Conference Session

Nuts and Bolts of Cooperative Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jennifer Johrendt, University of Windsor; Schantal Hector, University of Windsor; Karen Benzinger, University of Windsor; Geri Salinitri, University of Windsor; Arunita Jaekel, University of Windsor; Derek Northwood, University of Windsor; Michelle Watters, University of Windsor

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 8(1), 67-76.2. Brewer, M. (1990) Sandwich Courses, United Kingdom, Journal of Cooperative Education, 26(2), 14-22.3. Canadian Association for Cooperative Education (2010) Retrieved January 5, 2010 from http://www.cafce.ca4. Kato, T. (2005) Establishing Cooperative Education as an Integral Part of the Undergraduate Curriculum at Ritsumeikan University, Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 6(1), 7-12.5. Hodges, D; Coolbear,P. (1998) Developing a Co-operative Education Programme in New Zealand: an Outline Guide, New Zealand Association for Co-operative Education, ISBN 0-473-05158-3, 27pp.6. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education (2010) Retrieved January 5, 2010 from

Conference Session

Faculty Set the Preliminary Standards for Co-ops

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Emilia Bratschitsch, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences; Annette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

well with integrals, non-linear differential equations or finite elementscalculation but sometimes the deficit from the high school remains 2 .To help students in the freshmen year to compensate the gaps in their knowledge ofmathematics from the high school, we introduced an additional seminar four years ago, whichis not part of the curriculum, called Mathematics Aid Direct (MAD). In parallel to the regularlessons, students can participate in this seminar on a voluntary (and anonymous) basis. Theyare supervised by two math-teachers from a Secondary College of Engineering. Two yearsago we also introduced a further course called MAD+ which starts at the end of the firstsemester. We assumed that most students, who believed they were good enough

Conference Session

Faculty Set the Preliminary Standards for Co-ops

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Anthony Joseph, Pace University; Mabel Payne, Consultant

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

purpose of integrating theory with practice, students derivedmany other advantages3, 4, 12, 14, 15, 18, 25, 33, 37 from participating in cooperative educationprograms, which may be optional in some of the academic institutions where they are offered.Some of these advantages include the development of social skills, engagement in teamwork,improvement of communication skills, enhancement and greater clarity of future career goals,salary advantage, and the development of practical skills.An Interpretation of Work Based Learning in the Context of InterdisciplinarityA curriculum inclusive of a cooperative education strategy could be interpreted as aninterdisciplinary program5, 26, 31 where the work place learning experience is conceptually viewedas

Conference Session

Culture, Society, and Co-op

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Adrian Millward-Sadler, University of Applied Science, Graz; Annette Casey, Joanneum University of Applied Sciences; Frank Newman, University of Graz

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

semesters of study.The reason behind the choice of EFL classes integrated into a technical degree is clear in thecontext of the English language’s status as the lingua franca of the global workplace wheregraduates must be able to function. Of course, English is not generally a student’s nativelanguage as most are from an Austrian high school background. The next section of this paperwill briefly outline the EFL programme which has been put in place for students in thecontext of the overall Automotive Engineering degree programme curriculum and will then befollowed by an analysis of student motivation to learn a second language (L2) within such atechnical environment.Major employers of Vehicle Technology department graduates include companies within

Conference Session

Faculty Set the Preliminary Standards for Co-ops

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

R. Mark Schreck, University of Louisville; Angela Cline, University of Louisville

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

and a key requirement of the academic experience for all Speed School engineeringstudents. “Co-op” is an academic program that integrates classroom learning with workexperience in the student’s field of study. The co-op student works full time for this time period,is paid an hourly wage, and receives academic credit for each semester of co-op training. For thestudent, the co-op experience provides “hands-on” engineering experiences as part of theirformal education. For the employer, the co-op program provides access to a skilled, short-termcost-effective workforce, and equally important, the opportunity to evaluate and recruit potentialfull-time employees. The student begins co-op training in the fifth semester and worksalternating semesters

Conference Session

The Influence of Cooperative Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Jim Wojciechowski, Grand Valley State University; Charles Standridge, Grand Valley State University

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

by alternating semesters of co-op and classroomeducation, followed by a final semester to complete course work including thecapstone design project. The student worked for a design and manufacturingcompany in the same metropolitan area as the university. The interaction of co-opand curricular educational experiences of the student is emphasized.The First Co-op PeriodCompleting an engineering curriculum, such as Mechanical Engineering, is nosimple journey. The subject matter is often complicated and intense. The workload can be overwhelming. A co-op program helps facilitate the learning processand allows the student to expand professional horizons as a developing engineer.Because of this, many universities today are implementing a co-op

Conference Session

Nuts and Bolts of Cooperative Education

Collection

2010 Annual Conference & Exposition

Authors

Alexander Yin, Pennsylvania State University

Tagged Divisions

Cooperative & Experiential Education

perceive their different types of knowledge necessary tosolve problems allows for a more intentional design of curricular and co-curricular activities todevelop students’ competency within an academic domain. I recommend curricular designersfocus on strengthening and enhancing students’ theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge,procedural knowledge through classroom activities such as writing assignments that ask studentsto explain their problem-solving process. Program-level recommendations include incorporatingmore project-based or lab-like courses into the curriculum, so students have more opportunitiesto actively engage in solving real-world problems