This syllabus is divided into several sections. It is essential that you read the entire document. Together these serve as our course "contract."
Lecturer, Department of Earth and Mineral Sciences, John A. Dutton e-Education Institute
NOTE: I will read and respond to e-mail and discussion forums at least once per day during the workweek (Monday through Friday). I will check email on the weekends, but cannot guarantee prompt responses.
Description: The EGEE 495 Internship course is to be completed in conjunction with an independent internship that meets the following criteria:
Students must enroll in this EGEE 495 Internship course in order to earn credit for the hours worked and projects completed.
Internships may include individual field experience, employment or formal internships (paid or unpaid). Internships should be positions with energy businesses, government agencies, legislative offices, non-profit advocacy/education organizations, industry associations or sustainability functions within other businesses. The internship must provide the opportunity to employ college level capabilities and proficiencies and must provide a meaningful learning experience in the areas of energy, sustainability, and policy. The internship must provide 120 hours of work. Students should work hard to ensure that the internship fits their interests, professional aspirations, schedule and location. It is the student's responsibility to work closely with the internship sponsor to identify and define the position's responsibilities, duties and working hours.
EGEE 495 should prepare students to conduct a successful job search once they have graduated from the ESP program. Internships provide relevant real-world experiences and allow students to interact in a professional environment and gain experience networking. We will also discuss student's strengths, weaknesses, and skill sets while cultivating their ability to interview and relate their internship experience to the ESP curriculum. Students will complete a practice interview session and submit an updated cover letter and resume for review. Finally, upon completion of the online journal, they should have a robust writing sample, multiple internship related artifacts, and an updated resume they can use during their job search.
Students who successfully complete EGEE 495 should be able to:
The internship position must include 120 hours of time within one semester. This work can be completed online or in-person. When and how the hours are logged is the responsibility of the student and will be verified by the internship sponsor. Midterm and Final evaluations along with other deliverables for the course must be submitted by the dates agreed upon at the beginning of the semester. The final version of the Internship Journal must be submitted by the end of finals week (see Course Schedule below for details).
Communication is very important for this course. Please keep in regular contact with the instructor. If you are experiencing difficulty logging hours, or the internship is not meeting your expectations, contact the instructor as soon as possible so that the issue can be appropriately addressed. Failure to adequately complete the internship as stated in the Internship Agreement may result in a failing grade.
You do not need a textbook for this course. Use this course website and Canvas as resources for the course. In order to take this course, you need to have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password (used to access the online course resources). If you have any questions about obtaining or activating your Penn State Access Account, please contact the World Campus [4] help desk.
To set up your profile and manage your notification preferences in Canvas, visit the Canvas link in the menu at the top of the course website.
Students who register for this Penn State course gain access to assignments and instructor feedback, and earn academic credit. Information about Penn State's Energy and Sustainability Policy Bachelor's program is available at the ESP Overview Page [5].
This course will rely upon a variety of methods to assess and evaluate student learning. Grading will be completed by the ESP Internship Coordinator or the course instructor. Refer to the Grading Rubrics in Canvas to understand how points are earned.
All forms can be found on the Internship Guidelines page or in the course Canvas site. Forms should be submitted via the designated Dropbox in Canvas.
You are expected to submit weekly electronic journal entries addressing the prompts provided. The purpose of the journal is to help you articulate and record the learning and experiences that occurred during the internship. All Penn State students are granted blog space on sites.psu.edu and are encouraged to use that space. For more guidance on how to use sites.psu.edu, visit the Resources tab. All journal entries will be reviewed by the Course Instructor and returned with a grade along with comments and suggestions. If a better grade is desired, the suggested edits are to be implemented for the final version.
You are expected to complete a SWOT analysis, evaluating your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This exercise will better prepare you to speak to these types of questions in interviews, as well as identify areas in which you may need some improvement. Additionally, if completing the analysis will help you think more strategically about your career.
Create an updated cover letter and resume that reflects your anticipated graduation date and education information as well as prior work experiences is required. A potential employer sees these items far before they meet you, so the importance of getting these right cannot be overstated! Once you've created that, you'll be meeting with a career services professional to review and discuss.
Students are paired with an ESP alumnus to complete a mock interview. The interview will help you understand the types of questions that may be asked of you in a job interview post graduation and provide valuable practice interviewing. The interviewer will evaluate how well you do and will provide feedback to the course instructor.
Create a robust and visually appealing LinkedIn profile and presence.
Create an infographic showcasing what you learned! Infographics can then be submitted to CUE, the Engaged Scholarship Expo, or other poster exhibitions!
Grading will be completed by ESP Internship Coordinator/Course Instructor.
