Showing papers on "Cooperative education published in 2004"

The Impact of Cooperative Education on Academic Performance and Compensation of Engineering Majors

Abstract: Several engineering programs around the country either require or encourage a cooperative education experience as part of their curriculum. In this paper, we examine the effects of cooperative education on grade point average, length of time in school, and starting salary. Statistical analyses show that cooperative education programs have significant effects on all three dimensions. These results are useful not only to students deciding whether to participate in cooperative education programs, but also to administrators in determining the role of cooperative education in the engineering curriculum.

International handbook for cooperative education: an international perspective of the theory, research and practice of work-integrated learning

Abstract: This handbook brings together authors from around the world to provide a multidimensional perspective on work-integrated learning. It has documented, perhaps for the first time ever, the state of the art in educational programs that incorporate periods of required work which integrate with classroom study. It will be of value to the beginner in the field as a background resource as much to those who have been long involved in cooperative education. The Handbook is presented in four sections.

Epistemological Appropriation in One High School Student’s Learning in Cooperative Education

Abstract: In this study, detailed observations and interviews from a high school student’s semester-long cooperative (co-op) placement in a dental practice are used to exemplify Hung’s theoretical approach to understanding situated learning. Using Hung’s theory of epistemological appropriation in an analysis of the coop supervisor’s regulatory behaviors (scaffolding, modeling, and coaching) and of the novice’s corresponding regulatory behaviors (submitting, mirroring, and constructing) helped to explain the developments in this student’s learning, actions, and beliefs. In contrast to the progression suggested by Hung’s theory, this study reports daily examples of all types of regulatory behaviors, with scaffolding/submitting being most prominent. The discussion focuses on how Hung’s theory of regulatory behaviors informs supervisors’ improving opportunities for novices’ learning and informs novices’ engagement in epistemological appropriation in work-based learning.

Student Academic Performance and Compensation: The Impact of Cooperative Education.

Abstract: Much of the cooperative education research seeks to document the effectiveness of cooperative education programs. One branch of this research considers the impacts of participation on student performance. This study contributes to that literature by examining these impacts in further depth. Specifically, we examine the effect of cooperative education on grade point average, length of time in school, and starting salary. Statistical analyses show that cooperative education programs have significant effects on all three measures. These measurements are useful not only to students deciding whether to participate in cooperative education programs, but also to university administrators seeking to assess program effectiveness. Introduction Many colleges and universities participate in cooperative education (coop) programs in which students enroll in alternating semesters of full-time study and full-time paid employment. Typically, successful completion of the program requires at least twelve months (the equivalent of 3 semesters) of full-time work with the employer in addition to completion of the student's degree requirements. The potential benefits to students of participating in the coop experience include gaining a real-world perspective that enhances the student's academic experience, becoming a more mature individual as a result of working with professionals, and improving job placement and salary prospects at the time of graduation. In return for these benefits the student potentially delays graduation. For students and university administrators to make informed decisions these costs and benefits of cooperative education need to be quantified. Stull, Crow, and Braunstein (1997) surveyed cooperative education administrators and members of the Cooperative Education Association (CEA) Research Committee about the relative importance of a variety of research topics relevant to cooperative education. Of the 22 topics provided in the survey, research that "provides quantitative data on the impact of cooperative education participation on recruitment, retention, academic performance, and graduation (time and rate) of students" ranked as the second most important topic, receiving an average score of 4.14 on a 5-point Likert scale. The research presented here is designed specifically to address this research need. Previous research has found mixed results when measuring the effects of cooperative education. Gardner, Nixon, and Motschenbacker (1992) estimated that the coop experience added nearly $300 to starting salaries. Wessels and Pumphrey (1996) found that coop participation only raised wages for female graduates. Both Gardner, Nixon and Motschenbacker and Van Gyn, Cutt, Loken, and Ricks (1997) found that the grade point averages of coop students were higher than those of noncoop students. However, no differences between groups were found when comparing the scores on the objective form of the College Outcomes Measure Program exam (Van Gyn, Cutt, Loken, and Ricks). Lindermeyer (1967) found that coop students have higher academic averages and retention rates. Our specific objectives can be grouped into three main areas of inquiry. First, what is the effect of participation in a cooperative education experience on academic performance? Second, what are the market benefits of participating in a cooperative education program? And third, what are the costs associated with the cooperative education experience? To answer these questions we examine three main variables: cumulative grade point average at the time of graduation (GPA), the number of months from first college enrollment until graduation, and reported starting salaries. The first section of this paper describes the dataset used. The next section outlines the procedures used to perform the analysis and presents the results. To illustrate the effect of cooperative education, we estimate econometric models of GPA, duration of undergraduate enrollment, and starting salaries. …

