, adult education and economic development ("Workforce and Education Strategies", 2009).
Internships are an educational approach to collaborating with community partners, connecting class concepts to real-world practice, and solving problems with innovative results, allowing students to develop professional skills and use academic knowledge in a practical setting (Sweitzer & King, 2013;Cates & Jones, 1999). Work-based learning opportunities like internships have the potential to serve as a bridge from education to employment allowing students to use both hard and soft skills within a Community of Practice (CoP) with guidance from a more knowledgeable other, like a supervisor. Therefore, there were two main objectives of the current research study.
The first purpose of this study was to examine the level of student softskill development as a result of participating in an internship. Employers are expressing a desire for entry level employees to possess the soft-skills necessary to successfully move into the work environment (Beard, Schwieger & Surendran, 2008). While there have been qualitative studies conducted to focus on student soft-skill development there have been no quantitative research studies surveying both student interns and their corresponding supervisors (Andrews & Higson, 2008;DelGiudice, Libutti, Dawson & Castaneda, 2013;Hasbullah & Sulaiman, 2002;Rainsbury, Hodges, Burchell & Lay, 2002). Without the quantitative analysis it is difficult to generalize the learning outcomes associated with internships for a larger population. In order to quantitatively assess softskill development, student and supervisor surveys were created. The surveys were piloted with students and supervisors in 2013 to check for internal consistency prior to administering the surveys for the current study. In 2014 the surveys were administered to students and supervisors to evaluate student softskill development at the conclusion of the internship.
The second purpose of the research study was to use the survey results to examine if there was congruence between student and supervisor ratings on softskill development at the conclusion of the internship experience as employers claim students are not graduating from college with the essential soft skills to be effective in the workplace (NACE, 2013). It was essential to examine soft-skill development as reported by students and supervisors to explore the degree to which reporting is similar. Results from the study will inform how integrating internships for real-world experience provides an opportunity for students to learn in a CoP and begin to develop the skills necessary for gainful employment and life beyond the classroom.

Pre-Scores on all Soft-Skill Development Scales
Initial findings on the student and supervisor MANOVA results show that while there were differences in the way students and supervisors ranked items, there was consistency on the patterns in responses between student and supervisor pre rankings. It was found that both students and supervisors found

Post -Scores on all Soft-Skill Development Scales
On all post scales students and supervisors consistently saw an increase in the soft-skill development from the start to the conclusion of the internship.

Q3: Is there congruence with how student interns and supervisors rate soft-skill development as a result of the internship?
In order to answer this question both correlation matrices and pairwise ttests were conducted. The correlation matrices did not show relationships between student and supervisor pre and post responses. In hindsight, the student and supervisor ratings would not be correlated through this statistical test since analysis does not compare students to their direct supervisor (i.e. students enter an internship at different skill levels and change will be evaluated differently by each supervisor). However, there are other statistical tests to examine relationship including the descriptive statistics and mean differences which show consistency in the patterns of the responses. Student differences on each scale correlate with supervisor differences on the same scales. Students and supervisors identified that soft-skill development did occur on each item at different degrees of growth. Student self reported ratings were initially lower on each item than supervisor pre ratings but students perceive more gains at the completion of the internship. Supervisor ratings are higher on each item with less difference or growth reported at the conclusion of the internship. Examining items on each scale based on mean scores showed there was consistency in the patterns of student and supervisor responses.

Communication
Three of the top five items with the highest gains (i.e. difference between pre and post ratings) for students were on the communication scale including, "communicating with a person in charge", "asserting my own opinions", and "expressing ideas and concepts clearly". Supervisors agreed with "asserting their own opinion" and "communicating with a person in charge" which were also in their top five items with the highest reported mean gains. The findings suggest that an internship as a learning environment provides students with a place to practice their professional communication skills.
The lack of opportunities to be in work environments prior to an internship may contribute to this being the scale with the highest mean gains. As students enter the CoP, it is clear they have an interest in the field but experience an inability to express unique thoughts independently. The role of the supervisor in an internship is to support the student by providing opportunity to communicate with colleagues in the CoP and offering consistent feedback. The feedback loop provides the student with context for opportunities to improve communication techniques.

