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*[http://blogs.forbes.com/troyonink/ Onink of Forbes] attests that not only do you have a better chance of being hired but your student related debts are also lower. Upon graduation a co-op student in the States will be $30, 000 to $60,000 better off than a non co-op peer<ref name="FORBES" />. The University of Waterloo also maintains that it's co-op graduates make on average 15% more after graduation<ref name="WATER" />. Therefore, if the field of study pays $35,000 at entry level a student with a co-op degree could expect to earn as much as $40,250. *[http://blogs.forbes.com/troyonink/ Onink of Forbes] attests that not only do you have a better chance of being hired but your student related debts are also lower. Upon graduation a co-op student in the States will be $30, 000 to $60,000 better off than a non co-op peer<ref name="FORBES" />. The University of Waterloo also maintains that it's co-op graduates make on average 15% more after graduation<ref name="WATER" />. Therefore, if the field of study pays $35,000 at entry level a student with a co-op degree could expect to earn as much as $40,250.
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====What does the research say?==== ====What does the research say?====

Revision as of 23:44, 14 February 2013

Contents

Alternatives to Normative Classroom-only Education

What is Cooperative Education?

Cooperative education at the university level is a mix of classroom and practical learning[1]. The practical or experiential learning takes place in “work” or “Co-op” terms where the student actually enters the labour force in a related career area

Background

“Experiential learning is a broad term referring to multiple programs and systems for providing students in educational institutions with work-based applied learning opportunities”[2].

Cooperative programs have been around for a long time. Herman Schneider devised one of the first university co-op programs in 1901. He launched the program at the University of Cincinnati in 1906[3]
The construction industry is a great example of the evolution of practical learning. According to Kramer (2008) the industry first began promoting individuals to higher positions from within the company[4]. After the 1940s construction specific academic programs began to emerge in various disciplines. Today, a large number of programs that belong to “the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) are in favor of some type of mandatory construction work experience as part of their undergraduate curriculum”[4].
Currently Waterloo University has the single largest post secondary Co-op program in the world. It currently serves over 16500 students across 120 programs. The style of program is incredibly popular and has now spread to over 100 colleges and universities across Canada [5]..

Why is Co-Op different?

One of co-op educations draws is the ability to make money while in school. Compared to just a ordinary student job you are actually placed in your field of study and and make money. At Waterloo, the typical employment rate for a co-op term is 95%[5]. Furthermore, a co-op student gets the practice experience of working inside a company and putting the latest theories and ideas into action.

Advantages

  • What good is an engineer who has never worked as an engineer? This is one of the main problems that the co-op program addresses. Upon graduation you already have related job experience. This allows you to circumvent the “ 2 year experience dilemma” that many graduates face[6].
  • How much does a year of school cost? Need a way to pay for it? Co-op has that covered. According to Forbes' “Why College Co-Op Programs Totally Rock” for 6 months worth of work an American co-op student can make between $11,000 and $18,000 on average [7]. The university of Waterloo pegs that amount between $25,000 and $74,000 over the length of one of their programs[5].
  • Ever heard the old saying 'its not what you know its who you know'? Co-op education gives you a chance to get into your field and meet employers and other employees. It is possible to even be offered a job where at the company hosting your co-op placement[6].). Co-op placements can give you an edge when it comes to competing for positions within that company[7].
  • How many times has something come up in class that makes people think 'when will I ever use this?' or 'how do I apply this to my field'. Co-op programs give students the opportunity to practice what they have learned[1].
  • Onink of Forbes attests that not only do you have a better chance of being hired but your student related debts are also lower. Upon graduation a co-op student in the States will be $30, 000 to $60,000 better off than a non co-op peer[7]. The University of Waterloo also maintains that it's co-op graduates make on average 15% more after graduation[5]. Therefore, if the field of study pays $35,000 at entry level a student with a co-op degree could expect to earn as much as $40,250.

What does the research say?

