Effectiveness of online internship programs in higher educational institutions: A review

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions adopted online internship programs to maintain students’ educational progression and career development, while addressing health and safety concerns and implementing necessary institutional adjustments. Online internships, are experiential learning opportunities carried out in a virtual setting, contrast with conventional in-person internships. The concepts of online, virtual, hybrid, remote, and e-internships are often employed synonymously in the literature. This meta-synthesis examines the efficacy of online internship programs among higher education students. The researchers used a thematic review technique and meta-synthesis methodologies to collect mixed studies on the efficacy of online internships for higher education students. A systematic search of electronic databases and online platforms, including Google Scholar, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Scopus, OpenAlex, and Crossref, was conducted to locate relevant studies. The inclusion criteria for these searches were limited to empirical research designs, qualitative or mixed methods studies, and a specific timeframe from January 2019 to December 2023. The ethical principles were adhered to, ensuring the moral entitlements of the participating authors, and the findings were categorized into four areas: satisfaction, mentorship, effectiveness, and challenges of online internships. The results reveal that although online interns faced difficulties regarding their training environment, acquisition of information, and career progression, which ultimately led to a notable decline in the efficacy of online internships in terms of these aspects, students found their online internship experiences fulfilling and satisfactory, indicating favourable educational advancements and the acquisition of distinct technical and interpersonal abilities associated with distant employment. Furthermore, the role of mentoring is recognized as a crucial element that influences the success of online internships, notably via the connection between industry mentors and interns.