From knowledge to action and back again: Building a bridge

Abstract: The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University in Brisbane, Australia offers a course that provides students with an opportunity to be involved in an experience of professional work. This course, Field Placement, has been designed to provide a structured framework within which students are encouraged, and expected, to develop independence and professional attributes. It provides opportunities for the students to articulate their learning and present a developed personal framework of integrated academic knowledge and practice knowledge. This paper attempts to address the questions raised in Professor H涥ls background paper for the World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE) 2003 conference and takes the position that knowledge development is limited without action but for active knowledge development to occur it is essential to understand and foster the social learning relationships. Particular attention is focused on values that promote greater understanding of how to best create opportunities and relationships that will assist students to walk confidently across the bridge as a professional contributing productively within the community.

Universities and Communities: A Case Study of Change in the Management of a University

Abstract: The role of universities has been evolving over the last 20 years, from a focus on teaching and research towards an enabling, partnership role with industry, government and communities in their proximate geographical spaces. Universities are increasingly linked to place. This paper reports on a case study of a peri‐urban Australian university that has chosen to link its identity with the development of its proximate communities. In doing so, a number of levers of change have been employed, amidst ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that have challenged the institutionalisation of change. The strategies employed by university managers have included: industry, government and community participation in university governance; a cooperative education programme; and changes to systems for promotion, performance and recognition. There have been a number of obstacles to change, some of which continue to beset the embedding of a focus on regional and community engagement. Although at a formative stage, this change is alread...

Developing professional expertise in the knowledge economy: integrating industry-based learning with the academic curriculum in the field of information technology

Abstract: In response to the forces of globalization, organizations have had to adapt and even transform themselves. Universities have had to recognize the value of practical working knowledge developed in workplace settings, and promote the value of academic forms of knowledge making to the practical concerns of everyday learning. This paper presents a contemporary case of a designed professional curriculum in the field of information technology that situates workplace learning as a central element in the education of students. Key integrative dimensions are considered along with an analysis of the perspectives of teaching staff and students on the educational experience. (Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2004, 5(2), 1-11)

Collaborative Test Taking With Adult Learners

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to explain and describe the use of cooperative test taking in the college setting, specifically in a graduate class. At the heart of cooperative learning is a John Dewey philosophy that the education process should be one where students are active learners, where knowledge is socially constructed, and where education should teach about community life (Gabelnick, MacGregor, Matthews, & Smith, 1990). Cooperative learning is a teaching technique that many teachers of all levels use in their classrooms. Putting students in structured groups so that they may work together has become a popular teaching strategy. Cooperative learning is student-centered teaching that requires the teacher to be facilitator and where students learn from each other (Slavin, 1992). The merits of cooperative learning for adult learners are documented in the literature. The range of benefits includes, promoting self understanding, encouraging higher levels of reasoning and critical thinking, improving interpersonal skills, making learners take a more active role, and increasing adult motivation (Dean, 1994; Galbraith, 1998; Johnson & Johnson, 1987; Tennant, 1991). However, there is limited research about the benefits of cooperative test taking for college students in which students are allowed to work on their tests together. Some believe that it prepares students for the workplace (Beckman, 1990); some suggest that it aids in the development of teamwork skills (Russo & Warren, 1999); others assert that performance of students on tests is better (Ravenscroft & Buckless, 1995); and other research suggests that it promotes critical thinking (Vermette & Erickson, 1996). Why Cooperative Test Taking for Adult Learners? Although there are many ways to assess students, administering paper and pencil tests is one of the most common practices. For some college students and teachers, the testing atmosphere is hostile and not productive (Grzelkowski, 1987). It causes anxiety in students, provokes some students to cheat, others to fail at their attempt at achieving the desired grade in a class, and, many times, does not accurately measure knowledge gained in a class. For adults, expecting to be successful in the learning process is critical for maintaining a high level of motivation. Emotions, like attitudes, play an important part in their learning. If in their past experiences as students, they had test anxiety, then that anxiety is likely to play out again in the next testing situation. Simply put, if adults expect to do poorly on tests, they will. This self-fulfilling prophecy occurs time and again when adult learners have negative expectations about testing. Setting up students for success should be the goal of every teacher; however, when it is time to take a test, sometimes teachers forget this basic premise that guides their instruction. Using the structure of cooperative learning and allowing students to work in teams to take tests may be a solution for teachers. Pray Muir and Tracy (1999) suggest that cooperative test taking is a solution to this hostile environment and negative expectations. With cooperative test taking, "test anxiety and the possibility of cheating are eliminated" (Russo & Warren, 1999, p. 19). Lambiotte et al. (1987) distinguish between cooperative studying and cooperative test taking. "Cooperative studying was associated with higher accuracy of recall while cooperative test taking was more associated with quantity of recall" (p. 59). Collaborative test taking, as I have structured it, includes both. Students collaborate to decide what they should write, and meet later to edit for accuracy. The essays are clearly written and integrate class discussions, notes, and articles/textbooks to read. Although it is difficult to quantify the level of discourse among students, it is my sense that students are talking about course material in meaningful conversations (in their groups). …

