Learning and Development Internship Report

This report focuses on the author's placement as an executive officer in the Activation-Sub Committee (ASC) at Southern Cross University. The report discusses the author's roles and responsibilities during the internship, personal impact and reflection, and examination of political, cultural, and social realities. The report concludes with recommendations for the whole degree and work-integrated learning program.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 1
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT
Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Institution
Course
Student’s ID
Date

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 2
Executive Summary
Internships have an essential role to play when it comes to the aspect of learning. My
internship proved to have more benefits than anticipated. I was given the role of making sure
that the institutional vision was realized. The role helped me to gain more knowledge as far
as my career is concerned and at the same time, I was able to implement what I was taught at
the school in a workplace environment. The report will focus on my placement as well as the
learning process throughout the internship. Learning takes place both at school and also
outside the school. The placement had an impact on me from a personal perspective as well
as an educational perspective. At the same time, my skills had a direct impact on the
placement. The placement helped me to learn and understand the need of working with
others. At the same time, I was able to know the impact that power, politics, social realities,
and cultural realities have is any given setting. The placement helped in making sure that the
skills which I attained in school were implemented for the better. In the process of working
with others and discharging the duties that I was given, I was forced to recall some of the
essential lessons that I learned as a student. At the same time, I had to reassess my beliefs and
assumptions. This was due to the fact that I realised that some values, beliefs, and
assumptions would limit me from realizing the full potential and discharging my mandate in
line with the expectations of the institution that provided me with the opportunity of learning
and practicing my skills. The placement did not leave me without lessons, and one of the
lessons was associated with the aspect of taking education seriously. The reason behind it is
associated with the fact that what is taught in school is exercised at the workplace.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 3
Contents
1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………..…….……..4
2.0 Overview of [Southern Cross University] and Internship Placement…………………..4
2.1 Organisational Background (add sub-headings as appropriate)…….…………………..4
2.2 Roles and Responsibilities during Internship Placement………………….…………….5
3.0 Personal Impact and Reflection ………………………………………...………………..5
3.1 The Role of Values, Beliefs, and Assumptions…………….….…………………………5
3.2 Examining Political, Cultural and Social Realities………………………………………6
3.3 My Most Valuable Lessons………………………………………………………………6
3.4 Recommendations for Whole Degree and Work Integrated Learning program……..…..7
4.0 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………..7
References…………………………………………………………………………………….8

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 4
1.0 Introduction
Learning is a continuous process that continues long after one has completed his or her
school life. The skills of a person are better tested when one is presented with tasks and
responsibilities. My internship program where I went to Coffs Harbour Education Campus of
Southern Cross University was an eye-opener as far as the aspect of learning is concerned. I
was placed in a position where I had to usher in change by making sure that the
implementation of different activities took place. The relationship of students, institution, and
members of the community is essential. The reason behind it is associated with the fact that
the three parties have a role to play in making the lives of each other better. My role was to
make sure that the vision of the institution was implemented with the aim of bringing
harmony and strengthening ties between the school and the community. Social activities have
different roles in bringing people together. When people engage in fun activities, they feel
that they are on the same level and that commands a certain level of respect. At the same
time, social ties are promoted, and they affect the attitude that people have towards each
other. The establishment and implementation of fun activities would come to help in creating
a good relationship between the institution and the community members. The placement had
positive effects on me from a different perspective. I was able to work with others, and at the
same time, I was provided with an opportunity to utilise the knowledge that I had gathered at
the school.
2.0 Overview of [Southern Cross University] and Internship Placement
My internship position was given to me as an executive officer in the Activation-Sub
Committee (ASC). The committee has eight members from different organisation including
Southern Cross University, TAFE NSW and Senior College. I was working with the
executive chair officer of ASC and was driving the significant projects.
2.1 Organisational Background (add sub-headings as appropriate)
My chosen internship placement was located at the Coffs Harbour Education Campus of
Southern Cross University. The first day of my placement commenced on the 22nd of
October 2018.
Our committee was working on behalf of three organisations Southern Cross University,
TAFE NSW and Senior College. The central vision of our committee includes:
 “Bring back the life to the campus” with multiple fun activities.
 Activation of campus life by student involvement.
 Having local community involved in the campus life.
I was put in place to bring those visions into actions. It is crucial to have the ability to
influence a group towards the achievement of a vision (book p218). The main agenda was to
engage and encourage students and also the community to involve in these fun activities. To
achieve this agenda, it was really crucial for me to understand the organisational structure. An
organisational structure defines how job tasks are formally divided grouped and coordinated
(BOOK). Even though the structure of our university is a matrix, but our committee follows a
simple structure. It follows "low degree of departmentalisation, wide spans of control,
authority centralised in a single person from each entity, and little formalisation”(book). The
structure of the organisation is flexible but having only eight members in the committee is a
low number. The only changes I would recommend are to encourage other partners to join the
committee. The committee has regular meetings to discuss and updates any upcoming events.
The chair of our committee encourages risk-taking and change, and also decisions are based
on awareness are appreciated as much as those that are well efficient. The committee is also

