Festival of Learning

Open Session Limited to 20 Participants (First-Come, First-In)

Typically, when one thinks of co-operative education (co-op) programs in post-secondary institutions, processes such as placing students in temporary roles and liaising with employers come to mind. Yet, there is more than meets the eye, as the educational components of teaching and learning in co-op programs is rarely mentioned.

This interactive session showcases an experiential activity facilitated in Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s COOP 1101, a one-credit foundational course students take prior to entering the co-op program.

The activity requires students to adopt an employer perspective, form a selection committee, rank a series of sample applications, and justify their candidate decisions. Through self-reflection, collaboration with fellow classmates, and a comprehensive class debrief, students gain insights to improve their own applications, while the activity serves as a primer for consequent modules and activities.

Evidently, the six categories of Fink’s taxonomy (foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learning to learn) are realized.

Presenter
Candy Ho, Instructor, Co-operative Education, Kwantlen Polytechnic University