Using the experiential learning model to transform an engineering thermodynamics course

Abstract: Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has long been committed to experiential learning within its undergraduate engineering programs. With one of the oldest cooperative education programs in the country, RIT firmly believes in learning through doing. This paper describes how an experiential learning model is also incorporated within the classroom in order to improve student learning within a thermodynamics course. The experiential learning model can be applied while designing a course to ensure that planned activities give full value to each stage of the process. The methodology is based on an existing educational model which includes four basic stages; active experiences, reflective observations, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. Traditionally, a course in thermodynamics is taught in a lecture style which addresses the conceptual phase of the experiential learning model. In this paper, discussions and specific details are presented on how an experiential learning model is used in order to transform an existing thermodynamics course. Preliminary assessment results based on course-end student feedback are included which indicate a high level of perceived learning in the course.

Cooperative education in journalism studies

Abstract: This paper considers the role of cooperative education in journalism studies in Australia and New Zealand. It describes the benefits for journalism students of a liberal arts degree of a work placement unit in Tasmania, Australia when bracketed with reflection and analysis. It then looks at some of the issues surrounding cooperative education when combined with a skills-based training, industry-dominated program in new Zealand. Other issues and some strategies to deal with them are also described.

Case study regarding the implementation of an innovative experimental learning portfolio in human resource management

Abstract: Challenged by the obligation to introduce a work-integrated learning component into the National Diploma in Human Resource Management (HRM), on the one hand, and faced with a restraining national curriculum that does not provide for a credit bearing experiential learning component, on the other hand, called for innovative thinking Realizing the importance of assisting unemployed students to seek employment prompted the design of the HRM experiential learning guide to start with a personal development plan This part comprise the compilation of a curriculum vitae; drafting a covering letter; preparing for an interview; completing a basic personality profile; determining own decision-making style; and a diversity exercise The experiential learning guide further contains outcomes based HRM-specific experiential learning requirements The program consists of 18 main areas, grouped into four role clusters based on the work of the Standards Generating Body: Human Resources Management & Practices The experiential learning guidelines further specify the assessment criteria and present the learner with a number of portfolio compilation aids, checklists, employer detail and learner evaluation forms This article reflects on the assessment of the portfolios of the first three groups of students that completed their experiential learning The guide has subsequently been refined and the second edition is being implemented (Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2004, 5(1), 35 44)

The cutting edge of international management education

Abstract: This volume surveys global best practices in international management education. Among areas presented are internationalizing business curricula including through integrated approaches involving multiple disciplines. The experience of international networks of business schools and other forms of partnering internationally in business education is discussed. Global international online team projects are considered. Multi-site study abroad program creation is discussed. The experience of transfer of such pedagogies as cooperative education across cultures is examined with a focus on cooperative education in China.