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 5
open to new ideas, e.g. as a student myself I offer the idea of having some monetary value in
the project. This idea of me was encouraged and also in the committee failure is treated as
having "learning experience." The committee is market driven and responsive to the student
and the community needs. Our committee is also designed around , and it has a positive
organisational culture.
The strong and flexible management in the committee provides a sense of job satisfaction
within the member of ASC
2.2 Roles and Responsibilities during Internship Placement
A person who is put in charge of making sure that the strategies of an organisation are
implemented has different roles and responsibilities (Berta et al. 1). Some of the roles that I
played were making sure that the applicability of the visions of the institution is not
questionable, making sure that the plan of the company is aligned to the desired goals of the
institution, and making sure that the strategic plan has a positive impact on the community,
students, and the institution (Illeris, 13). One of the reasons why there are organisational
goals in place is to make sure that change is attained. Therefore, the aspect of applicability
cannot be ignored. As my role, I had to make sure that the vision is applicable. In this respect,
the need to understand the community members and students came in handy (Vapnik, 2013).
Considering that these were the people who were supposed to be affected by the vision, it
became imperative to make sure that the vision would affect them positively. When it came
to the vision of the institution, I also had an essential role in making sure that the visions are
realistic (Ashby and Valentin, 170). The reason behind it is because trying to apply a vision
that is not realistic can turn into a waste of time and resources (Oudeyer, Gottlieb, and Lopes,
260). The responsibilities were to make sure that every vision was communicated to the
targeted persons; the selection of fun activities was done in consideration of the students and
constituting effective, fun activities. These responsibilities were aimed at making me an
effective member of the committee.
3.0 Personal Impact and Reflection
One of the main reasons why one plays different roles and responsibilities in an
organisation is to have an impact on the organisation as well as the processes that are in
place. It is, however, essential to note that one must have a personal impact on a project and
at the same time, it is likely for the project to have an impact on the person. During the
placement, I have a personal impact on the institution and the activities that I engaged in also
had an impact on my personal and academic lives. The placement helped me to work with
others to attain the desired goals (Miller and Morris, 1543). It is essential to note that I was
working with a committee and that means that my decisions were not final. The aspect of
making decisions after agreeing on different issues helped me to grow from a person who
makes decisions alone to a person who must involve others before making the right decisions
(Heeneman, Oudkerk Pool, Schuwirth, van der Vleuten, and Driessen, 490). The placement
helped me to be a person who weighs the effects of the decision that he makes before sharing
them with others and suggesting that they should be implemented.
3.1 The Role of Values, Beliefs, and Assumptions
Values, beliefs, and assumptions change the way people think and make choices.
During the internship, I was provided with no other choice but to make sure that my values
promoted the growth of the institution (Anderson, 34). When it comes to values, there was
not much to change because they were aligned with the responsibilities that I was given as
well as the roles that I was playing. When it came to beliefs, I had to change with the