According to the Canadian Council of Learning (CCL) at the secondary school level there is a positive effect on retention and drop out rates. There is no negative impact on the grades of individuals enrolled in co-op programs, however there are no conclusive findings suggesting there is no increase either [8]. Research done in 2008 by Kramer on American college students questions the findings of the studies presented by the CCL. Kramer asserts that for the best and worst academic performers there is no positive effect on grades, however, for those who lie in between, there are improvements[4].

Technological Integration

The integration of technology into Post-secondary education systems is a culmination that has been a long time in the making. Ever since the emergence of the Internet and portable computers, Universities and College’s have been feeling the demand for integrating these new forms of technology into the way that they educate their students. Schools such as Harvard and MIT have taken recent steps in the direction of progress, developing a strong surge of online education to the point of creating classes that are freely available online [9]. A little closer to home, University of Toronto’s Mississauga campus has professors that are teaching classes almost entirely online, even to the point of “at least two classes, ... students get together through their avatars”[10]without ever having to step foot inside the classroom. These online courses, perhaps not to this extent, are becoming more and more common in the ever changing makeup of higher education, as well as the integration of other less extreme forms of technological integration. Some schools have integrated tablet technology into their classes[11],as well as most schools across Canada engage in some form of digital integration during their class lectures, whether this be through the form of lecture notes being posted on student accessible school servers, or even online lectures posted by professors for students to access from the comfort of their own home. Whatever way one chooses to look at it, technology has become inextricably intertwined within our education system, and is forever changing the makeup of education and how we learn.

Student's Perspectives

The current generation that is matriculating through the post-secondary education system is a generation that has grown up during the emergence of an incredible technological age and witnessed the transformation into this digital world that has developed around them. For most of these students, the true emergence of this transformation into their education began or will begin in University. One particular study in the UK looked at student’s response to an increase in the amount of online material that was available for their classes, which were newly combining online lecture material with in-class discourse. The response from these students was an overwhelming success, with the majority of students truly appreciating the online availability of course material which allowed them to increase their chances of understanding course material by reviewing it before it was discussed in class [12]. Also, students found that reviewing material online before class helped them focus more during class time, one student quoted saying “I didn’t have to panic about writing it all down and was therefore able to listen more”[12] which quite aptly summarizes the majority of students opinions in regards to online course material. One key emphasis that almost all students made, however, is that this online resource was an excellent supplement to their education, but should not replace their in-class lectures, a sentiment that seems to have changed quite dramatically amongst students since this study was published about the 1999/2000 school year.

Teacher's Perspectives

While it is important to look at student perspectives on technological integration into the classroom setting, ultimately it is up to the Faculty of these Post-secondary institutions to decide if these advances will be integrated, and if so to what extent. There seem to be two obvious camps in this debate, those who believe in using the technology and those who do not, with many factors affecting where each faculty member falls, one of which is their level of expertise with technology. One article reported that when asked “fewer than 40% of the faculty population self reported that they had good to expert knowledge of or experience with instructional technology.”.[13] This illustrates that while these individuals may not be against this technological reformation, they are resistant purely because of lack of education. This same study found “a positive correlation between adoption (of technology) status and four sources of training” (cite), meaning that as long as individuals were trained properly on how to use and integrate this technology, they were more likely to do so. Another study found that 72% of instructors surveyed listed success with other technologies as their main reasons for integrating technology into their courses.[14] A very helpful resource was developed by Newlin and Wang at the University of Central Florida to help faculty members integrate technology into their educational programs through core principles of traditional University undergraduate education[15]:

  1. Encourage Contact Between Students and Faculty
  2. Develop Reciprocity and Cooperation Among Students
  3. Use Active Learning Techniques
  4. Give Prompt Feedback
  5. Emphasize Time-on-Task
  6. Communicate High Expectations
  7. Respect Diverse Talents and Ways of Learning

One important distinction that many teachers made throughout research, much like that of their student counterparts, is that technology should be used as a tool, not a replacement, the teachers adding that “adoption of technology would not improve poor teaching skills”.[13]