Letter grades will be based on the following percentages:
A | 100% - 94% |
---|---|
A- | < 94% - 90% |
B+ | <90% - 87% |
B | <87% - 84% |
B- | <84% - 80% |
C+ | <80% - 77 |
C | <77% - 70% |
D | <70% - 60% |
F | <60% |
X | Unsatisfactory (student did not participate) |
Percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points earned by the student.
Assignment | Weight |
---|---|
Journal Entries | 40% |
SWOT Analysis | 10% |
Mock Interview | 10% |
Cover Letter and Resume/Career Services | 15% |
LinkedIn Profile update | 5% |
Infographic | 20% |
* Note: Percentages refer to the proportion of all possible points earned by the student
There are no exams in this course.
No late work is accepted unless prior arrangements have been made.
Given the unique nature of each student's internship, the due dates and schedule will be determined individually with the student and the instructor.
Students must complete all of the assigned items in the course syllabus. If you anticipate missing a deadline, contact the instructor immediately to make alternative arrangements.
All course-related submissions must be provided by the assigned date. No late work is accepted unless prior arrangements have been made and no extra-credit is provided.
Please use APA citation and format style. Info can be found on Purdue's Online Writing Lab [6].
For this course, we recommend the minimum technical requirements outlined on the World Campus Technical Requirements [7] page, including the requirements listed for same-time, synchronous communications. If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the IT Service Desk [8] (for World Campus students) or Penn State's IT Help Portal [9] (for students at all other campus locations).
Access to a reliable Internet connection is required for this course. A problem with your Internet access may not be used as an excuse for late, missing, or incomplete coursework. If you experience problems with your Internet connection while working on this course, it is your responsibility to find an alternative Internet access point, such as a public library or Wi-Fi ® hotspot.
This site is considered a secure web site, which means that your connection is encrypted. We do, however, link to content that isn't necessarily encrypted. This is called mixed content. By default, mixed content is blocked in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Chrome. This may result in a blank page or a message saying that only secure content is displayed. Follow the directions on our Technical Requirements [7] page to view the mixed content.
All official communications from Penn State are sent to students' Penn State e-mail accounts. Be sure to check your Penn State account regularly, or forward your Penn State e-mail [10] to your preferred e-mail account, so you don't miss any important information.
This course follows the procedures for academic integrity [11] of Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Penn State defines academic integrity as "the pursuit of scholarly activity in an open, honest and responsible manner." Academic integrity includes "a commitment not to engage in or tolerate acts of falsification, misrepresentation, or deception." In particular, the University defines plagiarism as "the fabrication of information and citations; submitting others' work from professional journals, books, articles, and papers; submission of other students' papers, lab results or project reports and representing the work as one's own." Penalties for violations of academic integrity may include course failure. To learn more, see Penn State's Academic Integrity Training for Students [12].
All course materials students receive or to which students have online access are protected by copyright laws. Students may use course materials and make copies for their own use as needed, but unauthorized distribution and/or uploading of materials without the instructor’s express permission is strictly prohibited. University Policy AD 40, the University Policy Recording of Classroom Activities and Note Taking Services addresses this issue. Students who engage in the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials may be held in violation of the University’s Code of Conduct, and/or liable under Federal and State laws.
For example, uploading completed labs, homework, or other assignments to any study site constitutes a violation of this policy.
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has an office for students with disabilities. The Office for Student Disability Resources [13] website provides contact information for Campus Disability Coordinators [14]at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the Office for Student Disability Resources [13] website.
In order to receive consideration for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability services office at the campus where you are officially enrolled. You will participate in an intake interview and provide documentation. See documentation guidelines at Applying for Services from Student Disability Resources [15]. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus’s disability services office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
In case of weather-related delays or other emergency campus disruptions or closures at the University, this online course will proceed as planned. Your instructor will inform you if there are any extenuating circumstances regarding content or activity due dates in the course due to these delays or closures. If you are affected by a weather-related emergency, please contact your instructor at the earliest possible time to make special arrangements.
Penn State takes great pride in fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated (Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance [16]) and can be reported through Educational Equity via Report Bias [17].