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 6
intention of making sure that they did not come between me and delivering in line with the
expectations of the people who placed me (Ma, Yu, Wang, and Wang, 3). My belief has
always been associated with the need to concentrate more on academics when it came to
matters related to colleges. However, in the internship, it was my role to make sure that there
are activities which are not academic that are included in the school program (Cox, 29). After
understanding the need for students to engage in activities that also helps their social lives, I
had to reassess my beliefs.
When it came to assumptions, I also had to change, and this was because some of the
assumptions were contrary to what is true. Assumptions that the engagement of students in
other extra curriculum activities diverts them from the main goal of attaining academic
excellence had to be changed. I had to reassess this assumption because it presented
conclusions which were not factual (Davey, 18). The reason behind it is associated with the
fact that the body of a human being is created in a way that the physical body had to be taken
good care of if the mind is to be effective. In this respect, it became evident that there was a
dire need for other fun activities to promote the learning process of the student.
3.2 Examining Political, Cultural and Social Realities
My placement did not only help academically but also provide lessons and
experiences that were helpful in different ways. Power and politics had an effect on my
placement. Considering that I was working with a high ranking committee, it was evident that
the issue of power and school politics would arise (Anderson, 28). Working in a higher office
at any given institution helps one to understand how power is distributed and exercised in the
specific organisation. In the case of my placement, I came to learn that power played a
significant role when it came to the implementation of the school strategies (Chandler and
Hwang, 1448). The aspect of power had a positive effect on the activities that I was involved
in, and this is because the institution had placed a lot of power on me. Being in a position
where I was not limited to exercising my authority gave me the confidence that I needed in
making sure that the vision of the institution was changed into reality.
The politics of the institution also had an effect on me. The position that I was given
was a competitive position, and that pushed me to work harder. Institutional politics had an
effect on the employees who held a different position. The leaders did not have a room for
people who did not perform, and that gave me no other choice but to perform in line with the
expectations of the institution. When it came to the aspect of culture, it was evident that
people from different culture have a challenge getting along (Taylor, 25). The reality that it is
a challenge to bring people from different cultural groups together helped me to understand
more about the challenges that are present in working and dealing with people who are from
different cultural groups (Szabó, Gretton, Póczos, and Sriperumbudur, 950). Social realities
also gave me an experience which helped me during my placement and also in real life. It
was evident that people are social beings and when they come together for a common
purpose, the bond between them is established, and more encounters lead to the strengthening
of the bond. The social realities impacted me positively because they motivated me to work
on activities that would strengthen the social ties among the students and between the
students and the members of the community.
3.3 My Most Valuable Lessons
The applicability of the learning theory was evident during my placement. At the same
time, the development theory was also evident, and this is because despite learning a lot of
lessons during my placement, I also grew academically and socially. When it came to
individual lessons, I learned about my abilities, and this was made possible through the