Technology in the classroom

Computers were used in universities as far back as the 1960’s but did not become widely accepted as an educational tool until much later when the benefits became more evident and the job economy had more of a demand for it. Today there are more than just spreadsheets and word processing software on computers found in educational settings and these range from podcasts on an iPod or even a cell phone to streaming video lectures, electronic mail to face to face video chats between project group members, digital editing and creation of photographs and videos to online surveys and quizzes. According to Robert Bruce (1989) technology in education can be classified as two types of functions:

Information processing

  1. Storage of media that can be used at a later date or future generations (photos and videos)
  2. Transmission of information can include posting marks or streaming video lectures
  3. Accessibility to far away landscapes or the ability to study the human body with out having to perform surgery
  4. Manipulation of words, numbers and photographs amongst other mediums into newly edited forms, graphs and charts that can better relay the information
  5. Presentation and Display of information whether by video, slideshows and newer interactive media such as a website or blog

Educational processing

  1. Managing the educational experience can now be controlled by students, though primarily by the educator, with a focus on the sequence, content and pacing of material being presented
  2. Providing feedback to the student after an online quiz and practice questions or immediate notification of the level of plagiarism found in student assignments
  3. Simulation of an actual environment that can be used to manipulate data in real life applications such as stock market competitions and developing financial models
  4. Abstraction can allow for minor details to be removed that may exist in the real world and allow for the critical elements to remain that can emphasize learning of this material

As the economy shifts from a manufacturing landscape to a knowledge and service based environment so must our educational practices and preparing university level students with the tools and cognitive abilities required to succeed (Loveless, Burton, & Turvey, 2006).

Effectiveness

In traditional classroom settings the general focus of the teacher and course curriculum is to develop logical and linear thinking in students, but with the use of computers and other new media in the classroom there is the opportunity to foster more flexible thought and creativity in both the course work and in the students’ abilities (Hokanson & Hooper, 2000). Computers expand on one’s ability to generate thought and manipulate more readily available knowledge faster and more effectively than ever before which allows us to take on more complex and advanced problems than before (Hokanson & Hooper, 2000). The increase in connectivity provided to university students is profound given that 83% of them own a computer (Leiboff, 2010) and that every university has at least one dedicated computer lab coupled with wireless internet access (Chen, Lambert, & Guidry, 2009). Platforms such as Sakai and Blackboard are learning management systems (LMS) that facilitates educator’s capabilities to engage with students in their class or by specific groups, post up course material, accept student assignments and share feedback more effectively and efficiently than before (Chen et al., 2009). A couple other ways to relay information quickly and effectively to many people who are limited by time and proximity, at least to assist in the adoption of new information and not solely in place of in class learning, are podcasting and streaming video (Evans, 2008; Liu, Liao, & Pratt, 2009). Podcasts are lessons created by the teacher that are either in video or an audio only format that can be downloaded by students and listened to through a mobile audio device (e.g iPod) or cell phone, this allows for more flexibility in the time and location that the course material can be ingested (Evans, 2008). Students rated this method of delivery as equally effective as in class lectures but more beneficial and efficient as it tended to focus on the important details of material (Evans, 2008). Liu et al. (2009) found that streaming media, predominantly ones utilizing audio, video and text simultaneously increased the students perceptions of its perceived usefulness and also the concentration paid towards it which can be used to relay course lectures using slideshows and audio layered in. There are also online- based courses available on the internet today from credible institutions Stanford and other Ivy League schools, as well as Khan Academy and Coursera that offer free university level courses without school credit but provide beneficial knowledge and skill development through legitimate course work and instruction (Beckett, 2012; Khan, 2011; Koller, 2012). These classes have assignments and lectures to watch or listen to that a typical stone and mortar college would charge hundreds of dollars for and allows it to be accessed by anyone, anywhere. Stanford first offered three courses online in 2012 that over 350,000 people from 190 countries expressed interest in and 43,000 individuals completed one or more of these classes (Beckett, 2012). As future generations of students develop and become steadily more familiar with technology and the internet their beliefs in its importance to obtain employment and its use in their education increases, specifically communication skills and motivation to learn (Gialamas, Nikolopoulou, & Koutromanos, 2013).

