Internships

The highlighted points should be viewed critically in the absence of an in-person phase.

1.2 Possible Solutions

Lab courses generally follow an idea that is said to have been described by Aristotle as follows: “What one must learn in order to do it, one learns by doing it.” The hands-on and practical experience gained from traditional engineering and science lab courses is therefore irreplaceable. However, parts of the learning experience can also be facilitated outside the in-person context. To achieve this, it is first and foremost necessary to identify the individual phases of a traditional lab course. These are structured as follows:

1. Introductory session
2. Lab day(s)
3. Preparation for the lab day
4. Introductory quiz
5. Practical implementation with recording of measurement values
6. Evaluation and Writing the Report 

Upon closer examination of the individual points, it becomes apparent that, with the exception of the highlighted point iii, most of the points appear to be feasible even without physical presence. Without the third point, however, the purpose of a lab seems to be reduced to absurdity.

Based on this, several scenarios are conceivable for addressing the challenge of lab sessions:

1. Postponing the lab to a later point in the semester, possibly as a block session
2. Separating the theoretical (location-independent) and practical (in-person) components, with the in-person components postponed to a later date
3. Postponing the internship to a later semester, possibly as a block course
4. Complete elimination of the internship, with a theoretical replacement course, possibly including a demonstration
5. Complete cancellation of the practicum, without a replacement course

Update April 16, 2020:

Point 6 of the minutes of the teleconference between the Federal Chancellor and the heads of government of the federal states on April 15, 2020, states:

“In higher education, in addition to administering exams, practical courses that require special laboratories or workrooms at universities may be resumed under special hygiene and safety measures.”

1. Conducting practical courses in very small groups while adhering to specific hygiene and safety measures

Option E should be avoided at all costs. In this scenario, any learning experience is completely lost.

Scenario D is only slightly better. Here, the experiments could be conducted by TUC staff and filmed, or appropriate videos from third parties could be used; however, the hands-on experience is completely lost, and learning from mistakes takes place only to a limited extent at best. Furthermore, the learning experience is only marginally greater than that provided by a “good” documentary film.

The advantages and disadvantages of Scenarios A and C are roughly the same. By postponing the course, the learning experience is fully preserved, though it will not be experienced until a later date. This may prove disadvantageous as the course progresses, particularly if subsequent courses build upon that learning experience before the postponed practicum has been completed. Another challenge is the accumulation of rescheduled events at later dates that overlap with regular courses and exams. This leads to unnecessary additional burdens. A policy must be established here regarding whether—and, if so, how many—rescheduled events can reasonably be expected of students in addition to the normal curriculum. Postponing courses to the break between semesters is not a solution. This time should, in principle, be reserved for rest and earning a living. Another problem is the compression of semester-long courses into intensive sessions. This approach will not yield significant learning outcomes with regard to writing lab reports, and it will place a heavy time burden on students as they must write multiple reports simultaneously while preparing for subsequent experiments.

A very promising alternative for the lab sessions can be implemented following the government’s decision of April 15, 2020. However, this requires a significant amount of organizational and supervisory effort, as well as substantial resources for hygiene and safety measures. In this Scenario F, students can complete the lab sessions “normally” in very small groups, or even with individual supervision if necessary. This could be achieved by splitting a single session into multiple sessions, for example, in the morning and afternoon or on different days. An advantage of this scenario is that it preserves the full learning experience. In fact, this experience is even more valuable than in a normal internship, since each student must perform all or nearly all tasks independently, and no one can hide within the group—whether by accident or on purpose. It is also worth noting that this approach eliminates the need to reschedule the practicum(s), which reduces the learning burden for students in subsequent semesters to normal levels compared to Scenarios A and C. On the other hand, the social distancing rules that must be observed, as well as the cleaning and, if necessary, disinfection of the workstations, pose challenges. Furthermore, due to the small group size, the supervision workload is increased by the higher number of lab sessions and the subsequent grading effort, provided that group reports have been permitted thus far. It may also require a high degree of organization, as students may complete multiple internships in a single semester, which could, with some probability, lead to scheduling conflicts with other internships or “digital courses.”

Scenarios D and E are therefore not recommended at all. Scenarios A and C are suitable for internships that were already planned as block internships. However, care must be taken to ensure a balanced distribution to avoid unnecessary clustering. Furthermore, scenarios A and C are to be preferred for one-day internships or courses. Scenario F is particularly recommended for exceptional cases, provided that hygiene and safety measures can be adhered to and sufficient staff are available. Since this scenario requires the fewest adjustments and avoids placing an additional burden on students as their studies progress, it should be given priority even when capacity allows for normal practicum operations.

