Integrating professional learning experiences across university and practice settings

Stephen Billett

pp. 485-512

in: Stephen Billett, Christian Harteis, Hans Gruber (eds), International handbook of research in professional and practice-based learning, Berlin, Springer, 2014

Abstract

This chapter identifies and discusses the educational benefits of providing and integrating experiences in practice settings within tertiary education programs. It does so by adopting a broad curriculum perspective and focussing on developing the capacities required for effective professional practice. These capacities are now of growing importance as, in many countries with advanced industrial economies, higher education provisions are directed towards specific occupational outcomes. The provision and integration of practice-based experiences are seen as a way of securing that goal. Indeed, there are now growing expectations that higher education institutions will provide these experiences in preparing students who will be ready to proceed smoothly into their selected occupations upon graduation. A concern here is to identify an alignment between student experiences in educational institutions and those in practice-settings. This chapter explores ways in which these alignments can be considered and secured.