Out-of-classroom experiences: a survey of students’ perceptions of the learning process during internships

Abstract

A survey has been conducted during the 2013-2014 academic year among the first graduating class after the EHEA in the Faculty of Economics and Business Sciences at Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), with the aim of comprehending the students' perception of the learning process developed through the out-of-classroom activities of professional internships. In this work such activities are considered an integral part of the knowledge acquisition process, on the basis of the constructivism paradigm of learning-by-doing. The results of the survey show that, in general, student's perceptions are positive about the overall process, although the weakest point is in the perceived connexion between the theory explained in the classroom and its practical application in the workplace. The conclusion is that from the students' point of view the introduction of the new post-EHEA internship courses at UPF has been successful in many aspects, while in some other aspects, particularly in the relationship between theory and practice, some further analysis is recommended.