Title:	REFLECTIONS ON THE POSSIBILITIES AND CHALLENGES OF M-GUIDANCE IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL INTERNSHIP
Author(s):	Riina Kleimola , Irja Leppisaari , Pentti Impiö , Ismo Hakala
ISBN:	972-8924-22-4
Editors:	Kinshuk, Demetrios G Sampson, J. Michael Spector and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2006
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	mobile guidance, international internship, professional expertise
Type:	Full Paper
First Page:	27
Last Page:	34
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	International internship has nowadays become a popular part of higher education studies, its objective being to support the student’s development into a professional expert. Reports, however, have indicated that in-process guidance is often lacking in international internships and that there is a distinct need to develop new innovative guidance procedures. This paper examines the possibilities and challenges of mobile guidance, that is m-guidance, as a means of achieving pedagogically meaningful and technically functional support for internships abroad. M-guidance is here defined as support given through mobile technologies as well as web-based applications and learning platforms to enhance flexible studying and mobile learning in connection with international internships. The three international internship cases studied in this paper indicate that m-guidance provides teachers and trainers with an opportunity to react to and direct the guidance process as needs emerge in authentic work life situations. The students consider the support m-guidance provided for reflection during the internship process to be a particular strength. Successful m-guidance is regular, just-in-time, flexible, planned and includes both individual and collective reflection and sharing of experiences. M-guidance can also be used to form closer connections to the interface between higher education institutions and workplaces. Challenges facing m-guidance are seen to be efficient time management skills, the use of shared guidance plans and adequate training in the deployment of mobile technologies and web-based applications.
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