Weaving the threads of knowledge: a focus on students

Abstract: This research paper will address the process of learning in a cooperative education program from the students' perspective. Each author will consider the student's point of view from a different position. The paper builds a combined picture of the student’s understanding of the placement using a constructivist interpretive methodology that concentrates on verbatim accounts of students’ responses as the placement proceeds. Annerley, who has recently graduated as a social worker, will comment on the interpretations she placed on the practicum experience she had herself during her degree program. She will go on to outline her subsequent honours research into the perspectives of other students completing field placements. The importance of the student's contribution to the student/supervisor relationship will be emphasised by Lyndel, a senior researcher for the Queensland Parliament, who has recently supervised students herself in a demanding workplace. She will give her perspective on the student's need for supervision and direction. Merrelyn, as the convenor of the work placement program conducted by Griffith University’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice for degree level students, will discuss her current research into what the university is able to do about how the students learn and what they learn through the placement experience. The paper will conclude with some important suggestions about innovations that the authors believe should be introduced into the culture of cooperative education in the future if it is to achieve its stated goals.

Mentoring in the cooperative education workplace: A review of the literature

Abstract: This paper reviews the literature exploring the mentoring relationship between students, their cooperative education workplace and their host supervisors. The literature review will focus on mentoring relationships generally, and consider the learning benefits from structured and informal mentoring. The literature review will form the basis of further research into "students’" and "host supervisors’" perceptions of the mentoring relationship, with a view to identifying key factors of a successful mentoring relationship.

A social responsibility learning module for use in cooperative education

Abstract: Students at the University of Cincinnati are following a new co-op curriculum centered on a set of learning outcomes covering the areas of organizational culture, technology, professional ethics, integration of theory and practice, and social responsibility. Division of professional practice faculty have created learning modules tied to these key learning outcomes to be completed by students during their work experience, one module per co-op term. Each module is designed to utilize the work-based learning environment to engage the students in critical thinking exercises, which provide insight into these issues as well as generate measurable assessment of student understanding. The social responsibility learning module was created to increase students understanding of their employer's ability to be a corporate citizen, and the impact of corporate citizenship on their co-op employer and on society. This paper will document the learning module on social responsibility, which will be integrated into the professional practice curriculum at UC beginning in the winter quarter of 2005.

Designing a cooperative education program to support an IT strategic plan

Abstract: This paper is a qualitative field report describing how undergraduate computing majors in a cooperative education (co-op) program are supporting a large company's efforts to acquire Java application development expertise and experience. The program has been in place for two years. The major finding to date is that talented undergraduate computing majors can make significant contributions to a corporate IT division undergoing a transition from legacy to contemporary software development platforms. A second finding is that common information systems problems present good intellectual challenges to students majoring in computer science, in information technology, and in software engineering. Finally, student teams that include representation from two or more computing disciplines can effectively combine their differing skill sets to solve software problems. More generally, these and related findings suggest that undergraduate computing majors represent an underutilized technical and economic asset.

Universities and communities: A case study of change inthe management of a university

Abstract: The role of universities has been evolving over the last 20 years, from a focus on teaching and research towards an enabling, partnership role with industry, government and communities in their proximate geographical spaces Universities are increasingly linked to place This paper reports on a case study of a peri-urban Australian university that has chosen to link its identity with the development of its proximate communities In doing so, a number of levers of change have been employed, amidst ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that have challenged the institutionalisation of change The strategies employed by university managers have included: industry, government and community participation in university governance; a cooperative education programme; and changes to systems for promotion, performance and recognition There have been a number of obstacles to change, some of which continue to beset the embedding of a focus on regional and community engagement Although at a formative stage, this change is already showing promising results The change levers employed provide some interesting insights for university managers, academic staff and students of organisational change, more generally

A Web-based system to document learning outcomes in a mandatory cooperative education program

Abstract: For 97 years, paper evaluations have been an essential tool for University of Cincinnati co-op faculty to track and evaluate a student's learning progression resulting from co-op experience. However, large-scale studies involving large numbers of students and employers were prohibitively labor intensive. This year an online evaluation system has been created so that large-scale studies of the effects and benefits of cooperative education can more easily be monitored and reported. This system will provide digital records of student and employer assessment data as well as the capability to analyze this data on a much larger scale to better document the pedagogic benefits of co-op for students. In addition, this system will allow for improved feedback to degree granting colleges and the ability to generate new surveys easily and quickly for evaluation of new experiential learning methods or developing market trends. This paper will address the development, function and potential impact of this online evaluation system.