Practice-Based Learning in Higher Education: Jostling Cultures

Abstract

The collection of papers that comprise this edited monograph addresses issues confronting universities’ attempts to integrate practice-based learning in higher education curriculum. It is through accounts and analyses of activities that the kinds and extents of this jostling of cultures within and amongst the academy, industry, government and professional bodies and other educational providers become evident. The contributions, in different ways, engage theory in practices (Price et al.2009) through appraisals of a range of issues in the recognition and implementation of practice based learning initiatives. The contributions explore the epistemologies, structures, politics, histories and rituals that both support and constrain opportunity and success in students’ experiences, and illuminating the issues, practices and factors that shape the processes and outcome of educational efforts to integrate experiences in both practice and educational settings, each of which has their own distinct cultures, practice within their communities (Gherardi 2009).