Scenario B is particularly suitable for internships that span the entire semester. Here, a distinction must be made between theoretical and practical components, as well as between in-person and remote components. It is noteworthy that, despite the mandatory in-person requirement, internships—with the exception of the “practical implementation”—appear to be feasible even without actual on-site presence. Introductory sessions and colloquia can also be conducted via video conferencing without significant adjustments. Preparation and report writing are usually to be completed by students outside of class time anyway.

However, even components of the “practical implementation” can be implemented using digital or distance learning methods. For example, the “correct” experimental setup and the conduct of the experiment could already be tested—at least theoretically—in the introductory quiz. Moodle, for example, offers options for conducting the introductory colloquium and addressing follow-up questions (drag-and-drop, fill-in-the-blank, multiple-choice, free-response, etc.). Simulations and gamification are additional possibilities.

1.3 Virtual Labs and Simulations

Labster is a Moodle extension for virtual labs and is used, for example, at ETH Zurich. According to ETH, data protection requirements are met (at least for Switzerland). Other virtual labs, such as PraxiLabs, function similarly but without integration with Moodle. Another option is to simulate the actual experiment without the additional virtual lab environment, as is done, for example, on the University of Colorado’s website. However, this also eliminates the laboratory experience (handling and methods) that is at least partially present in virtual labs. In particular, lab courses in physics and chemistry could be partially replicated using these tools as a kind of “virtual reality lab.” This would also allow the in-person component of the lab course to be organized independently of location and time, albeit with a limited hands-on component. However, no adjustments to the course structure would be necessary.

1.4 Third-Person Lab Sessions

“Third-person lab sessions” offer another possibility. Here, similar to a video game, a person is “controlled” to perform the practical work on-site. This could be carried out by the instructors, for example. A prerequisite for this is that the lab be equipped with the necessary technology to film and stream the footage to the internship group members. The members of the internship group must still be able to communicate verbally and thus tell the person conducting the activity what needs to be done next. The in-person component of the practicum can thus be organized to be location-independent and, subject to appropriate coordination with the staff conducting the session, largely time-independent as well. However, the hands-on component is also limited in this scenario. Adjustments to the workflow are almost unnecessary.

1.5 Split In-Person Sessions

If such an implementation is not possible, or if the hands-on component of the practicum must be fully preserved, an adaptation of the traditional structure is recommended:

1. Online introductory session (e.g., BigBlueButton)
2. Online internship day(s)
3. Independent preparation for the practicum day
4. Introductory quiz covering parts of the practical session
5. Distribution of fictional/historical measurement data, questions, and/or hints
6. Evaluation and writing the lab report
7. In-person lab day(s)
8. Conducting the lab experiments (without exam/report)

In this proposal, the in-person portion of the lab is scheduled for a time when in-person instruction is once again possible. The necessary restructuring of the “split lab” for this purpose is highlighted in green.

Recordings or simulations of the experiments from internal sources or third-party providers can help in Section II to illustrate specific skills, experimental procedures, and behavior. Video collections on websites (e.g., Journal of Video Experiments) or relevant videos on video platforms (e.g., “Extraction of RNA” by PraxiLabs) can also be helpful, even if the videos offered there may not cover the exact topic in question. Online simulation platforms such as myphysiclab.com also offer the possibility of performing digital measurements.

One idea that goes far beyond the concept of a digital lab is the use of videos with decision trees similar to “Choose Your Own Adventure” books, in which the reader’s decisions influence the course of the story. Applied to the teaching and learning context, videos or video sequences could be created in which the viewer (in this case, the students) influences the video’s progression by choosing from various options. To illustrate this, here is a possible sequence for a filmed pendulum experiment: Starting with the experimental setup, the viewer can choose whether to use a short, medium, or long string. Next, there is a choice between three different weights. If desired, different pendulum geometries could also be offered. The pendulum is then set in motion, and the timing of 10 pendulum swings begins. From the results of the various experiments, the laws of a harmonic pendulum can then be derived. Thanks to the various options and the interactive design of the video, a high level of engagement—and thus high motivation and learning success—can be expected. However, due to the wide range of options, there is also a very high number of different video sequences that must be produced.

1.6 Data Analysis Lab

Even if students are unable to conduct experiments and work in laboratories in person on the actual lab day, they can be provided with fictional, simulated, or historical data. Students can analyze and evaluate this data and create appropriate reports. By posing relevant questions, instructors can draw students’ attention to deviations from expected values, unusual measurement results, or pitfalls in the experimental procedure, thereby sparking a meaningful discussion.

1.7 Remote Lab Sessions

Some lab sessions rely on the on-site use of computer programs. If students cannot be physically present on campus, remote access to the programs from home can provide a solution. Of course, this requires that the computer and the relevant programs be accessible from outside the university. Please refer to the information provided by the Computer Center.

