Freeland, a university executive, Marini, a company executive, and Weighart, a co-operative education practitioner (1998, pp. 17, 20-24 & 26), and various others mentioned several factors that emphasise the integration of tuition and learning from work, community service or other experiences in student-centred, practice-orientated co-operative education:
- Hamilton and Hamilton (1997a, p. 676; 1997b, p. 682) asserted that to merely place people in work settings (hoping they will learn) does not guarantee that learning will take place. Students are not passive recipients, but co-participants (Greene, 1998, p. 411). In this regard Petherbridge (1996, p. 249) remarked that going on work experience is mistaken for a complete learning activity, which it is most certainly not.
- The creation of a learning culture that encourages synergy between workplace (experiential learning) and the academic component is important — both employers and education providers must make significant contributions (Dar-chin, 1998, p. 83; Bisschoff, 1997, p. 54). Pretorius (1996, p. 125) asserted that nothing may be done in isolation, co-operation and liaison became essential.
- The experiential learning curriculum or syllabus (part of course credits) and the specified learning objectives or the outcomes sequenced in such a way to progressive deepen the understanding of students — preferably real projects/assignments with real life implications (Apostolides & Looye, 1997, p. 18; Hamilton & Hamilton, 1997b, p. 683; Bisschoff, 1997, p. 54).
- The process of [a] preparation (planning and pre-placement briefing or training), [b] experience itself and [c] facilitation of reflection (not superficial debriefing) to optimise the learning — the integration occurs in the student's mind, but it should not be assumed that the student will necessary piece it together. Schaafsma (1996, p. 92) saw it as a spiral process. Petherbridge (1996, p. 243) urged that debriefing is central to the success of experience-based learning — not interviewing, but enabling students to make sense and optimise their learning through reflecting. Debriefing is a vital stage in the integration of work experience into the curriculum. It is the beginning of the learning not the end thereof.
- If paid experiential learning is not available a community service or a not-for-profit work station presents not only an excellent alternative, but also provide good citizenship education in an environment of declining government resources (Deruosi & Sherwood, 1997, pp. 46-47, 49 & 53; Hamilton & Hamilton, 1997a, p. 678).
References
Apostolides, V. & Looye, J.W. (1997). Student assessment of the co-op experience and optimum integration of classroom learning with professional practice. Journal of Cooperative Education, XXXII(3), 16-30.
Bisschoff, T. (1997). The role of co-operative education in the relationship between education and the economy. South African Journal of Education, 17(2), 53-55.
Dar-chin, R. (1998). Transformation and reform of vocational education and training in Taiwan, Republic of China. In I. Finlay, S. Niven & S. Young, S. (Eds.), Changing vocational education and training. (pp. 70-85). London: Routledge
Deruosi, P. & Sherwood, C.S. (1997). Community service scholarships: combining cooperative education with service learning. Journal of Cooperative Education, XXXIII(1), 46-54.
Finn, K.L. (1997). The spaces between: towards a new paradigm for cooperative education. Journal of Cooperative Education, XXXII(2), 36-45.
Freeland, R.M., Marini, R.C. & Weighart, S. (1998). Moving partnerships between co-op institutions and co-op employers into the next century. Journal of Cooperative Education, XXXIII(2), 17-27.
Greene, D. (1998). Reciprocity in two conditions of service-learning. Educational Gerontology, 24(5), 411-425.
Hamilton, S.F. & Hamilton, M.A. (1997b). When is work a learning experience? Phi Delta Kappan, 78(9), 682-690.
Petherbridge, J. (1996). Debriefing work experience: a reflection on reflection? British Journal of Guidance and Councelling, 24(2), 243-257.
Pretorius, S.G. (1996). Business and industry involvement in education. In E.I. Dekker & E.M. Lemmer (Eds.). Critical issues in modern education (pp. 123-149). Johannesburg: Heinemann
Schaafsma, H. (1996). Reflections of a visiting co-op practitioner a view of co-op from down under. Journal of Cooperative Education, XXXI(2), 83-100
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