Teamwork
Teamwork was ranked highest at the start of the internship for both groups followed by initiative, analytical thinking and communication, which experienced the most growth. Students (M=18.66) and supervisors (M=21.40) agreed that students entered the internship with a more developed adeptness to teamwork which may be related to characteristics associated with the Millennial generation. Millennials have an expectation in the work environment that they will have close relationships with colleagues, be able to work on teams for the social interaction aspect and the benefit of a team is the opportunity to avoid risk through equal contributions (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2008). It is not surprising that teamwork had the least amount of soft-skill development when considering the comfort level of Millennials working on teams through previous experiences.
The pre and post mean differences on the teamwork scale item, "participating in meetings in group settings" highlighted the student's desire to be connected to the team but the fear of risk within the group setting with more experienced individuals. The student pre score (M=2.91) moved to a (M=3.47) post score yet it still did not reach the supervisor pre score of (M=3.57). While the supervisor found the student to be a contributing member to the group setting, it took the student time to gain confidence participating in a meeting.

Initiative
Students and supervisors agreed that initiative improved over the course of the internship semester. The item, "requesting increased responsibility" had the most growth for the student from pre (M=2.63) to post (M=3.38). The combination of working in a new setting, and asserting oneself by communicating with a person in charge in an effort to request more work seems to be a significant opportunity for student soft-skill development. The one item has multiple facets connecting all four scales.

Analytical Thinking
Two of the top five items with the highest gains for supervisors were on the analytical thinking scale including, "identifying problems" and "recommending solutions". The expectation for work is that a student will leave college with the necessary hard and soft skills to perform the job. The reality could be that the student learns how to think analytically with a more experienced individual, like a supervisor through training associated with an internship in a CoP. Supervisor recognition of the student ZPD challenges the student to think and act independently despite the preference and security of working in a team to avoid the possibility of making a mistake.

Soft-skill development
Results of the analysis of all soft-skill development items suggest that there are consistent patterns among student and supervisor responses. Students and supervisors reported gains across all soft-skill development scales at the conclusion of the internship. An internship provides students with authentic experiences in a social learning environment. Engaging in the social learning environment requires the use of soft-skills. A student entering an internship may have had limited opportunity to use soft-skills in a professional environment prior to the internship. The mediation provided by the supervisor and educator offer a safe learning environment where the student can practice communicating effectively, working as a member of a team, taking initiative, and thinking analytically about issues confronting the industry. Soft-skill development involves practicing, making mistakes and attempting to use soft-skills effectively after reflecting on how the student handled situations in the CoP. Results of the study provide evidence to support the role of an internship as a pedagogical approach to student soft-skill development.

Limitations and Future Directions
There are several limitations with the current study. First, the results should be cautiously generalizable since the study was conducted with one group of undergraduate junior and senior level college students enrolled in internship courses at one public institution of higher education in the Northeast region of the United States and their corresponding internship supervisors.
Second, due to the small number of students representing each major (range 1-70 students per major) it is not advised to generalize the research based on one major. It could be of interest to some to look at the results by major but the small N per major in this sample did not allow for such comparisons.
Third, the study supports internships as an educational approach to student soft-skill development based on survey results. The surveys were used due to the lack of quantitative research data to support soft-skill development through internships; however a qualitative understanding could provide context for individual student and supervisors' responses and give insight into the particular experiences to which the student attributes the gains in soft-skill development.

Soft-Skill Development Transition Theory
The research study was the first step in establishing that soft skills are actually being developed during an internship. The study involved student interns enrolled in a credit based internship course, the designated supervisor with expertise in the field, and the educator instructing the course. The professional relationship between the student and the supervisor in a CoP may have had an impact on student soft-skill development. Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development (Vygotsky, 1978).
Further qualitative and quantitative research should be conducted to explore the theory that soft-skill development is the driving factor in moving between stages of the internship.

Millennials in the Workplace
Millennials were born between 1979-2000 (Myers & Sadaghiani, 2010). Millennials are characterized by their high student loan debt, poor job economy prospects and significant wealth gap between older generations who are remaining in the workplace longer than their predecessors (Kotkin, 2012).
The reality of the economy has made it challenging for Millennials to work part time jobs which are assumed by more experienced individuals (Kotkin, 2012).
Further research should be conducted to understand the influence of limited adolescent work opportunities on soft-skill development.

Internship Funding
Finally, state and federal funding for students engaged in internships and employers offering meaningful learning opportunities through supervised internships are increasing as a way to rejuvenate the economy. Providing students with the experience and opportunity to develop skills necessary to be successful in the workplace is a way to address the lack of employer training programs for new employees and determine if the individual is a fit for the organization prior to an official hire. Assessing student skill development should continue to be a focus for future studies as it can influence pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning.