Currently, there are several reports that remote access to many measurement and simulation programs is not working satisfactorily. Problems are also increasingly being reported with remote access to MATLAB. In some cases, this is due to licensing issues and a lack of remote access rights or network compatibility for individual programs. The Computer Center is working on individual solutions. However, due to the high workload caused by digitalization, these may take some time.

Accordingly, you should, whenever possible, prioritize installing the programs on locally available computers from the TU’s software pool and connecting to the university network via VPN. Please also refer to the information provided by the Computer Center.

1.8 Limitations of Digitalization

Even setting aside issues related to examination regulations, there are inherent limits to digitalization in practical courses. For example, the following aspects, among others, can hardly be taught without in-person instruction:

1. Haptic experience: The ability to hold objects in one’s hands, smell, feel, and “taste” them is missing
2. Material behavior and measurement data generation
3. Trial and error, learning by error, failure by death
4. Frustration tolerance and resilience
5. Humility regarding the time required for experiments: building personal perseverance in the lab

Therefore, conducting “in-person lab days” as soon as in-person instruction can resume again seems almost absolutely necessary. However, a solution must be found to prevent an accumulation of additional sessions.

2. Industry and Pre-Practicum Placements, “Stay-at-Home Weeks” at Companies

The current situation presents many current and prospective students with the challenge of finding an internship position or completing internships at companies. This is becoming increasingly difficult due to the far-reaching restrictions on public life.

2.1 Pre-Internship

The mandatory pre-internship may be deferred under the hardship provision. This means that, for the various degree programs, the pre-internship—if not completed before the start of studies—can be postponed. It should be completed by the start of the third semester (with the exception of Industrial Engineering, where the deadline is the end of the third semester) as soon as “normal social life” resumes. Therefore, no specific recommendations for action are required in this regard.

2.2 Industry Internships During the Course of Study

Industry internships taken during the course of study may be completed at any time prior to registering for the thesis, and the corresponding report may be submitted to the Internship Office. Consequently, for the vast majority of students, no changes or adjustments to the procedure should be necessary here either. Depending on the duration and nature of the work, a combination of a preliminary internship and an industry internship may also be possible. Vocational training and professional activities, paid employment (e.g., as a working student), as well as technical training and service with the German Armed Forces may be recognized as internships upon application, provided the scope of activities is appropriate. More detailed information on the type, duration, and general conditions can be found in the Administrative Handbook or obtained from the Internship Office.

2.3 Hardship Cases

Please note that a hardship exemption always requires a corresponding application! The decision to grant a deferral rests solely with the intern and, if applicable, the Examinations Office.

Due to the social restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, finding and starting internships has become significantly more difficult, if not entirely impossible in some cases. For students who, due to the current situation, face the challenge that completing an internship is necessary for their academic progress but is not possible, a workable hardship provision must be found.

One possibility could be to allow students to register for their thesis, while making the Examination Office’s recognition of the course credit contingent upon the missing internship being officially recognized. In this way, depending on the duration and nature of the work, an “introductory phase” of the thesis could be recognized as an internship. It might even be possible to submit the thesis. Here, too, the Examinations Office would not recognize the academic achievement until the internship has been approved. This could even allow students, where applicable, to work at a company as a B.Sc. cand. or M.Sc. cand., for example, and have their probationary period there recognized as an internship. A delay in studies could thus be largely prevented in both cases.

A hardship provision for pre-internships could provide for a one-semester extension of the “deferral deadline.” However, due to the already very generous regulations, this would be contingent on verifiable cancellations of the relevant internship positions or a general unreasonableness (e.g., an internship at a medical facility with potential “COVID-19 exposure”) or a lack of opportunities to carry out the internship (e.g., an internship abroad).

2.4 Field Trips Without Leaving Home 

Due to the drastic behavioral restrictions, field trips are currently not possible. Contact bans, curfews, etc., make this impossible. Companies are also keen to protect the limited staff—who remain on duty due to childcare responsibilities, working from home, or illness—from customer contact and thus from potential infection, while also ensuring they are not tied away from their primary area of work.

Virtual tours offer a partial alternative here. You can find examples of well-designed tours here. However, these tours can only provide a realistic experience when used in combination with VR equipment (VR or AR headsets, etc.). They do not, however, serve as a substitute for reality, since environmental conditions such as temperature, humidity, claustrophobic spaces, protective equipment, and the like can only be represented to a limited extent in virtual reality.

In many cases, however, production conditions and processes are trade secrets and therefore may not be documented or even disclosed “to the outside world.” This further complicates the availability of suitable digital information and guided tours.

There is therefore no satisfactory alternative to field trips. Accordingly, postponing the field trips to a later stage in the program seems appropriate.

3. Contact Persons

Michael Weinmann, Florian Kainer, and Jürgen Lars Sackbrook are your points of contact for questions regarding internships and field trips. You can find their contact information here.