Abstract:

Field experiences are a hallmark of a 21st century undergraduate education. In fact, field placements in the form of internships and practicum experiences are considered a signature pedagogy in the Human Services field. Field placement experiences offer students many benefits that are not necessarily academic or curricular driven, such as developing a professional network and documenting marketable work experience. But in the field of human services, as in other fields where the nature of the work is varied, it is hard to ensure that all field placements afford the opportunity for the application of theory and research to practice. This paper will explore how to bring fidelity to curriculum integrated field experiences through the application of reflective pedagogy; a process by which students connect their experiences to curricular content in order to construct new meaning. An examination of reflective pedagogy and best practices in Human Services field education will be reviewed. An example of the use of reflective pedagogy in a field placement seminar will be proved.

Keywords:

Field placement, internship, reflective pedagogy, human services, experiential learning.