Cover Letter Student Survey
The staff at URI's Center for Career and Experiential Education wants to know more about your experiential learning experience, skill development, and learning outcomes from this semester. Your participation will help us meet the learning needs of all students -across academic majors -engaged in various examples of experiential learning at URI. Experiential Learning is a broad term used to describe a student's use of analytical, oral, written, and other skills obtained in the classroom to an external setting. Experiential learning includes internships, field experience, laboratories, external problem based learning, service learning, and various practicum experiences. This survey consists of 55 questions and will take about 15 minutes to complete. All of the information you share is confidential. Our goal is to improve all of our experiential learning programs. If you have any questions about this survey, you may contact the staff of the Center for Career and Experiential Education at 401-874-2311. If at any time you decide not to participate in the survey, please just close the web page. Your participation and feedback is appreciated. Thank you for your time and interest in sharing your knowledge.

Student Survey:
Q2 Which semester did you complete your experiential learning experience?  (13) Q5 What is your major? (If you have a double major, please indicate the major related to your experiential learning experience)  Accounting (1)  African American Studies (2)  Animal Science and Technology (3)  Anthropology (4)  Aquaculture and Fishery Technology (5)  Art (6)  Art History (7)  Biological Sciences (8)  Biology (9)  Biomedical Engineering (10)  Business Administration (11)  Chemical Engineering (12 Q7 The following questions ask you to reflect on the level of your skills and abilities before and after your experiential learning experience. Please provide two responses for each item below: In the first column labeled "BEFORE experiential learning," select the answer that best describes the level of your skills/abilities before you started your experiential learning experience. Then in the second column labeled "AFTER experiential learning," select the answer that best describes the level of your skills/abilities now that you have finished your experiential learning experience.

Q8 COMMUNICATION SKILLS
BEFORE experiential learning AFTER experiential learning

Poor
(1) Research is the investigation into the study of materials and sources in order to establish new facts and reach new conclusions. Did you conduct or participate in research as part of your experiential learning experience?  Analyzing data using quantitative methods (1)  Analyzing data using qualitative methods (2)  Using statistical software to analyze data (e.g. SPSS, SAS) (3)  Writing or presenting a scientific paper or poster (4)  Literature review and database searches (5)  Data collection (6)  Data management (7)  Questionnaires, interviews, or other research with humans (8)  Information searching (e.g. web searches, archival records) (9) Q15 To what extent did experiential learning enhance your career growth? Please check the best answer. Q17 Thinking about the ideas, skills, knowledge, and abilities that you learned during your academic coursework, which were you able to apply to your experiential learning experience? Check all that apply.
 Creative expression or artistic appreciation (e.g. art, design, knowledge of creative works) (1)  History and theories of my major (e.g. psychological theories, global history) (2)  Honesty and ethics (e.g. preventing plagiarism, ethics in research, protecting client confidentiality) (3)  Problem solving (e.g. thinking critically, designing a new product, identifying new approaches to helping a client) (4)  Integrating knowledge from different fields (e.g. apply knowledge to a new setting or complex problem, work effectively with a team of diverse professionals) (5)  Mathematical, statistical, or computational methods (e.g. SPSS, Excel, sale and profit analysis) (6)  Conducting research (e.g. assisting in a research project, writing a research paper) (7)  Using technology (e.g. technical skills, tools, instruments, computers) (8)  Collecting and presenting information (e.g. interpreting data, graphs, or reports) (9)  Applying knowledge to local and global problems (e.g. recognizing how my major can help solve problems such as hunger, poverty, or sustainability) (10)  Contributing to society and the needs of the larger community (e.g. advocacy, leadership, political structure) (11)  Understanding of diversity and multiculturalism (e.g. respecting different cultural perspectives, appreciating human diversity) (12)  Communicating effectively (e.g. writing, presentations to groups, interpersonal communication) (13)  Reading thoughtfully (e.g. analyzing information, reviewing critically) (14)  Information literacy (e.g. identifying available information and tools, evaluating quality of information, researching complex issues) (15)  Other (16) ____________________ Q18 Please list the (3) courses you completed at URI that best prepared you for your experiential learning responsibilities. For each course indicate the COURSE NUMBER and PROFESSOR (last name only). Please use a backslash to separate course number and professor. Follow the given example:1. PSY200/Rossi2. ENG340/Larson3. GER100/Stern Q19 As a result of your experiential learning experience, were you offered any of the following?
Yes (1) No (2) Was offered a paid position at your site (1)