Many students at Penn State face personal challenges or have psychological needs that may interfere with their academic progress, social development, or emotional well-being. The university offers a variety of confidential services to help you through difficult times, including individual and group counseling, crisis intervention, consultations, online chats, and mental health screenings. These services are provided by staff who welcome all students and embrace a philosophy respectful of clients’ cultural and religious backgrounds, and sensitive to differences in race, ability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Services include the following:
Counseling and Psychological Services at University Park (CAPS) [18]: 814-863-0395
Counseling Services at Commonwealth Campuses [19]
Penn State Crisis Line (24 hours/7 days/week): 877-229-6400
Crisis Text Line (24 hours/7 days/week): Text LIONS to 741741
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or spouses with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, disabilities, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
Penn State is committed to educational access for all. Our students come from all walks of life and have diverse life experiences. As with any other online community, the lack of physical interaction in an online classroom can create a false sense of anonymity and security. While one can make new friends online, digital relationships can also be misleading. Good judgment and decision-making are critical when choosing to disclose personal information to others whom you do not know.
This course follows the Energy and Sustainability Policy programs' Constructive Participation in ESP Peer-Peer Activities policy [20] for student participation in peer-to-peer activities in ESP courses, such as group discussions, team projects and peer reviews of another’s work. In all peer-to-peer learning activities, students are expected to participate constructively with others in the practice and development of effective communication skills. This means NO personal attacks, NO name-calling, and NO threatening language of any kind. Consequences may include losing the opportunity to participate in (and earn credit for) all remaining peer-to-peer assignments for the duration of the course. Any instance of threatening language will be reported to the Penn State Office of Student Conduct.
If you are prevented from completing this course within the prescribed amount of time for reasons that are beyond your control, it is possible to have the grade deferred with the concurrence of the instructor, following Penn State Deferred Grade Policy 48-40 [21]. To seek a deferred grade, you must submit a written request (by e-mail or U.S. post) to the instructor describing the reason(s) for the request. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested before the beginning of the final examination period. It is up to the instructor to determine whether or not you will be permitted to receive a deferred grade. If permission is granted, you will work with the instructor to establish a communication plan and a clear schedule for completion within policy. If, for any reason, the coursework for the deferred grade is not complete by the assigned time, a grade of "F" will be automatically entered on your transcript.
This course will be conducted entirely online. There will be no set class meeting times, but you will be required to complete weekly assignments with specific due dates. Many of the assignments are open for multiple days, so it is your responsibility to complete the work early if you plan to travel or participate in national holidays, religious observances or University approved activities.
If you need to request an exception due to a personal or medical emergency, contact the instructor directly as soon as you are able. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Penn State is “committed to creating an educational environment which is free from intolerance directed toward individuals or groups and strives to create and maintain an environment that fosters respect for others” as stated in Policy AD29 Statement on Intolerance [16]. All members of this class are expected to contribute to a respectful, welcoming, and inclusive environment and to interact with civility.
For additional information, see:
Penn State’s policies require me, as a faculty member, to share information about incidents of sex-based discrimination and harassment (discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, and retaliation) with Penn State’s Title IX coordinator or deputy coordinators, regardless of whether the incidents are stated to me in person or shared by students as part of their coursework. For more information regarding the University's policies and procedures for responding to reports of sexual or gender-based harassment or misconduct, please visit Penn State's Office of Sexual Misconduct Prevention & Response [27] website.
Additionally, I am required to make a report on any reasonable suspicion of child abuse in accordance with the Pennsylvania Child Protective Services Law [28].
Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus can be changed at any time, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. All changes will be communicated to you via e-mail, course announcement and/or course discussion forum.
If you have difficulty with the electronic signature portion of the form, follow the Creating an eSignature directions [33].
You are expected to submit personal journal entries throughout the semester documenting the work you've completed and the learning that's occurred through your internship/project experience. You can see more about what content is expected in each journal entry assignment.
First, let's clarify, your journal is not a "diary; it is not merely a log of what you did each week. While we want you to have a record of what you accomplished this semester, this exercise is meant to be so much more! We want you to do some profound thinking and execute higher level reflection. What this means is that the journaling prompts are not provided for you so that you can fill in the blanks, check off an assignment, and move on. You're far enough along in your educational journey now, that you should be experiencing some deeper learning and connecting your coursework to your life outside the classroom. The prompts are provided to help guide you to digest what has happened, analyze and process the learning that is occurring, and then share it with the world. When you're looking for a job and the interviewer says, "I see you did an internship, tell me about that", these prompts are designed so that you can say more than "It was great! I learned a lot." You need to not only be able to recount your job duties, but it'd be advantageous for you to be able to say how you developed as a person. The prompts provided were developed to help you think through how you're developing now, as it's happening.
In addition to helping you process the learning and the experience, the online journal will provide a record of what you encountered! Additionally, your journal can serve as a product that you can use to demonstrate to future employers and academics your accomplishments, approach to work, and ability to communicate. You may also find the contents to be a useful reference for future projects and research.
