Fostering student reflection during engineering internships

This paper describes an approach that attempts to enable students to develop and demonstrate appropriate engineering graduate attributes through an industry internship. It also looks at some of the trials and tribulations encountered on the journey. The School of Engineering at the University of Queensland offers a Professional Placement Semester to students in their fourth year, for which students obtain full academic credit. As part of the academic element, students undertake a two unit Professional Development course. The course uses flexible learning methods to encourage students to reflect on their own professional development throughout the placement semester. The cornerstone of the course is the Professional Development log kept by each student in which they record and report work activities whilst at the placement organization. Each week students identify critical learning events in terms of professional development. They must then analyze the most significant of these events using a standard analysis template. For the students, the process aids them in keeping an accurate record of their time on placement as a contribution to future job applications as well as to their assessment. They are also intended to assist in each student's individual growth and learning by providing an avenue for reflexive thought.