Traditionally, journalism majors gain professional experience before graduation through internships, part-time or summer jobs, and campus media. Those avenues are often insufficient to adequately prepare them for the professional workplace and professional standards. This essay explores two of a journalism school's practice-based programs that…

The history of experiential learning in American higher education is outlined, and the rationale and learning objectives of this type of experience are addressed. Experiential education has resulted from an emphasis on practical knowledge. Although the colonial colleges focused on the classical curriculum, the scientific method of the natural…

The importance of evaluating student interns as part of a regular performance appraisal system for all employees is discussed, along with the role of the internship coordinator or faculty sponsor. The first step is deciding what should be measured: interns' personal characteristics, job performance, and results. The most useful form of performance…

The role of instructional personnel in supporting students on field experience assignments is discussed. After identifying current monitoring practices, attention is directed to: making effective use of experience for learning, making progress toward learning objectives, providing students feedback, providing additional resources, and continuously…