How SIWES, SWEP, IT, and Internship are Graded

It has been observed that the aforementioned schemes do not share the same unit and grading system among Nigeria's universities, polytechnics, colleges of technology, colleges of agriculture, colleges of education, and innovation enterprise institutions. Therefore, prospective participants curious about how their industrial training is graded or rewarded will need to review different schools and available literature.

In the end, the result is obvious. Yet, this article will provide you with some ideas of what to expect at the end of your training period if you partake or otherwise.

Why Different Grading Among Institutions?

In Nigeria, the grading of SIWES (Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme), SWEP (Students Work Experience Programme Scheme), IT (Industrial Training), or internships can vary among institutions. The differences in grading often stem from various factors:

1. Institutional Policies: Each institution may have its own set of policies and guidelines regarding how to evaluate and grade student internships or industrial training. For example, one university might prioritize hands-on experience, while another might emphasize written reports or presentations as part of the grading process. While some may include reports, some grade their students using only logbooks. Some will include the defense of reports, while some only need the reports to be submitted. These policies will definitely determine the grading criteria and standards.
2. Industry Standards: The grading can also be influenced by the specific standards set by the industries where students undertake their internships. For instance, engineering students interning at different firms may be evaluated based on the industry-specific skills and competencies relevant to their placements. For example, some universities include employer's or industry-based supervisor ratings in their grading scheme.
3. Supervisor's Evaluation: The assessment of students during their internships sometimes relies on the evaluation provided by their industry supervisors. Varying perspectives and expectations among supervisors can lead to differences in grading. For instance, a marketing student's performance might be evaluated differently by a supervisor in a multinational corporation compared to a supervisor in a small local business. In fact, while some schools have a supervisor's rating of 15% of the total score, some give 10% or less for the same.
4. Learning Objectives: The objectives of the internship or industrial training program may vary between institutions. Therefore, the assessment criteria are tailored to align with the specific learning outcomes established by each institution. For example, a computer science program might prioritize coding skills, while a business program might emphasize project management abilities.
5. Academic Requirements: Some institutions integrate internship experiences into the academic curriculum, requiring students to fulfill certain academic tasks or assignments during their internships. The grading may be based not only on the performance in the industry but also on these academic requirements. For instance, a nursing student might be required to submit reflective essays alongside their practical work in a hospital setting.
6. Quality of Work: The quality of the work done during the internship or industrial training period significantly impacts grading. Expectations for high-quality work may differ among institutions and industries. For example, a journalism student's reporting skills might be evaluated based on the accuracy and depth of their news articles, with variation depending on whether they intern at a newspaper, a television station, or an online media outlet.
7. Examination Requirements: Some institutions may include examinations or assessments related to the internship or industrial training as part of their grading process. For example, a chemistry student completing an internship in a pharmaceutical laboratory might be required to take a written exam on laboratory safety protocols and chemical analysis techniques.

Recommended: SIWES, SWEP, IT, and Internship: What's the Duration?

Having Ideas of Your School's Grading System

This article is limited in scope as it can't review all institution's grading schemes for SIWES, SWEP, IT, or internships. All that is important is to have an idea of what it takes to score higher, and if you're lucky, your school may provide the grading system for you before starting the training. Below are a few findings from some schools reviewed:

Federal College of Education Okene clearly states that the SIWES Scheme is a two (2) unit course and all participating students are expected to pass the course at the passing grade level of the College's scoring and grading point for SIWES before the students can graduate from the College. This implies that other universities' attached units may range up to 6 units depending on the course. For example, Nnamdi Azikiwe University's Department of Architecture SIWES is a unit.

Nile University states that students will be evaluated based on the industry supervisor's assessment report (20%), institution supervisor's assessment report (10%), industrial training report and logbook prepared by the students (50%), and student's presentation (20%), with specific evaluation criteria outlined for each component, contributing to the overall evaluation.

Although the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta was not explicit with the points, units, or score awards regarding each aspect of students' SIWES training, it makes it clear that at the end of the SIWES Programme, logbooks issued to respective SIWES students are collected, reviewed, graded, and endorsed by respective Departmental SIWES Coordinators; then submitted to the SIWES Directorate for ITF Verification. This implies a serial marking stage for the logbook entries.

In its SIWES guide, Ajayi Crowther University states that students are evaluated on various components after their industrial training (I.T) period, including submission of a logbook, employer's discharge letter, technical report, and presentation, with the following allocation of marks: Log Book Record (20%), Employer's discharge letter (15%), Technical report (25%), IT Defense (presentation) (25%), and ITF Scoring (15%), emphasizing the significance of the technical report and IT defense in achieving high grades.

Similar to that, Nigerian Army University states that students' performance during their industrial training is evaluated based on criteria including logbook entries assessment (10%), university-based supervision (20%), industry-based supervision (25%), written report quality (20%), and oral presentation effectiveness (25%), with each component contributing to the total score.

Ekiti State University (EKSU) states 50% of the score is based on factors such as log-book maintenance, punctuality, general conduct, and discipline. The Technical Report, detailing experimental procedures, techniques, equipment use, result interpretation, and presentation, contributes 30% to the score. Finally, a Viva voce session, where students orally present their industrial training experiences to their respective departments after submitting the Technical Report, accounts for 20% of the assessment.

In conclusion, Differences in grading stem from institutional policies, industry standards, supervisor evaluations, learning objectives, academic requirements, and the quality of work. These factors influence the allocation of marks across various components such as logbook maintenance, technical reports, presentations, and supervisor assessments. 

Prospective participants may not necessarily navigate through diverse grading systems across universities, polytechnics, and colleges, or rely on available literature or institutional guidelines, understanding the grading criteria offers insights into what to expect at the end of the training period. However, the absence of a unified framework for assessment suggests a need for standardization to ensure fairness and consistency in evaluating students' industrial experiences across all institutions.

Sources:

1. Federal College of Education, Okene. (n.d.). Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). Retrieved from https://fceokene.edu.ng/students-industrial-work-experience-scheme-siwes/
2. Nile University. (n.d.). Student Industrial Work Experience Scheme. Retrieved from https://siwesoffice.nileuniversity.edu.ng/evaluation-guideline/
3. Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. (n.d.). Directorate of Students’ Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). Retrieved from https://funaab.edu.ng/section/directorate-of-students-industrial-work-experience-scheme/
4. Ajayi Crowther University Department Of Physical Sciences Computer Science Unit. (n.d.). Siwes Report Writing Guide. Retrieved from https://www.academia.edu/34890371/SIWES_REPORT_WRITING_GUIDE
5. Nigerian Army University Biu. (n.d.). SIWES Activities. Retrieved from https://naub.edu.ng/siwes-activities/
6. Ekiti State University (EKSU). (n.d.). Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES). Retrieved from https://eksu.edu.ng/siwes/

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