Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1980

Thesis Director

Gene W. Scholes

Abstract

This Thesis is an evaluation of the first year of an instructional media intern program in northeastern Illinois, near Chicago. Included as part of the evaluation is a description of the program in video cassette format. The script of the recording is one part of this paper. A copy of the video cassette is on file at The Audio Visual Center, Eastern Illinois University and with the author.

There were eight interns in the first year's program during the 1973/74 school year. Each intern had an immediate supervisor who was a media specialist in the district. There were three district coordinators involved in the program, one from each of the participating school districts: Palatine Elementary School District #15, Mt. Prospect High School District #214, and William Rainey Harper Community College District. Two professors from Eastern Illinois University directed the intern program and taught most of the extension courses in the area.

The main purpose of the media intern program was to provide the intern with opportunities for gaining practical experiences in the operation of a school media center, while also providing the cooperating school with professional media expertise through the intern. Another purpose was to provide the opportunity for the intern to gain university credits through courses taught in the area. Both the main purpose and the secondary purpose were accomplished.

The evaluation of the intern program was conducted through the use of survey questionaires. A slightly different form of the instrument was used with persons at each of the four levels of participation: the intern level, the supervisor level, the coordinator level and the program or university level.

Results of the surveys indicated the greatest value of the program to be the on-the-job exposure to school media activities. Coursework was taught by extension through Eastern Illinois University. Several courses were identified as being most worthwhile, they included Media Systems, Administration and Supervision, and Television Production.

The following problems were among those identified during the evaluation: certain courses were too loosely structured, there was a general lack of time to devote to both coursework and work activities in the school, and the intern salary was insufficient for existence in the metropolitan area.

Suggestions offered to improve future intern programs included more planning and administrative preparation prior to the beginning of the year, greater intern income, reduced course load, and the identification of definite program objectives.

The program was seen as a success in so far as most of the interns were able to gain a great deal of personal experience directly involved in an ongoing school media program. The interns functioned, to an extent and at various times, in a supervisory position, in a production position, and in a faculty consultant position. This variety seemed to provide a well rounded set of professional experiences for the interns.

Share

COinS