Assessment of Student Learning Through Journalism and Mass Communication Internships

Abstract

Under accreditation standards, journalism and mass communication programs are required to regularly assess student learning and utilize results to improve curriculum and instruction. This case study examined how an accredited journalism program utilized internships in outcomes assessment. The study revealed that the program used internships as an indirect assessment measure among its multiple assessment tools. Significantly, the study found that assessment data from internships proved to be instrumental in taking steps to improve student learning. A key challenge, however, was the complexity of measuring discipline-specific values versus competencies through the program’s worksite evaluation forms.