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 7
activities that I was given. The first lesson was associated with the limit of performance. It is
not typical for a person who is looking for an internship to be given a higher position, but this
is what happened to my case. It was evident that individuals do not know the extent they can
go in serving until they are presented with the test of performing in higher ranks (Goldie,
1068). Performing as an implementer helped me to learn more about myself that I did not
learn. The second lesson was associated with the aspect of working with others. It was
evident that working with others was the only way to attain the desired goals. I learned that
when people work as a team, there is a chance of growth and this is because one feeds from
others in terms of knowledge. This lesson was helpful to me because it made me value
working with others.
Academically, I also learned some lessons which were helpful. The first academic lesson
that I learned was that what students are taught at school is essential and this is because it is
needed in the real world. Working with others requires one to be a good team player and at
the same time, managing others requires one to have leadership skills. Teamwork and
leadership skills are taught in skill, and that means that one is only needed to have an
excellent memory to utilise what he or she was taught in school.
The placement proved to be of help to me in meeting my learning goals and objectives
from assessment one. During the placement, I gained in different ways. The first way was
associated with the aspect of gaining work experience and the second way was associated
with the learning process. After the placement, I left the institution an educated person who
had the knowledge to work (Goodfellow, Bengio, Courville, and Bengio, 29). Therefore, it
was evident that my learning goals were attained. The position that I was given in the
institution placed me in a position where I had to demonstrate that I could work in any given
rank. Considering that I had not been in such a position before, I was forced to learn more to
make sure that I was effective. The learning has impacted my future because I have been
exposed to knowledge that will help me to prepare for the employment sector.
3.4 Recommendations for Whole Degree and Work Integrated Learning program
The course has played a significant role in equipping students. However, there is a
need for the course to consider promoting the learning process at an earlier stage. Most
people are exposed to the learning process when they are placed under internship. Therefore,
it means that if one has to take a single internship in the entire course, one is only presented
with another opportunity to learn and implement what he or she absorbed in school. The
learning institutions should work with organisations, and there should be short-term learning
periods in real-world working environments (Brockett and Hiemstra, 68). When a student is
exposed to more learning opportunities, it becomes easier for the student to fit in the
employment sector after completing school perfectly. At the same time, more concentration
should be given to knowledge that is essential and relevant in the profession of a person. It is
not fair to teach a student a lot of skills that he or she will never use in life.
4.0 Conclusion
Learning is essential in any aspect of life. The internship proved that exposure to
activities promotes the growth of a person and at the same time, it acts as a medium of
learning. The internship was nothing less than a learning process. The knowledge and skills
that were gained during the internship will be of great help to my career. It was also evident
that what students are taught is of great help to their future. The reason behind it is associated
with the fact that most of the skills that I attained in class came to be of help during my
internship program.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 8
References
Anderson, L., 2018. Time and School Learning (1984): Theory, Research, and Practice.
London: Routledge.
Anderson, T., 2016. Theories for learning with emerging technologies. Emergence and
innovation in digital learning: Foundations and applications, pp.35-50.
Ashby, F.G. and Valentin, V.V., 2017. Multiple systems of perceptual category learning:
Theory and cognitive tests. In Handbook of Categorization in Cognitive Science (Second
Edition) (pp. 157-188).
Berta, W., Cranley, L., Dearing, J.W., Dogherty, E.J., Squires, J.E. and Estabrooks, C.A.,
2015. Why (we think) facilitation works: insights from organizational learning theory:
Implementation Science, 10(1), p.1.
Brockett, R.G. and Hiemstra, R., 2018. Self-direction in adult learning: Perspectives on
theory, research, and practice. London: Routledge.
Chandler, D. and Hwang, H., 2015. Learning from learning theory: A model of
organizational adoption strategies at the microfoundations of institutional theory. Journal of
Management, 41(5), pp.1446-1476.
Cox, E., 2015. Coaching and adult learning: Theory and practice. New Directions for Adult
and Continuing Education, 2015(148), pp.27-38.
Davey, G., 2018. Ecological learning theory. London: Routledge.
Goldie, J.G.S., 2016. Connectivism: A knowledge learning theory for the digital
age? Medical teacher, 38(10), pp.1064-1069.
Goodfellow, I., Bengio, Y., Courville, A. and Bengio, Y., 2016. Deep learning (Vol. 1).
Cambridge: MIT Press.
Heeneman, S., Oudkerk Pool, A., Schuwirth, L.W., van der Vleuten, C.P. and Driessen,
E.W., 2015. The impact of programmatic assessment on student learning: theory versus
practice. Medical education, 49(5), pp.487-498.
Illeris, K., 2018. A comprehensive understanding of human learning. In Contemporary
Theories of Learning (pp. 1-14). Routledge.
Ma, X., Yu, H., Wang, Y. and Wang, Y., 2015. Large-scale transportation network
congestion evolution prediction using deep learning theory. PloS one, 10(3), p.e0119044.
Miller, B. and Morris, R.G., 2016. Virtual peer effects in social learning theory. Crime &
Delinquency, 62(12), pp.1543-1569.
Oudeyer, P.Y., Gottlieb, J. and Lopes, M., 2016. Intrinsic motivation, curiosity, and learning:
Theory and applications in educational technologies. In Progress in brain research (Vol. 229,
pp. 257-284). Elsevier.
Szabó, Z., Gretton, A., Póczos, B. and Sriperumbudur, B., 2015, February. Two-stage
sampled learning theory on distributions. In Artificial Intelligence and Statistics (pp. 948-
957).
Taylor, E.W., 2017. Transformative learning theory. In Transformative Learning Meets
Building (pp. 17-29). SensePublishers, Rotterdam.

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 9
Vapnik, V., 2013. The nature of statistical learning theory. Boston: Springer science &
business media.
https://www.scu.edu.au/about/executive/organisational-structure/

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 10
Appendix
This completed form needs to be downloaded as a pdf and included as an appendix in your internship
report. Please see the Assessment Details section of the Blackboard site for details on how do this.
Welcome.
This form has been provided for you to comprehensively evaluate your performance and
is an important
component in your reflection and self assessment process.
. Name of host organisation
Southern Cross University.
.
What is the name of the person in your company or organisation who was your
supervisor?
Tim Welsford
. Your name
Ramandeep Kaur
Ratings. For each of the following skills and attributes please rate, on a scale of 1 (very
low) to 5 (very high):
Q1. Capacity to learn new skills and procedures
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q2. Appropriate personal presentation and grooming
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q3. Punctuality and attendance
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q4. Computer skills
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q5. Knowledge of the industry/sector within both local and international
context
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q6. Awareness of cultural, environmental and economic impacts of business
management
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q7. Written communication skills
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q8. Interpersonal communication skills (verbal)
Unable to