Students are expected to set up a blog site to journal about the internship experience. You can use sites.psu.edu to set up a personal blog space, or you can choose another blogging site. If you would like to use the Penn State Sites, first you need to Activate Penn State Personal Webspace [34], and then you can create a blog at sites.psu.edu [35].
In addition to addressing the individual prompts provided for each journal entry, they should always also include the following information (as applicable):
Each Journal will be graded out of 40 Points.
A detailed rubric is available to you on the Dropbox pages in Canvas. Below is a summary of how you can earn full credit. Your journal post must:
What do we mean by "well-written?" Your submissions should always be a scholarly piece of polished work. Your post should demonstrate that you've not just simply typed it into the text editor box as you went, with little regard for organization, syntax, or spelling mistakes. It should be written with the tone and style that is appropriate for college coursework, not a text message. In summary, it should be work you'd be proud to share with a potential employer.
Submit the URL to the appropriate week's Journal Dropbox in Canvas by the date specified on the course calendar (unless you've established an alternative calendar of due dates with the instructor). Once your original draft is graded, if you earned less than a C, you will have the opportunity to edit your journal and resubmit for a higher grade.
For the journal entries themselves, please provide as much detail as you can without compromising any proprietary or private information. It is expected that if you adequately address the requirements as outlined, your post will be 800+ words in length. Please refer to the syllabus and grading rubric (in Canvas) for further information regarding the level of effort that is expected for your journal. In short, it should be a formal, polished product that you would be proud to hand over to a potential employer as an exhibit of your abilities and experiences. The prompts should be addressed in paragraph-form responses and the reader should be able to understand the prompts you're addressing without you repeating the prompt itself; meaning, provide context. If you can't address the prompt perfectly because your internship project/work situation isn't exactly applicable, use the prompt as a guide to think about what is relevant and what information you can include that a potential employer may find interesting! Don't be afraid to brag about what you've accomplished, ways you've grown, challenges you've tackled, etc.
First, read through the article titled "Don't Rely On Luck At Work: Define Your Career Aspirations And Goals [37]." Once you've considered the questions presented in the "Don't Rely On Luck" article, read "How To Conduct A Personal SWOT Analysis [38]."
For further guidance, view the video and read the article titled: "Personal SWOT Analysis: Making the Most of Your Talents and Opportunities [39]."
You may have heard of a SWOT analysis before, maybe at your place of employment or with one of the groups you are involved with outside of work. The basic premise and purpose of a SWOT analysis is to assess potential growth and limitations. SWOT is the acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This SWOT assignment has you turning the lens back on yourself; what are your strengths and weaknesses? What opportunities or threats do you see when looking down the road towards your professional goals?
Part of being successful is understanding what you're good at, what things you need to work on, and what opportunities are available to you. While we all may think we know our strengths and weaknesses, somehow putting them to paper can increase our awareness of them and allow us to address each with confidence. After completing this exercise, you will have a strong answer when you are in an interview, and you get the age-old question, "What are some of your strengths?" or "Tell us about your weaknesses."
-- | Helpful to Achieving the Objective | Harmful to Achieving the Objective |
---|---|---|
Internal Origin (attributes of the Organization) |
Strengths | Weaknesses |
External Origin (Attributes of the Environment) |
Opportunities | Threats |
Complete a Personal SWOT analysis. You are expected to thoroughly examine your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats using the questions at the bottom of the page to help guide you through the process. Once you have identified your strengths and weaknesses, you can then use that information to identify opportunities and threats that may exist in the pursuit of your desired career. An easy way to think of it is this: strengths and weaknesses are directly attributable to you, your personality and your experiences. Opportunities and threats are less personal things that, while you may be able to influence the outcome, you don't necessarily have control over. For example, a strength would be that I have the ability to speak and understand American Sign Language. A weakness would be that I have a tendency to be impatient. An opportunity would be that 40% of the workforce is slated to retire in the next ten years. A threat is that corporate is eliminating duplicate positions in my division. (NOTE: None of this is truth, just random examples I chose in a variety of situations to help you better understand the type of information you should be considering).
Your SWOT analysis should be guided by the questions listed below. Be sure to incorporate any additional information you feel may be useful in presenting the SWOT analysis. You can use a matrix, [41] which may initially help you work through the analysis. You can also incorporate photos and other visuals if you'd like. Be creative and resourceful. Have fun with this!
NOTE: Feel free to do your own search if you still are unclear about the purpose and implementation of this activity. There are many great resources available to you.