Cover Letter Supervisor Survey
The staff at URI's Center for Career and Experiential Education appreciates your participation in providing quality experiential learning opportunities for our students. Now that the semester is almost complete, we are requesting your feedback for the final evaluation of the student. This evaluation assists us in assessing the student's performance over the semester, and also serves to provide the student with feedback about their strengths and areas where they can improve their skills. We encourage you to take the time to discuss the evaluation with your student before submitting it to our office. This survey consists of 28 questions and will take about 15 minutes to complete.
The following questions ask you to rate the level of your student's skills and abilities when they STARTED their experiential learning experience compared to when they COMPLETED their experience. Please provide two responses for each item below: In the first column labeled "At the Start," select the answer that best describes the level of their skills/abilities when they started their experiential learning experience. Think back to the first 2 to 3 weeks of observing the student. Then in the second column labeled "At Completion," select the answer that best describes the level of their skills/abilities now that they have completed (or soon will complete) their experiential learning experience. If you are unable to accurately rate a student on a particular item (e.g. do not have knowledge to rate them, or the item does not apply), please mark Not Applicable.

At the Start At Completion
Poor (1) Fair (2) Good (3) Great (4) NA (5) Poor (1) Fair (2) Good (3) Great (4) NA (5) Asserting their own opinions (1) In general, research is the investigation into the study of materials and sources in order to establish new facts and reach new conclusions. In the context of your own field, did the student conduct or participate in research as part of their experiential learning experience?
 Yes (1)  No (2) If No Is Selected, Then Skip to What would you consider this student'...

Q13
What research activities did they participate in? Please check all that apply.
 Analyzing data using quantitative methods (1)  Analyzing data using qualitative methods (2)  Using statistical software to analyze data (e.g. SPSS, SAS) (3)  Writing or presenting a scientific paper or poster (4)  Literature review and database searches (5)  Data collection (6)  Data management (7)  Questionnaires, interviews, or other research with humans (8)  Information searching (e.g. web searches, archival records) (9) Q14 What would you consider this student's primary strengths?
Q15 What major contribution did this student make to your organization?
Q16 What areas of development should the student continue to improve upon in order to succeed in this field?
Q17 In your opinion, how well was this placement suited to the student's abilities and interests?
Q18 In your opinion, how would you rate the student's ability to work as a contributing team member?
Q19 Did they complete all required hours? Q24 How often did you meet with the student?
Q28 The next four questions allow you to assess the student's portfolio. The Learning Contract and Portfolio are an important requirement of the experiential learning experience. As described in the Supervisor packet, the Learning Contract serves as the academic and professional road map for the student's semester. It identifies the student's learning objectives and how they plan to accomplish these, as well the workplace requirements, intern responsibilities and hours. At the conclusion of the internship the student creates a professional portfolio based on the content of the learning contract. Please indicate yes or no to the next four questions. If you are not able to review the student's portfolio, please mark Not Applicable.
Yes (1) No (2) Not Applicable (3) The contents of the portfolio accurately portray the efforts, progress, and accomplishments of the student.
(1) Thank you for supervising an intern from the University of Rhode Island.

SUPERVISOR PACKET:
I have included a link to a supervisor packet with valuable information about the internship program and contacting us. Simply cut and paste the link below into your browser -it will serve as a great resource throughout the internship. https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1uwjf4niB_ObmtUZjIyUTRhWkU/edit?usp=sh aring

LEARNING CONTRACT:
Your student intern has been asked to create a learning contract as a road map for the internship. We have found that the learning contract acts as an outline for projects/tasks/research and skill building. A learning contract is a list of goals that you and the student generate. Please feel free to ask the student about the learning contract assignment which is due within the first few weeks of the semester in order to keep the student on track with his or her learning.

