CEL facilitates multi-institutional research on engaged learning topics. Participants from institutions around the world collaborate over three years, producing scholarship that shapes research and practice globally.
CEL is home to two book series. In addition, CEL research seminars and other initiatives have produced 100+ publications (to date).
CEL’s concise guides offer research-informed practices for engaged learning.
CEL’s concise guides offer practical strategies for studying engaged learning.
CEL brings together international leaders in higher education to develop, synthesize, and share rigorous research on central questions about student learning.
The CEL Scholar role and CEL Student Scholars program enable Elon faculty and students to deepen their understanding of and professional development in scholarly activity on engaged learning.
Coll, Richard K., R. W. Eames, Levinia K. Paku, Dave Hodges, Ravi Bhat, Shiu Ram, Diana Ayling, Jenny Fleming, Lesley Ferkins, Cindy Wiersma, and Andrew Martin. 2009. "An exploration of the pedagogies employed to integrate knowledge in work-integrated learning." Journal of Cooperative Education & Internships 43 (1): 14-35.
In a national research project analyzing data from employers, students, and practitioners, the study finds a lack of consistent methods and pedagogies for ensuring integration of knowledge in New Zealand’s Work-Integrated Knowledge (WIL)/cooperative education program. Makes specific recommendations for practitioners based on these findings.
Divine, Richard, Robert Miller, J. H. Wilson, and JoAnn Linrud. 2008. "Key philosophical decisions to consider when designing an internship program." Journal of Management and Marketing 12: 1-8.
Discusses important decisions that practitioners must make when designing internship programs. Includes brief discussion of research finding relevant to these decisions. Includes topics such as required vs elective internships, graded vs ungraded experiences, full-time vs part-time experiences, and managed vs unmanaged placement of students.
Eyler, Janet. 2009. "The power of experiential education." Liberal Education: 24-31.
Elucidates the possibilities and challenges of internships and service-learning, emphasizing the unique roles these experiences can play in bidirectional transfer of learning between classroom and the workplace and other higher level intellectual skills and learning outcomes. Summarizes succinctly guidelines for creating high quality programs.
Garraway, James, Terence Volbrecht, Merrill Wicht, and Bhekumusa Ximba. 2011. "Transfer of knowledge between university and work." Teaching in HIgher Education 16 (5): 529-540.
Focuses on internship experiences of students in the sciences, examining student perceptions of transfer of learning in their work along with additional data collected from site supervisors. Identifies various forms of learning transfer described by students and concludes that faculty have a key role in ensuring knowledge transfer in internships. The article also provides an excellent summary of the transfer of knowledge literature.
Hayward, Lorna, Betsey Blackmer, and Joseph Raelin. 2007. "Teaching students a process of reflection: A model for increasing practice-based learning outcomes during cooperative education." Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships 41: 35-47.
Using an experimental design, the study examines the impact of teaching physical therapy students a specific reflection model (i.e., Model of Effective Practice) as a tool for deepening student reflection during a cooperative education experience. Students in the test group demonstrated significant benefits, indicating the importance and value of teaching internship students skills of reflection prior to the experience.
Linn, Patricia I., Adam Howard, and Eric Miller. 2004. Handbook for research in cooperative education and internship. NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
A guide for designing and implementing high quality research on internships. Includes examples of studies illustrating a range of methodological approaches, discusses the role of theory in research design, explains program assessment as it relates to research, and considers relevant ethical issues.
Moore, David T. 2013. Engaged learning in the academy: Challenges and possibilities. NY: Palgrave MacMillan.
Provides a comprehensive and well-researched overview of experiential learning in higher education with emphasis on internships and service-learning. An important and foundational reading for practitioners and researchers seeking to understand the issues and controversies in the field as well as current evidence regarding engaged learning’s educational potential. Encourages reflective practice and provides key tools for reflective practitioners and scholars.
Narayanan, V. K., Paul M. Olk, and Cynthia V. Fukami. 2010. "Determinants of internship effectiveness: An exploratory model." Academy of Management Learning & Education 9: 61-80.
Drawing upon knowledge transfer theory, this study examines the roles that students, universities, and businesses play in internship effectiveness in effort to construct a multistage model of determinants of internship effectiveness. Offers recommendations for each of these participant stakeholders geared toward enhancing internship effectiveness and makes suggestions for future research.
O'Neill, Nancy. 2010. "Internships as high impact practice: Some reflections on quality." Peer Review 12 (4): 4-8.
Describes the opportunities and challenges in developing high-impact internships. Offers an excellent discussion of definitional issues in the field and provides suggested guidelines for developing high-impact experiences. Emphasizes the role of institutions in developing high quality experiences.
Schutte, Kelli J. 2007. "Journey or destination: A study of experiential education, reflection, and cognitive development." Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships 41 (1): 118-129.
Using an experimental design, the study examines the role of reflection in the cognitive development of students in internship. Defines “internship” and “reflection” and describes the structure of the internship experience focused on in the study. Concludes that critical reflection is not a natural skill for most students and must be taught and guided by faculty. Implications for practitioners and scholars are discussed.
Simons, Lori, Lawrence Fehr, Nancy Blank, Heather Connell, Denise Georganas, David Fernandex, and Verda Peterson. 2012. "Lessons learned from experiential learning: What do students learn from a practicum/internship?" International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 24 (3): 325-334.
Employs a multi-method approach to identify student learning outcomes in psychology internships. Employs pre-test/post-test surveys and perspectives of students, field supervisors, and faculty. Findings include that students increased in multicultural skills and grew in personal, civic, and career development.