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 11
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q9. Capacity to appreciate different cultural perspectives/intercultural
competence
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q10. Commitment to ethical standards and professionalism
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q11. Proactive, responsive and adaptable to change
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q12. Ability to manage large volumes of information from various sources
(information literacy)
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q13. Have the analytical and problem-solving skills needed to work effectively
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q14. Capacity for co-operation and teamwork
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q15. Positive work attitude and work ethic
Unable to
Assess Very Low Low Average High Very High
Your skill level
The importance of the skill for
your organisation
Q16. What do you feel are your strengths or outstanding qualities?
-Friendly. -Enjoy working as a team member. -I enjoy getting feedback and improving on it. -Always
seeking new opportunities. -
What I learned from this internship that I am good at organising and presenting e.g I organise a music
event.
Q17. What will better equip you to work in this industry in the future?
-Friendly staff members. -Supportive team. -This organisation is open to any new ideas.
Q18. Please comment on your overall internship performance including what assisted or
hindered you:
Honestly, I enjoy working at this organisation. The teamwork was amazing. They were open to all the
new ideas, assisting me with
my project. This experience was new to me but after completing this one project, it assisted me to
enhance my skills including
organising a project, communicating and so on.
Q19. Please rate your overall performance during your internship using a scale of 1
(lowest rating or extremely
poor performance) to 10 (highest rating or exceptional performance).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 12
Q20. If a position were available in this organisation do you think that you would be
hired? Use the following scale
1 (Definitely Not under any circumstances( to 10 (Emphatically Yes).
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Q21. Have you discussed your performance with your supervisor?
Yes No
Q22. Have you been offered ongoing employment?
Yes No
Q23. Please indicate what you feel has been the most beneficial aspect about
undertaking your internship
placement with your host employer.
I have completed my study from Southern Cross Uni so it was amazing to work for it and the feedback
given by all the team was
most beneficial to me which helps me to improve my project.
Q24. Would you recommend this host organisation to future intern?
Yes No
Q25. Why?
It is amazing to work in this organisation as it assisted me to improve my skills including teamwork,
communication skills including
verbal and written, problem-solving .
Q26. What is one piece of advice that you would give future interns?
It is an opportunity and you should not miss it but most importantly do an internship that will make you
happy and who knows you
might end up taking it as your carrier. It is also important to communicate with your supervisor if
something is bothering you.
Q27. Julia Caldicott and Sharen Nisbet of the School of Business and Tourism's WIL team
are conducting
research comparing student and supervisor responses to these survey questions. Do you
give permission for your
responses to this survey to be anonymised and used for research purposes? If you click
'yes' you will be taken to
another series of questions consenting to be part of this research. You can also review
the Participant Information
Sheet for further information about this project.
Yes No
Q27a. Title of Research - a comparison of student and supervisor evaluations. Conducted
by Julia Caldicott and
Dr Sharen Nisbet.
I agree to take part in the Southern Cross University research project specified above
Yes No
Q27b. I understand the information about my participation in the research project, which
has been provided to me
by the researchers in the Participant Information Sheet.
Yes No
Q27c. I agree to the researchers having access to the evaluation I submitted online
Yes No
Q27d. I understand that my participation in the research is voluntary
Yes No
Q27e. I understand that my participation in this research will be treated with
confidentiality
Yes No
Q27f. I understand that any information that may identify me or my organisation will be
de-identified at the time of
analysis of any data
Yes No
Q27g. I understand that no identifying information will be disclosed or published
Yes No
Q27h. I understand that all information gathered in this research will be kept
confidentially for 7 years at the
University
Yes No
Q27i. I am aware that I can contact the researchers at any time with any query. Their
contact details are provided

LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 13
to me in the Participant Information Sheet.
Yes No
Q27j. I understand that this research project has been approved by the SCU Human
Research Ethic Committee
Yes No
Q27k. Please provide your email or mail address if you wish to receive feedback about
the results of this research
[e-mail]
Finish. CRICOS Provider: NSW 01241G