Practical Training Dictionary

Practical Training is a course and the student has to take individual responsibility to study.
The main question to keep in mind should be: “What did I learn at the practical training?”

• Introductionary Seminar
• Core idea
• Requirements for practical training
• The aim of practical training
• The skills that will be developed
• The time and duration
• Practical training base
• The representative of the practical training base
• Supervisor at the practical training base
• Plan for practical training
• Practical training report
• Evaluation by the supervisor
• Defense
• Process diagram

Introductionary Seminar

In the beginning of each semester a seminar will be held for introducing the nature and procedures of the practical training courses. At the seminar the representatives from companies will also introduce the practical training organization and opportunities in their company.

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Core idea

Practical training is a student’s temporary work that takes place within the framework of learning and assessment, where students take individual responsibility to learn.

The main question of practice should be: „What did I learn during the practice“? It is also possible to formulate your previous work experience as practice, if it meets all the requirements.

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Requirements for the practice

The practice takes place in a company that deals with information technology. The company must have employees who can supervise trainee on the topic agreed with the practice coordinator.

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The aim of Practical Training

• Apply the acquired theoretical knowledge and practical skills in companies or institutions related to computer science and information technology.
• Provide trainees with the experience of individual work and teamwork necessary for entering labor market, and improve their professional skills and knowledge through job-based learning.

The goal of the Practical Training is to acquire real work experience (Duration is 156, 312 or 468 hours) in an IT related company. Practical Training will give students opportunities to acquire skills required for entering labor market and experience in:

• working in companies (key skills).
• the suitability of their personal characteristics (personal skills).
• the suitability and level of their acquired knowledge (skills related to education).
• potential opportunities for future career (career management skills).

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The skills that will be developed by practice

• Key skills
  • Entrepreneurship, leadership, critical thinking, Time estimation skills
• Personal skills
  • Time planning, taking responsibility, courage to ask question
• Communication skills
  • Professional, diplomatic and clear self-expression skills
• Technological skills
  • Mapping your specialty skills, weaknesses and developement potential
• Course related skills
  • Better understand knowledge learned in courses
  • Ability to assess learning knowledge
• Career management skills
  • Creating contacts. Suitability of your profession, investigating career opportunities

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The time and duration of the practice

Practical training can take place all year round (September-January, February-May, June-August) and lasts 156, 312 or 456 working hours depending on the curriculum. The required hours can be distributed over a longer period of time.

• 156 hours of practice: Practical Training in Informatics MTAT.03.237 BSc and MSc curricula (elective course) – 6 ECTS.
• 312 hours of practice: Practical Training in Information Technology MTAT.03.206 MSc curricula (compulsory) - 12 ECTS.
• 456 hours of practice: Both aforementioned courses are compulsory in the international curriculum (Software Engineering), 18 ECTS.

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Practice base

Practice base is an institution, organization or company with a suitable profile. The student has to find the practice base himself/herself. If necessary, you can request the help of the practice coordinator at the institute of at the UT career service. The student applies to the practice base in equal basis with all other applicants and the choice will be made by the practice base.

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The representative of the practice base

An employee of the institution as the practice base, who has the legal right to sign documents in the name of this institution.

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Supervisor at the practice base

An employee of the practice base who is able to supervise the trainee on the chosen topic. The supervisor must be a specialist in the field of the student’s practical training.

Note: The same person may also be the official representative of the company.

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Plan for practical training

In the practical training plan it is necessary to describe which learning outcomes the student plans to meet and how, where and under whose supervision will (s)he meet them.

The practice plan must be prepared together with the practice base supervisor and confirmed by the practice coordinator. This is necessary to make sure that the practice base, topic, learning outcomes and the choice of the supervisor meet the criteria for the practical training course(s). The practice plan will be signed by the student, the representative and the supervisor of the practice base and then presented to be signed by the practice coordinator. The practice plan will be approved by the head of the institute.

The form of the plan can be found on the course website.

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Practical Training report

Practice report will be submitted in a written form, the deadline will be decided by the institute (at least 5 working days before the defence).

The report should include the following sections:

• Title page
  • Should include: University, institute, curriculum, student name, length of training in hours
• Description of the Practical Training base
  • General description of the company/institution
  • Position & roles of the trainee
  • Supervisors (names, positions and contacts)
• Description of the Practical Training
  • Description of training topic/project/theme
  • Duration of training (Start & End dates) and the total volume in hours.
  • List and schedule of planned tasks
  • Learning objectives
• Analysis of the practical training
  • Main results/outcomes
  • Evaluation of the training
    • assessment of the training environment
    • assessment of the team (colleagues)
    • assessment of the complexity of assigned tasks
    • assessment of the organization of training
    • assessment of the supervision
  • Self review
    • what I learned and experienced? (Learning outcomes)
    • what I can now teach others?
    • what I can understand better now in the context of applying knowledge attained in my studies?
    • how was the practice useful in the light of further career opportunities?
    • which tasks succeeded very well? (With examples)
    • what tasks could I have done better (With examples)
    • Overall assessment of your performance

Report should be from 6 to 12 pages (incl. the title page, table of contents and all the components listed above). You can add additional illustrations and annexes to demonstrate the content and results of your work.

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Evaluation by the supervisor

The supervisor at the practice base will give an evaluation to the student’s preparation (level of knowledge, know-how, suitability of the personality) in fitting in to the company, achieving the study purposes and the amount and quality of the work done. The evaluation should end with a conclusive evaluation of the practice.

• Signed assessments about the completion of the practice from the supervisor (Can be submitted as a separate document, which is digitally or physically signed.)
  • Fulfillment of assigned tasks
  • Preparedness (skills & qualifications)
  • Suitability of personal qualities
  • How well the work was managed
  • Development of the trainee during training
  • Summary of evaluation
  • Estimation of practical training volume in hours

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Practical Training defense

Practical Training report is defended in the form of an academic debate. The dates and places for defenses shall be published on the course website. The main stages of the defense procedure are the following:

1. Defense presentation by the student (8 - 9 min)
   • Introduction of the practice base
   • The role of the trainee in the workplace
   • Duration of traineeship
   • Description of the job tasks and performance
   • Evaluation of the traineeship from the trainee
     • assessment of the training environment
     • assessment of the team (colleagues)
     • assessment of the complexity of assigned tasks
     • assessment of the organization of training
     • assessment of the supervision
   • Self review
     • what I learned and experienced? (Learning outcomes)
     • what I can now teach others?
     • what I can understand better now in the context of applying knowledge attained in my studies?
     • how was the practice useful in the light of further career opportunities?
     • which tasks succeeded very well? (With examples)
     • what tasks could I have done better (With examples)
     • General assessment of own performance
2. Questions to the trainee
3. Assessment from the company representative
   • Preparedness (skills & qualifications)
   • Suitability of personal qualities
   • How well the work was managed
   • Fulfillment of assigned tasks
   • Summary of evaluation
4. Discussion

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Practical Training Process Diagram

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