Abstract
Speech communication students leave universities with an education that is applicable in a variety of settings. Students frequently report, however, that their knowledge is too theoretical and abstract making it difficult to apply their education in specific contexts. Peter Krembs points out three potentially limiting characteristics of academic communication education which may explain student dissatisfaction. First, professors control the curriculum in academic classrooms. Communication students have little choice regarding content and teaching methods. Management of learning is "top down" with students playing a passive role. Second, course content is based upon expertise of teachers, historic divisions of subject matter, and an attempt to meet institutional demands. Standardization and consistency are maintained at the expense of situational adaptation. Third, standardized central evaluation criteria rather than a student’s personal assessment are used as grading criteria. Learner wants and needs are not taken into account during evaluation. The academic emphases summarized by Krembs clearly suggest why students see little connection between their education and the real world. Their world is made up of perceptions of individual specific settings. The academic world is comprised of basic theories and concepts.
Journal Title
Iowa Journal of Speech Communication
Volume
13
Issue
1
First Page
26
Last Page
29
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Recommended Citation
Sorenson, Ritch L.
(1981)
"Internships: A Transition from Academia to the "Real World","
Iowa Journal of Communication: Vol. 13:
No.
1, Article 8.
Available at:
https://scholarworks.uni.edu/ijc/vol13/iss1/8
Copyright
©1981 Iowa Communication Association