EVALUATIONS:
At the mid-point and conclusion of the semester I will email you a request to complete evaluations. This is an opportunity to provide the internship office with information regarding your intern's work performance AND offer the intern praise and advice regarding their contributions in your office setting. I encourage you to discuss the evaluation with your student as part of the learning experience.
In the final evaluation you will be asked to measure skill development and learning of your student intern. The skills we are asking you to reflect on are communication skills, analytical thinking, initiative and teamwork. Over the course of the semester, consider how your student has developed in these areas from week 2 through week 12. Again, thank you for your time and commitment to the URI internship program. Internships are beneficial for the student to determine career goals and accomplish significant projects to enhance skill sets, so your participation is essential and appreciated! APPENDIX G Final Email to Supervisor week 12 of semester Supervisor Name: We are quickly approaching the internship end date for our academic calendar and I would like to once again thank you for your willingness to work with a URI intern and for providing them with a worthwhile experience this semester.
This link--https://uribus.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_cGTPoTwHW8VIEy9 leads you to the final on-line evaluation. Please complete this before DATE so that I know, from you, that the student intern completed the goals in the learning contract agreement and finished their negotiated hours.
This evaluation is an important component in the final review of the student's professional performance over the course of the semester. Please share your feedback with the student before you submit this, so they have a better understanding of where they excel, and of course when necessary, where they can improve.
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact me via email or telephone 401-874-4777 and I would be happy to assist you. Again, thank you for your time and dedication to partnering with the University of Rhode Island in facilitating a meaningful learning experience for our students.

CONSENT FORM FOR RESEARCH
You have been invited to take part in a research project described below. If you have more questions later, Kim Washor, the person mainly responsible for this study, {401-874-4777}, will discuss them with you. You must be at least 18 years old to be in this research project.

Description of the project:
This semester, you participated in Experiential Learning at URI. This survey aims to evaluate the perceived gains of students who engage in Internships at the university.
What will be done: If you decide to take part in this study here is what will happen: You will be asked to rate various skills before and after Experiential Learning, and to provide information about your tasks, assignments, and overall experience. You should know that completion of this survey may be mandatory for your final grade in ITR, however, you DO NOT have to allow your responses to be used in research.

Risks or discomfort:
Risks and/or discomfort during this survey are not anticipated, however, if you experience discomfort, please contact Kim Washor {401-874-4777).

Benefits of this study:
Although there will be no direct benefit to you for taking part in this study, the researcher may learn more about the value of experiential learning for college students, and the ways through which the experience can be improved.

Confidentiality:
Your part in this study is confidential. None of the information will identify you by name. All records will be kept in a password-protected database accessible only to the principle and student investigators. Any reporting on this data will reflect group averages, and individual responses will not be used.

Decision to quit at any time:
The decision to take part in this study is up to you. You do not have to participate. Although you may be required to take this survey for class, use of your responses as part of the research study is OPTIONAL. Whatever you decide will in no way affect your grade, or status as a student. Please click "NEXT." You will be prompted with a question asking you for permission to use your responses for research purposes. By responding "YES" to that question, you are acknowledging that you have read and fully understand the consent form, and that you wish to participate. If you click "NO," you will still be prompted to complete the survey, but your responses will not be used for research purposes.
APPENDIX I

Supervisor Consent Form
The University of Rhode Island University College Roosevelt Hall Experiential Learning

CONSENT FORM FOR RESEARCH
You have been invited to take part in a research project described below. If you have more questions later, Kim Washor, the person mainly responsible for this study, {401-874-4777}, will discuss them with you. You must be at least 18 years old to be in this research project.

Description of the project:
This semester, you participated as a supervisor in to an internship student from URI. This survey aims to evaluate your perceived gains of the student with whom you worked. What will be done: If you decide to take part in this study here is what will happen: You will be asked to rate various skills before and after Experiential Learning, and to provide information about your tasks, assignments, and overall experience. You should know that completion of this survey may be mandatory due to your role as a supervisor in providing feedback, however, you DO NOT have to allow your responses to be used in research.

Risks or discomfort:
Risks and/or discomfort during this survey are not anticipated, however, if you experience discomfort, or if you have any concerns please contact .

Benefits of this study:
Although there will be no direct benefit to you for taking part in this study, the researcher may learn more about the value of experiential learning for college students, and the ways through which the experience can be improved for students and supervisors.

Confidentiality:
Your part in this study is confidential. None of the information will identify you by name. All records will be kept in a password-protected database accessible only to the principle and student investigators. Any reporting on this data will reflect group averages, and individual responses will not be used.
Decision to quit at any time: The decision to take part in this study is up to you. You do not have to participate. Although you may be required to take this survey to provide the student with feedback, use of your responses as part of the research study is OPTIONAL. Whatever you decide will in no way affect your standing or eligibility for continuing to work with URI interns. Please click "NEXT." You will be prompted with a question asking you for permission to use your responses for research purposes. By responding "YES" to that question, you are acknowledging that you have read and fully understand the consent form, and that you wish to participate. If you click "NO," you will still be prompted to complete the survey, but your responses will not be used for research purposes.