Assessment of the Practicum by Students from the Perspective of the Induction Process

摘要

This article shows the assessments made by students from the Carlos Ⅲ University of Madrid of the induction period in the practicum they performed during their courses of study, and their perceptions of and attitudes towards it. The method used was a survey comprising 6 questions about the induction process, which was carried out among 359 students over six academic years from 2003/4 to 2008/9. The study demonstrates that the information centers receiving interns should place more emphasis on the induction process in order to achieve integration and correct the failings that this work has enabled us to detect. The employees from the information centers who act as supervisors of the students will be most aware of their interests and opinions. They will be able to take these into consideration when planning the work placements, particularly to provide a suitable welcome and orientation for the students, treating them in a similar way to new employees through the induction process. The students' observations should also be taken into account by the academics responsible for the internships, in order to establish proposals for action with a view to improving the practicum. This study will help to extend the very limited literature existing on assessment of the practicum programs from the perspective of LIS students.