Internships and work-based learning (WBL) are proven high-impact practices that enhance student retention and reduce the risk of underemployment, which exceeds 57% for certain majors. However, implementing these practices for online, working adult learners within National University’s accelerated four-week terms presents significant structural and pedagogical challenges. This article presents a chronological narrative of a grant-funded project supported by the National University Cause Research Institute (CRI) from August 2024 to May 2025. Our team sought to determine if a structured theoretical framework could empower faculty to design quality WBL experiences without the logistical overhead of traditional internships. Our team did faculty professional development on the Transformative Experiential Learning Model (TELM), which focuses on six elements: fidelity, iteration, team/social learning, feedback/guidance, integration, and autonomy/uncertainty. Through a series of workshops and course pilots in Psychology and Homeland Security, we observed a significant shift in faculty design thinking. Key successes included a +3 gain in the elements of “Iteration” and “Autonomy” for piloted assignments. Despite these gains, we identified persistent systemic barriers, including faculty workload concerns and institutional governance hurdles. This report concludes with recommendations for scaling WBL through faculty development and strategic institutional alignment to ensure that online adult learners receive connection- and experience-rich education.
Epp et al. (Fri,) studied this question.