Pam was an intern for the Research-Practice Partnerships through BYU during Fall 2024.
Briefly explain what you did and the result of your internship.
For my internship, I had the opportunity to complete multiple Research-Practice Partnerships (RPP) projects. RPP supports relationships between researchers who work on a theoretical sphere and educators who are practicing in the classrooms and schools. As they bring theory and practice together, students and others benefit from the collaboration. One project allowed me to gain current information on RPP by curating several resources, websites, and articles. Another project was interviewing and videotaping members of the RPP. For this project, I was able to use several of the instructional design theories and skills that I learned in my IP&T classes. It was fun to work with a real client and to see real products. These projects are impactive to those who are interesting in applying for their own RPP and ways that they can maintain them.
What did you learn in your internship that you were not expecting to learn?
I learned about a new design platform called Genially. Although I had previously worked on Storyline 360 and Smart Builder, I had no idea about Genially. It wasn't as detail-intensive as other design platforms, but it was super user-friendly, which made learning and using it much easier. I enjoyed learning how to use Genially so much that I look forward to using it again in future projects.
How have your future plans changed because of what you learned from your internship experience?
From this internship, I am much more open and comfortable with a career in instructional design.
Please share how your experience led to personal inspiration or insightful revelation.
As a higher educational institution, BYU students are familiar with writing centers. They play an important and sometimes crucial role in a student's success in a class or on an assignment. During my internship, an Orem Middle School teacher I interviewed convinced me that Research-Practice Partnerships are doing what they should be. In this interview, the teacher spoke about how students volunteered to be a writing mentor and would stay after school to help their peers. He thought it was the highlight of their day when BYU graduate students would come to their middle school for training. He saw how his middle school students looked forward to these trainings each time and how much they thrived in applying them. He shared that he and his students felt like they were a part of something bigger than themselves through this RPP. This experience made me think of how we are a part of something bigger than ourselves even if we don't always recognize it until we are able to see ourselves and our efforts through the eyes of a loving Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ. "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6). I am grateful for my internship and the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than myself.
Would you recommend this internship to other students?
Yes, I had a great experience and learned so much. I think other students can benefit from similar opportunities.
Is there anything else you would like to say regarding your internship?
I think every student should take advantage of doing an internship if given the opportunity. I would also say that once you're in an internship, don't shy away from sharing your ideas. You never know what might come from them.
