Learning outcomes

To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.

Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.

Explore the graduate capabilities.

Content

The exact nature, activities and emphasis within each internship including virtual internships will vary with the nature, location and context of the internship and the aims, objectives and operations of the internship organisation. All internship students (including virtual internships) will need to complete: 

• The internship application process, including documentation review and approval 
• Pre-departure or pre-virtual internship cultural awareness training, organised by ACU and/or the internship organisation or approved third party internship provider as appropriate 
• Pre-departure or pre-virtual internship briefing(s) on the internship organisation, student welfare (including health, safety and wellbeing, culture shock, reverse culture shock and vicarious trauma), travel logistics, financial assistance, insurance, emergency procedures (including International SOS registration), student code of conduct, and assessment tasks and criteria. Briefings will be organised by ACU and/or the internship organisation or approved third-party internship provider as appropriate. These briefings may be in the form of online modules. 

During the placement, all international internship and virtual internship students will maintain: 

• Regular attendance in accordance with the work hours agreed with the academic supervisor and internship organisation 
• Regular contact with their academic supervisor to discuss student wellbeing and issues linked to the internship  
• Regular contact with their assigned supervisor in the internship organisation to allow the supervisor to provide regular feedback to the student on the work they do 

All international and virtual internship students will need to complete an evaluation of their internship upon completion of their placement and, if relevant, return to Australia.  

All internship organisations or third-party internship providers must provide written guarantees that the internship organisation will: 

• Support internship students through relevant training and guidance 
• Provide students with a safe and secure environment in which to carry out the internship 
• Set students appropriate workplace tasks and activities 
• Monitor student progress and provide regular feedback to students on the work they do 
• Comply with legal and statutory requirements regarding the workplace 
• Provide written feedback on the student’s performance on the completion of the internship  

The academic supervisor will provide academic and pastoral support to internship students for the duration of the unit, they will liaise as required with the internship organisation or third party internship provider, and they will provide guidance to students on the assessment tasks connected to the international internship. 

Learning and teaching strategy and rationale

This unit is composed of an international internship of 10-12 weeks’ full-time work that is typically undertaken in the semester period. The internship is normally undertaken outside of Australia, to ensure that students complete an extended period of immersion in a different country and culture and have the opportunity to develop and practice a range of important cross-cultural competencies. In exceptional circumstances, students may be allowed to undertake the internship in Australia either as a virtual international internship or as a domestic internship with an appropriate NGO, as approved by the Dean of Arts. These exceptions operate as per section 5.6 of the Academic Regulations.  

Central to the internship is the concept of authentic experiential learning: the internship allows students to participate actively in their own learning, gaining and applying knowledge and skills to ‘real world’ work activities and tasks and reflecting through thoughtful analysis on what they have done and how they have done it. Through practice and reflection, students become ‘deep’ learners and develop a range of transferable skills and new understandings (linking ‘new’ and ‘old’ knowledge). Students ‘learn to learn’ on their own (i.e. independent learning) and learn with the help, support and guidance of others (i.e. cooperative learning). Experiential learning opportunities extend beyond the workplace environment: students will also be encouraged to reflect on and learn from the opportunities and challenges linked to living and working in a different culture to their own. Compulsory pre-departure training and briefing modules offered online are designed to help students navigate successfully the transition from domestic student to international intern (including how to recognise and manage culture shock and vicarious trauma) and equip them with the tools to engage in meaningful reflection.  

The internship organisation will provide workplace support, instruction and feedback to students throughout the placement as per guarantees made by the organisation (or the third-party internship provider on behalf of that organisation) at the application stage. The nominated academic supervisor will provide academic and pastoral support throughout the unit. Students will undertake a critical reflection as their final assessment task. This reflection is designed to allow students to reflect on the internship/international experience and to compare their internship and international experience with their everyday lives. Students will also be asked to complete a post-experience evaluation that will afford staff the opportunity to identify any issues with the internship itself as well as identify students who may be experiencing symptoms of reverse culture shock or vicarious trauma.