Practicum in higher education: state of the art

As Practicum (post-graduate teacher education) is a central component of the new Higher Education curricula, the author analyses the state of the art, discussing seven focuses of concern in the development of experiential education in teacher training: a) the evolution of the name Practicum and its curricular implications; b) the base model of learning as a rationale for Practicum design and development; c) the prevalence of organizational over curricular considerations; d) the link between institutions and its impact on the Practicum syllabus; e) the need to go beyond the emotional component of Practicum; f) the need for learning networks and communities to share individual expertise; g) the need for further use of ICT in Practicum management, supervision and tutoring. The author concludes that the present challenge is to reach a deeper degree of integration between Practicum and the other components of the undergraduate curriculum.