Research Seminar Series: Student Perceptions of Learning on Cooperative Education Experiences

Zoom link: https://osu.zoom.us/j/6626152439

Speaker:

Katherine Ehlert

Ph.D. Candidate

Engineering and Science Education

Clemson University

Abstract: 

When you ask a student about their co-op experience, they will often reply "I learned so much", but that "much" means different things to different students. By understanding and unpacking what that phrase means to each student, researchers can improve informal learning experiences both in academia and industry. The purpose of this embedded mixed-methods study was to document student perceptions of learning while on co-op and provide student-centered language for these learning experiences. Student perceptions of learning were documented using the Q-Methodology which systematically groups participants based on their viewpoints using a technique similar to exploratory factor analysis. Twenty-eight students were asked to sort and prioritize a set of statements related to learning on co-op and then were interviewed to better understand the reasoning behind their decisions.

Preliminary quantitative results indicate that there are four groups of students with varying and unique viewpoints related to learning on co-op. Students predominately fell into the following groups: Problem Solvers, Team Players, Doers, and Deciders. Students within each group described their learning experiences in different ways, stating that different types of actions lead to different learning experiences. These viewpoints were heavily influenced by their daily responsibilities. Students in the Problem Solvers group saw their co-op as an opportunity to find and solve problems that were embedded in their work environment. Students in the Team Players group gained skills in how to work on an engineering team. They built skills that made them more able to work with a variety of individuals who were all there to meet a departmental or company goal. The Doers gained a variety of skills through the act of doing. They felt that the skills they developed were through gaining responsibilities and having repeated practice in real-world situations. Deciders learned the most about themselves on their co-op. Although they developed some skills and new knowledge, most of what they learned was about what they wanted to do for a career. Some students in this group did not enjoy their co-op experience but found their time away from class valuable to help them make informed career decisions. I anticipate that further mixed-method analysis will improve the development of these student profiles. This process will identify student-driven language centered around learning in co-ops, which can help researchers and administrators build better instruments that measure learning on co-op or other types of work-integrated learning.

Speaker Bio

Katherine M. Ehlert is a doctoral candidate in Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University. She earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University and her MS in Mechanical Engineering focusing on Biomechanics from Cornell University. Prior to her enrollment at Clemson, Katherine worked as a Biomedical Engineering consultant in Philadelphia, PA. Her research interests include implementing mixed-methods research approaches, documenting the influence of co-op experiences on student perceptions of learning, and student conceptualizations of mechanical engineering fundamentals.  Katherine has extensive research experience in engineering education including several publications exploring learning on co-op, student pathways into and through engineering programs, and research identity. This year, Katherine was selected as one of the Engineering and Science Education Department’s first Instructional Scholars to teach Machine Design, a junior-level Mechanical Engineering course.