STRENGTHS |
|
---|---|
WEAKNESSES |
|
OPPORTUNITIES |
|
THREATS |
|
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS |
|
Present your SWOT analysis as a narrated PowerPoint, Prezi, or product of any other presentation-type of software. You do not need to personally appear throughout the video, but your voice must be used to talk through and discuss the SWOT analysis findings. You may choose a recording technology and format that best suits your skills and equipment. Please show the SWOT matrix you've completed.
For some helpful tips on creating a presentation, visit the Creating a Presentatio [42]n. You can also access LinkedIn.com/learning [43] for help with PowerPoint [44]if you need it. You have access to this resource with your Penn State credentials.
The SWOT analysis will be graded using a detailed rubric that can be found in Canvas.
Upload your file to the "SWOT Analysis" Dropbox in Canvas by the date specified.
LinkedIn is the "world's largest professional network on the Internet," with more than 300 million members in over 200 countries and territories. (LinkedIn - Company page [47]). Its mission is to "connect the world's professionals to make them more productive and successful. When you join LinkedIn, you get access to people, jobs, news, updates, and insights that help you be great at what you do." (LinkedIn - About page [48])
The ESP program has an official LinkedIn page, connect with us and stay in touch with us there, post graduation!
You can:
For this week's assignment, you need to update your LinkedIn profile. You should already have one in place from EMSC 302. Now you need to make sure it's ready for prime time!
You may also be interested in these groups:
If you don't have a LinkedIn profile, for a step-by-step guide, review the Components of LinkedIn Profile information provided on the LinkedIn and Social Media page. [56]
Résumé writing isn't what it once was; there was a time when you could put together your résumé, consider it done, and attach it to your carefully crafted cover letter and then wait by the phone. But nowadays, you are expected to customize your résumé to every position you apply for. This requires a good deal more time, but provides the employer with better insight into your experience, qualifications and writing abilities.
If you think you need to wait until you graduate to take advantage of the services provided by the Career Services office, think again! You can always search for a job in the field before you've actually graduated. Many organizations will hire you (usually conditionally) if they know you're working towards a degree. So, it's never too early to polish that resume and practice writing cover letters!
If you already have a job, you can work with the Career Services staff to hone your skills for that next big promotion or create a road map for career advancement.
If you're looking for an internship, Career Services can help with that too! Don't be afraid to call them up and say, "I need help with X, can you help me?" If they can't, they will find someone that can.
Work with the staff in Career Services to get your resume in tip-top shape! Resume formats and norms are constantly changing; get expert advice on how to make yours the best it can be!
You can see all of the services they offer in the screenshot below, including:
1. Career Counseling
2. Career, internship, and grad school resources
3. Employer connections
Check out the Career Services webpage [60].
For this assignment, you will be job searching. You are expected to complete a cover letter and résumé. You can use the ad provided below, or you can find another job that you're interested in. If you use a different ad, be sure to include it in your submission.
Interviews can be the most stressful part of job hunting, and for good reason - an interview can be the most important step in the process of getting hired! If you're lucky enough to get some face time with a potential employer, we want you to be prepared! As you know, explaining the ESP program to others can be challenging. Add in other difficult questions, and then sprinkle nerves into the mix, and things can get messy quickly! Penn State Career Services says, "The keys to interviewing success are knowing yourself, researching the employer, and preparing for and following up after the interview" (2015). The SWOT analysis assignment will help you with knowing yourself, and this interview assignment will help you prepare for the main event - the day when you're in the hot seat, interviewing for the job of your choice!
You will be interviewed by an ESP alumnus. This is an amazing opportunity to connect with someone who has already graduated and may be utilizing their degree or pursing grad school. You will receive an email from me, with your interviewer's contact details. Email them your job announcement, cover letter, and resume. They will respond asking, inviting you to schedule a job interview. You will be attending the interview via Zoom. You will need a working microphone, speakers, and web camera in order to participate. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY, be respectful, and do your best. Dress as if you were going to an interview. Make sure you're in a quiet space without distractions. Be respectful to the person interviewing you and show up on time, prepared.
NOTE: I am providing these for you to review and get a feel for the typical interview questions. Answer them out loud to yourself (or you kids, or your cat, etc). Practicing the answers out loud is critical and can really help you better identify gaps in your responses.
The interviewer may or may not use these questions!
NOTE: Make sure your camera shot is in close enough so that it only captures your upper torso and face, thereby allowing the interviewer to see your face clearly.
The Practice Interview will be graded using an assessment and notes provided by the interviewer. You will be assessed on the following items: eye contact, posture, demeanor, self-confidence, grammar, use of filler words, ability to emphasize strengths and describe past experiences, and your skill in focusing on your ability to learn quickly. The following will also be considered for grading: appropriate message content, clear and concise responses, and thorough answers without deviating in a confusing or inappropriate way.
