Learning science and technology through cooperative education.

Abstract

Cooperative education, a form of experiential or work‐integrated learning is common in tertiary educational institutions worldwide. However, in New Zealand few institutions provide work‐integrated learning programs in science or technology, and the management and process of work‐integrated learning programs is not that well understood. How well do such programs work? What infrastructure is needed to ensure learning actually occurs? Are graduates of work‐integrated learning programs able to satisfy employer needs? This chapter synthesizes decades of work around such issues, and details research initiatives that provide valuable insights into how students learn science on in the workplace, how their skill development matches that desired by employers, and best practice for management of work‐integrated learning in science and engineering (Asia‐Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education, 2007, 8(2), 131‐147).