Educational Purposes of Integrating Experiences in Practice and University Settings

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to outline the range of specific educational purposes for providing and integrating practice-based experiences in higher education programs. In preview, it is proposed that these purposes can be categorised as those associated with three educational concerns. These are, firstly, individuals identifying the occupations or specialisations that they will select as their preferred occupations. Secondly is the development of the capacities to be effective in those occupations. Thirdly, is the need to sustain their employability and advancement across lengthening working lives. So, whereas the previous chapter addresses questions about the overall educational purposes of higher education in contemporary times, this chapter addresses the more specific issues of the different kinds of goals and intents able to be addressed through provisions of the integration of practice-based experiences within higher education. All of this acknowledges that both kinds of settings (i.e. the practice and education setting) provide distinct kinds of experiences and make particular contributions to higher education students’ learning for occupational purposes.