Penn State's Career Services Office has put together some very helpful tips to help you be successful on an interview. Visit the interviewing page to learn more about how to properly prepare, make a good first impression, and how to follow up after the interview. They have also listed some common interview questions that could be directed at the candidate, as well as some examples of questions candidates can ask the interviewers.
Lynda.com also has a wealth of useful resources. This business skills tutorial regarding good body language is especially helpful in ensuring that you are sending the right message, even when you aren't speaking a word! This snippet is part of a larger course called "Acing Your Interview." Feel free to watch the whole course if you'd like! Log onto lynda.psu.edu. Use your PSU username and password to log on. Then use the search window to find "Demonstrating good body language." If you have difficulty accessing it, please be sure to let me know!
You can also check out 50 of the most common interview questions (and how to answer them). [61]
References:
Translating the learning and personal growth that comes from an internship experience can be difficult. While you’ve done a lot of this in your journal entries, the goal of this final assignment is to synthesize your experience in a short, concise way that others will want to review. You will be doing that by creating an infographic. An infographic is a way to integrate your experience and share your learning, growth, and internship story with the world. It also provides you with an educational artifact you can share on a blog, and even in Penn State poster expositions or competitions if you so choose. You can read more about the exciting poster opportunities on the "Sharing Your Experience [63]" page. NOTE: You do not need to be on campus to present. Your advisor can help facilitate remote attendance.
As someone who has completed several different engagement opportunities, I know there is much to share. An infographic will help you tell that story, but more importantly, it will help you reflect on your experience.
An infographic is a way to visually represent your experience in an interesting, clear, and concise way. It should be
Please review the following video to learn more about the qualities commonly included in infographics.
The infographic assignment is really a set of three assignments you will complete in succession.
I highly recommend that you read through the entire infographic lesson prior to beginning, so you have a good idea of what the project is and how to approach it.
Special thanks to Hailley Fargo, Head of Education and Outreach Services, Northern Kentucky University for much of the guidance and information contained in this lesson.
The first assignment is an outline of an infographic about your internship experience.
Because you've been journaling about both your personal growth and your weekly internship duties, you should have enough information to create your outline and infographic on both or either topic.
Once you have chosen the focus of your infographic, create an outline.
If you've received funding from the Student Engagement Network, it is recommended that your infographic focuses on your personal growth related to the areas identified through the Student Engagement Network (SEN) growth areas [64].
Contact me if you need more info on this.
The outline should address the questions below and include some ideas for how you want to present that information on the infographic. This should include what you learned and how you grew through the experience, as well as what you did.
Keep in mind that this outline is a large percentage of your semester grade, so plan to spend significant time and effort thinking about this and sketching out a plan. It is unlikely you will figure this out on your first try, so keep iterating until you find something that feels right. Feel free to send me an outline or sketch in advance of the deadline. I am more than happy to provide feedback before you start creating the final product.
Provide an overview of your experience, including:
Use the questions below to help formulate the outline:
Use the questions below to help formulate the outline:
Please submit your outline, with ideas for graphics, as a Word or PDF to the "Infographic Outline" Dropbox by the date provided to you by the instructor.
Special thanks to Hailley Fargo, Head of Education and Outreach Services, Northern Kentucky University, for much of the guidance and information contained on this page.
Now that you have an outline of what you want to present, it is time to choose a layout. As you can imagine, creating an effective infographic is a bit more complicated than simply putting facts and images together. The information must also be efficiently organized to demonstrate the connections between important concepts or ideas. There are several ways in which you can organize your content. Please watch the following video for some ideas.
Your experience probably best fits into one of the following: the visual article, the flowchart, the timeline, or the map. But, you don't have to use these types, feel free to improvise, combine, or modify any of them to reach your desired outcome!
The image below offers some additional layout ideas for your infographic.
Again, some of the layouts shown above may fit your story better, but there is no prescription here, be creative!
Your experience probably best fits into one of the following: the visual article, the flowchart, the timeline, or the map. But, you don't have to use these types, feel free to improvise, combine, or modify any of them to reach your desired outcome!
Below is an example of a traditional poster. Most of your infographics should not look like this.
Special thanks to Hailley Fargo, Head of Education and Outreach Services, Northern Kentucky University, for much of the guidance and information contained on this page.
Now that you know the core elements of infographics, you may be wondering how to actually get started. There are many programs out there to create infographics, but most are not recommended or supported by Penn State (for various reasons). We recommend that you use PowerPoint and start with a blank slide. The following video will walk you through how to find and import graphics into PowerPoint. You will find additional tips on the "How to Make an Infographic in PowerPoint: The Beginners’ Guide [68]" tutorial on the graphic mama blog.