Implementation

The infrastructure for the usage of technology in and outside of the classroom is already in place, but the key stone that holds it together is with the educator. Without proper teacher education and training they are unfamiliar with the technology and are limited by their knowledge and ability to implement into their curriculums. As younger teachers that have been educated on these tools and believe they are useful are more likely and able to integrate it with their classwork better and more effectively (Gialamas et al., 2013; Loveless et al., 2006). This requires more teacher preparation but assists in creativity in the classroom for both the educator and pupil while facilitating the course’s learning goals, improving participation and assisting in a deeper understand of the technology and material being taught (Loveless et al., 2006). This bottom-up approach of educating student teacher’s soon lends itself to a shift in the curriculum and abilities of new teacher’s thus becoming a top-down approach to how students are educated with technology in the classroom.


Hybrid Programs

Notes and References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Youth Canada.(December 14, 2012). Co-operative Education. Retrieved from http://www.youth.gc.ca/eng/topics/career_planning/coop.shtml
  2. ↑ Lee, 2007, p. 37
  3. ↑ Wikipedia/Cooperative education. (n.d.). Retrieved Feburary 14, 2013 from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative_education
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Kramer, S. W., (2008). Does prior project management work experience have an effect on the academic achievement of university students in the classroom? International Journal of Construction Education and Research. 4 (1), p. 18-33.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 University of Waterloo.(n.d.). Why co-op?. Retrieved from: https://uwaterloo.ca/co-operative-education/why-co-op
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1  J.Randhawa , & D. Relihan,. (2011, May 5). Why co-op is now more important than ever [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://cgacareerview.wordpress.com/2011/05/05/why-co-op-is-now-more-important-than-ever/
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Onink, T.,(Feburary 27, 2012). Why College Co-Op Programs Totally Rock. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/troyonink/2012/02/27/why-college-co-op-programs-totally-rock/
  8. ↑ Canadian Council for Learning. (2009).The Impact of Experiential Learning Programs on Student Success(1st revision).:Canadian Council on Learning.
  9. ↑ Morgan, M. C. (2012). An online opportunity for Canadian universities. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/an-online-opportunity-for-canadian-universities/article4186697/
  10. ↑ Rockel, N. (2012). Chips and apps: How emerging tech will change education. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/canadian-university-report/chips-and-apps-how-emerging-tech-will-change-education/article4620464/
  11. ↑ Mang, C. F., & Wardley, L. J. (2012). Effective Adoption of Tablets in Post-Secondary Education: Recommendations Based on a Trial of iPads in University Classes. Journal of Information Technology Education, 11.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Saunders, G., & Klemming, F. (2003). Integrating technology into a traditional learning environment: Reasons for and risks for success.Active Learning In Higher Education, 4(1), 74-86. doi:10.1177/1469787403004001006
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Berryhill, A., & Durrington, V. A. (2009). Instructional Technology Investments in Higher Education: Are Faculty Using the Technology?.College & University Media Review, 15(1), 25-45.
  14. ↑ Osika, E., Johnson, R. Y., & Buteau, R. (2009). Factors Influencing Faculty Use of Technology in Online Instruction: A Case Study.Online Journal Of Distance Learning Administration, 12(1), 7.
  15. ↑ Newlin, M., & Wang, A. (n.d). Integrating technology and pedagogy: Web instruction and seven principles of undergraduate education.Teaching Of Psychology, 29(4), 325-330.

Additional References

Diop, C., & Updike, C. (2010). Teaching with Technology = Teamwork. Visual Resources Association Bulletin, 37(3), 30-34.

MacKinnon, G. R. (2007). A Decade of Laptop Computers: The Impact on the Pedagogy of University Faculty. Journal Of Instruction Delivery Systems, 21(3), 7-20.

Pagliaro, J. (2009). How IT is helping educators engage students in new ways. Maclean’s.ca. Retrieved from http://oncampus.macleans.ca/education/2009/11/13/networking-u/

Rogers, D. L. (2000). A paradigm shift: Technology integration for higher education in the new millennium. AACE Journal, 1(13), 19-33.

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