Institutions of higher education currently face serious challenges, including high costs for learners, demand for return on investment from students, and expectations from employers to produce work-ready graduates. Skills desired by employers are shifting as technology advances, putting further pressure on colleges and universities to adapt and…

This article reports on a phenomenological study conducted in 2013 to investigate co-op learning from the students' perspectives. 104 seniors were interviewed who had completed one to three periods of co-op employment. A stratified purposeful sample with proportional representation of six university colleges was used. Using a standardized,…

The rapid evolvement of the computing domain has posed challenges in attempting to bridge the gap between school and the contemporary world of computing, which is related to content, learning culture, and professional norms. We believe that the interaction of high-school students who major in computer science or software engineering with leading…

Employers who treat interns and co-ops as valuable members of their organization stand out in the minds of students and career services professionals. They also stand to benefit by strengthening campus relationships, developing a talent pipeline, enhancing recruitment and retention outcomes, and ultimately improving their bottom line. (Author)

Case study results of a cooperative education program are presented. Conclusions drawn from this study indicate student expectations and perceptions of the co-op experience are critical to the experiential learning process. The program design seems more appropriate for substantiating academic credit than for assuring student learning. (DWH)

If distributive educators are concerned with providing the best training available, cooperative vocational education must not be viewed as an add-on to the distributive education program. The cooperative program can provide the opportunity students need to hone the skills, knowledge, and attitudes initially developed within the local distributive…

A research project was conducted to define cooperative education, to determine which two-year colleges in New York State operate cooperative education programs, and to assess the value of cooperative education. A survey of twenty-two colleges in the state identified 102 cooperative education offerings in thirty-seven interest areas. An assessment…

Discusses the service learning program developed by Albuquerque Technical Vocational Institute (TVI) that strives to provide opportunities for TVI students to immerse themselves in the middle school world and provide mentorships and learning opportunities for fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. Also reports on the planning and…

Although student enrollments in cooperative education constitute only about 8 percent of all high school students, about half of all high schools provide such opportunities. In practically all co-op programs, the employer ensures supervision, on-the-job learning, and evaluations that will influence students' grades; coordinators have released time…

Reports on Miami-Dade Community College's experience with service learning and the "America Reads" program, which have proven to be effective and important ways to help fulfill higher education's commitment to community building, scholarship, and civic responsibility. Outlines some of the keys to success in building a successful service…

Reports on the service learning program developed by Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) and The Peabody School in Virginia to expose children to philosophy. Linked by service learning, students from PVCC and Peabody gather for discussions about democracy, compassion, and responsibility and participate in community service activities with…

A study was designed to gather perceptual data from students, coordinators, and supervisors involved in work experience education in Alberta, Canada. Two questionnaires were designed by the researcher to obtain information on the priorities and the perceived attainment of benefits of work experience and on selected organizational variables (e.g.,…

Work-based learning (WBL) includes a range of activities that extend beyond traditional cooperative education, such as job shadowing, service learning, internships, and apprenticeships--all of which provide career and technical education (CTE) students with valuable experience in the world of work. Several issues are involved in developing…

Research was conducted to determine the relative effects of an internship program on the psychosocial development of high school students. Volunteers for an internship program were recruited from a group of high school juniors and seniors. The selected students were matched with mentors who were perceived as supportive of the internship program;…

Due to the expansion of cooperative education programs, critical issues facing them were examined. The issues as perceived by cooperative education directors were identified, along with their relative importance as perceived by directors and their immediate supervisors. The study aimed to determine whether differences exist between directors and…