ABSTRACT
Students and industry partners in the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) arena have traditionally viewed internships as transactional – a path to a job. In this chapter, the authors suggest that an internship or co-op experience can also be transformational given strong engagement from the higher education institution. After exploring the benefits and drawbacks of work experiences within the major field, representative active learning strategies including case studies, self-assessment, and role playing are explored with examples presented. The internship Transformational Active Learning Experience (TALE) conveys the story of Katelyn who worked with Professor Azham through her internship. Areas of interaction with others, real-world experiences, and key moments of pride were dominant in Katelyn’s experience. In contrast, the “crash and burn” explores elements of Jordan’s miserable summer internship experience and suggests faculty engagement, shared expectations, and increasing diversity of engagement during the internship as ways to build a TALE in future editions of this “crash and burn.”