Other good options, but not supported by Penn State help desk include:
Adobe Spark [69] is part of Adobe's Creative Cloud Suite. It allows you to create a variety of graphic-based resources. As a registered Penn State student, you have free access to this software.
Canva [70] also offers free accounts. It has a simple and easy-to-use interface, and each item you create is downloadable in a PDF format. *Please note: Canva offers graphics and other elements for an additional fee. You are not expected to purchase anything in order to create your infographics. Doing so is at your own discretion.
Feel free to experiment and try different software until you find one that works well for you.
In order to be able to use this in a poster exposition or competition, it should not exceed 46” (W) x 36” (H).
Notice how this infographic tells a story in an interesting and appealing way. It may work even better if the background colors were used to divide up sections of information.
This is a great example: It is attractive. The information is in manageable bits, and the road illustrates progression and connection.
This example shows what you can do when you have a lot of information. It also demonstrates how visuals are essential in telling a story.
Here are some examples of infographics that may give you some ideas and inspiration! This is just a few examples. You can find many more with a simple Google search.
This example focuses an audience's attention into the center of an illustration, using color to organize the learner's experience and interconnections. There's A LOT going on within this illustration, and the minute detail can make the reading of the infographic seem like a puzzle to untangle. While visually appealing, I wouldn't recommend using this much text.
This example utilizes historical imagery and variations in sizing of both photographs and text to emphasize key information.
This "top ten" list simply draws the attention vertically downward in a sequential series of steps. The simple display of color and patterning communicates the learner's message clearly.
This is another vertical "top down" sequence that guides the audience with arrows and simple drawings.
A comic-style infographic like this one is a fun and familar way for the audience to understand a story or process.
This inforgraphic shares A LOT of information in a "light-hearted" way by coupling comic illustrations with tables and text boxes.
Create an infographic DRAFT that tells the story of your internship.
Upload a PDF of the Infographic draft to the same "Infographic Draft" Dropbox by the date found on the syllabus.
Create an infographic that tells the story of your internship. When it's complete, add it to your blog as a separate journal entry or as additional media for one of your existing journal entries. Share the URL to the journal entry in the "Infographic" Dropbox.
Upload a PDF of the Infographic to the same "Infographic" Dropbox.
Presenting at poster exhibitions is a great way to gain professional experience and share the things you are learning. Now that you have completed an infographic, there are just a few simple steps to convert it to a poster.
I strongly suggest you consider presenting at one of the several exhibitions on campus (listed below). You might be surprised to learn that this opportunity is not limited to resident students. World Campus students are encouraged to present as well!
You can work with the instructor to have your poster printed.
Check out this 1:46 minute video showing one of our World Campus students from Florida participating in the 2018 Undergraduate Poster Exhibition.
Please do not hesitate to contact me or your adviser if you see any opportunities happening on campus that are not listed here that you would like to participate in. We would be happy to talk to you about how to get involved.
Links
[1] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/459
[2] mailto:hjs142@psu.edu
[3] https://esp.e-education.psu.edu/node/25
[4] http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/Contact.shtml
[5] http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/energy-and-sustainability-policy-bachelors/overview
[6] https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/
[7] https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/general-technical-requirements
[8] https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/help-and-support/technical-support/it-service-desk
[9] https://pennstate.service-now.com/sp?id=get_it_help
[10] https://pennstate.service-now.com/sp?id=kb_article_view&sys_kb_id=76e0cebc1bff90d413b599ba234bcbec
[11] http://www.ems.psu.edu/undergraduate/academic-advising/policies-procedures-and-forms/academic-integrity-undergraduates
[12] http://academicintegrity.psu.edu/
[13] http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources
[14] http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/campus-disability-coordinators
[15] http://equity.psu.edu/student-disability-resources/applying-for-services
[16] https://policy.psu.edu/policies/ad29
[17] http://equity.psu.edu/reportbias/
[18] http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/
[19] https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/counseling/caps-campuses
[20] https://esp.e-education.psu.edu/node/947
[21] http://senate.psu.edu/policies-and-rules-for-undergraduate-students/47-00-48-00-and-49-00-grades/#48-40
[22] https://affirmativeaction.psu.edu/
[23] https://policy.psu.edu/policies/ad85
