Comparative Thematic Analysis of Reflections from Physical and Virtual Internship Experiences of Computing Undergraduates Students

Abstract

The main objective of internship programs of every university is to enable students to learn the skills needed in a workplace regardless of the modality. Students want to experience the actual work environment in preparation for joining the knowledge workers after finishing the program. With the disruptions in education due to the pandemic, universities are trying to redesign the modality of the delivery of instruction and the internship program. The shift from regular face-to-face to virtual internship modalities was adopted by higher education institutions worldwide. However, virtual internship modalities have already been adopted, especially in the Information, Communication, and Technology field in various companies in developed countries, but only sometimes done in developing countries. This study primarily wants to understand the experiences of computing students who underwent a traditional and virtual internship program based on their reflection essays. The qualitative data analysis method, specifically thematic and content analysis, was used to compare students’ experiences in the pre-pandemic and during the pandemic era. This comparison aims to deeply understand the patterns and themes and discover insights from students’ perspectives. The study’s outcome can enhance the computing curriculum and adopt new modalities of the internship program for the university. Automated tools were used to discover the patterns, insights, and themes.