Practicum Supervision & Self-Directed Learning

The most common frustration for practicum students is a lag in their access to field activities (especially if their fieldwork is hybrid or remote). To get ahead of this, please have a plan for activities the student can access on their own (without waiting for training, direction, or follow-up from others) from the very start of the practicum. Students should reflect on and debrief these with you (through Time2Track and/or supervision meetings). Here are some ideas:

Attending meetings

• Meetings throughout the org or out in the community they can drop in on. 

• Help them find or create a list. (Is there a calendar of events they can choose from?)

• Provide guidance on norms/expectations (how to show up, if/how to introduce themselves, level of participation, what they can pay attention to or question to ask to maximize their learning).

Informational Interviews and/or Career Conversations

• With staff at your org and/or community members

• Relevant to the student’s learning goals, career interests, and/or practicum projects

• Example orientation activity: Introduce yourself to five people at the organization (practice your elevator pitch, create a connection to build on throughout the semester, generate ideas for projects or other learning activities).

Professional Development

• Readings, podcasts, webinars, trainings, conferences—are there free resources you are aware of or have access to and can share with the student? Listservs they can join? Resources the student can access through Pacific’s library?

• Reporting findings back to you/the team (to make it a "value add" activity and develop presentation and communication skills).

Examples of extended-timeline self-directed student projects:

• Revising advocacy training completed by all volunteers of the organization

• Updating written materials (websites, resource guides) with up-to-date/accurate information, revised content to better serve a diverse audience

• Preparing a professional development session (workshop, presentation) for site staff (based on student’s research and/or lived experience/expertise)

• Creating a guide with information about partner organizations to orient new volunteers

Supervision is a critical component of PH field education. Every 20 hours (at minimum), the Field Instructor and the student should meet to discuss the student’s progress toward achieving the learning goals outlined in the Learning Contract. Students are expected to take the lead in scheduling supervision meetings and should bring the Learning Contract to reference at each meeting. Students should come to each meeting with questions and be prepared to discuss progress and/or obstacles toward completing projects/activities outlined in the Learning Contract. Students are also encouraged to discuss questions that extend beyond specific practicum tasks (e.g., career development, Capstone, the broader context of the field in which the practicum site is situated). 

Students are encouraged to use the Supervision Worksheet as a guide for maximizing the benefits of supervision meetings. 

Written Evaluation

Field Instructors complete a formal performance evaluation of the student placed with their agency based on their progress toward meeting learning objectives outlined in the Learning Contract and on basic professional competencies. The purpose of the evaluation is to provide feedback on fieldwork performance to support the student in their academic, personal, and professional development. Field Instructor feedback and ratings influence (but in no way determine) the student’s final grade for the practicum course. 

The Field Instructor completes the performance evaluation via MyInternshipJournal at the midpoint of the practicum (once the student has completed ~half of their fieldwork hours) and reviews the feedback with the student. The completed evaluation is immediately available to both the student and the Practicum Coordinator. 

Reflection and Evaluation Meeting

Toward the end of the field experience, the student, Field Instructor, and Practicum Coordinator participate in a final Reflection and Evaluation meeting. This meeting is scheduled and facilitated by the Practicum Coordinator. At this meeting, the Practicum Coordinator reviews the feedback with the student and Field Instructor so as to help the student learn from the feedback process. At this time the Field Instructor may verbally expand upon any feedback provided, or update any ratings based on changes in performance. 

Students are required to complete at least 70 fieldwork hours throughout the course of the semester. These hours should occur primarily on-site at the practicum agency. Students should consult with and get approval from their Field Instructor in order to determine which activities “count” for practicum hours. 

In general, the following student activities may count toward fieldwork hours:

• Observing/participating in meetings or discussing practicum with the Field Instructor or other agency staff.

• Completing trainings or orientations, as assigned by the Field Instructor.

• Working independently or as a team on practicum-related activities. 

• Communicating with field site staff (e.g., sending emails, logging hours and reflections on Time2Track)

• Traveling to select off-site meetings, in addition to the usual commute. If possible, students may carpool with agency staff or listen to relevant podcasts in order to make this travel time more educational.

The following student activities may not count toward fieldwork hours:

• Regular commute to and from the field site. (Student may listen to relevant podcasts to make this time "count" toward their hours).

• Work that is solely for the Capstone or Practicum seminar courses and not related to practicum itself (there will be some overlap—talk to the PH faculty or Practicum Coordinator if unsure).

Students should plan financially for the practicum semester. Costs vary between practicum site placement, but certain costs apply to all students:

• $20 fieldwork tracking system membership (currently MyInternshipJournal)

• Transportation to and from the field site for in-person activities

Some host organizations require students to undergo a criminal background check, fingerprinting, a child welfare check, drug screening, or other requirements (e.g., immunizations, driver’s license). Students must comply with these requirements to complete the placement process. Although most organizations cover some or all of the cost of these special requirements, some students may incur additional expenses. These costs should be considered when interviewing with and considering prospective field sites.

Students should keep the receipts for any practicum-related purchases (including MyInternshipJournal) and maintain a log of all miles driven in their personal vehicle for practicum activities so that they may apply for funds from Pacific University to offset these costs.