[24] http://universityethics.psu.edu/penn-state-values
[25] https://raise.psu.edu/diversity-equity-and-inclusion/
[26] https://www.ems.psu.edu/allwe
[27] http://titleix.psu.edu/
[28] http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/CT/HTM/23/00.063..HTM
[29] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESP-Internship-Agreement%202019-08-07.pdf
[30] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESP-Internship-Midterm-Evaluation.pdf
[31] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESP-Internship-Final-Evaluation.pdf
[32] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/ESPInternshipCoverSheetVerificationForm.pdf
[33] https://helpx.adobe.com/acrobat/using/digital-ids.html
[34] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/487
[35] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/486
[36] http://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/471
[37] https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisaquast/2013/04/08/dont-rely-on-luck-at-work-define-your-career-aspirations-and-goals/#6caa2047749f
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[39] https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_05_1.htm
[40] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/SWOT2.gif
[41] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/sites/www.e-education.psu.edu.egee495/files/SWOT.gif
[42] http://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/481
[43] https://www.linkedin.com/learning/?u=76811570
[44] https://www.linkedin.com/learning/search?keywords=power%20point&u=76811570
[45] https://pxhere.com/en/photo/1445953
[46] https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/
[47] https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkedin
[48] https://www.linkedin.com/company/linkedin/about/
[49] https://youtu.be/ZVlUwwgOfKw
[50] https://www.linkedin.com/
[51] https://www.forbes.com/sites/learnvest/2013/03/04/8-mistakes-you-should-never-make-on-linkedin/
[52] https://offers.hubspot.com/linkedin-profile-playbook?utm_campaign=9_13_23&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=273973115&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-82RpGjNKMVdSARne6RMMOl0g-oaF4ucEdCSM-IGuYrOrB3KfP_EYqUCCi1i4Al6CqhK-Kxz7CI67MOu9wChFRVM5GrPg&utm_content=Marketing&utm_source=hustle_daily
[53] https://www.linkedin.com/in/haley-sankey-104629a2/
[54] https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandirobinson/
[55] https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8109806/
[56] https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/resources/networking/linkedin-and-social-media
[57] https://linkedinlearning.psu.edu/
[58] https://www.linkedin.com/learning-login/share?account=76811570&forceAccount=false&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Flearning%2Fwriting-a-resume%3Ftrk%3Dshare_ent_url%26shareId%3DkbrSFNRaRq6kHz5YnkK0PA%253D%253D
[59] https://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/resources/marketing-materials/resume
[60] https://student.worldcampus.psu.edu/student-services/career-services
[61] https://www.recruiter.com/i/50-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them-part-1/
[62] http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/career/students/interviewing.shtml
[63] https://www.e-education.psu.edu/egee495/node/494
[64] https://www.engage.psu.edu/grants/application/growth-areas/
[65] https://piktochart.com/blog/layout-cheat-sheet-making-the-best-out-of-visual-arrangement/
[66] https://piktochart.com/
[67] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
[68] https://graphicmama.com/blog/how-to-make-an-infographic-in-powerpoint/
[69] https://spark.adobe.com/sp/onboarding
[70] https://www.canva.com/q/pro/?v=13&utm_source=google_sem&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=REV_US_EN_CanvaPro_Branded_Tier1_Core_EM&utm_term=REV_US_EN_CanvaPro_Branded_Tier1_Canva_EM&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIwKKk-vyo5gIVC1YMCh1dCQMxEAAYASAAEgLqivD_BwE
[71] https://www.flickr.com/search/?text=agriculture%20youth%20opportunities
[72] https://www.flickr.com/photos/usdagov/
[73] https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
[74] http://www.eddefy.com
[75] https://www.flickr.com/photos/amoration/8590501080/
[76] https://www.flickr.com/photos/amoration/
[77] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/
[78] https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosefirerising/8551487389
[79] https://www.flickr.com/photos/rosefirerising/
[80] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/
[81] https://www.history.navy.mil/news-and-events/multimedia-gallery/infographics/heritage/chief-petty-officer.html
[82] https://paindoctor.com/top-10-biggest-pain-breakthroughs-2014/
[83] https://www.flickr.com/photos/pain-pix/18958332052
[84] https://www.flickr.com/photos/pain-pix/
[85] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
[86] https://www.flickr.com/photos/56866338@N06/8704978051/in/photostream/
[87] https://www.flickr.com/photos/56866338@N06/
[88] https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Licensing_tutorial_en-may_upload_in_bold.svg
[89] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en
[90] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
[91] https://www.engage.psu.edu/events/
[92] https://undergradresearch.psu.edu/resources/opportunities/undergraduate-exhibition
[93] https://www.ems.psu.edu/undergraduate/beyond-classroom/honors-exhibitions-and-award-competitions/undergraduate-poster
[94] https://www.ems.psu.edu/CUE