Cooperative Education in Health Occupations Education

Journal of Health Occupations Education, Dec 2019

The purpose of this article is to explain why and how the cooperative education method can be used in health occupations programs. Definitions are included for experiential learning, cooperative education and clinical experiences. Different types of cooperative education are explained and examples are given for cooperative education programs offered at secondary and postsecondary levels. A theory about differences in learning requirements in and outside of school settings is compared with cooperative education goals. Strategies are proposed for implementing the cooperative education method of instruction within existing health occupations education programs.

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Cooperative Education in Health Occupations Education

Journal of Health Occupations Education Cooperative Education in Health Occupations Education Mary J. Thomp son Ed.D. 0 0 University of Central Florida Libraries , USA Recommended Citation - Thompson: Cooperative Education in Health Occupations Education Journal of Health Occupations Education Fall 1988, Vol. 3, NO. 2 COOPERATIVE EDUCATION IN HEALTH OCCUPATIONS FDUCATION Mary J. Thompson’ The purpose of this article is to explain why and how the cooperative education method can be used in health occupations programs. Definitions are included for experiential learning, cooperative education and clinical experiences. Different types of cooperative education are explained and examples are given for cooperative education programs offered at secondary and postsecondary levels. A theory about differences in learning requirements in and outside of school settings is compared with cooperative education goals. Strategies are proposed for implementing the cooperative education method of instruction within existing health occupations education programs. The purpose of this article is to explain why and how the cooperative education method can be used in health occupations programs ‘Mary J. Thompson, D.Ed., is Assistant Professor, Department of Vocational Education, College of Bducation, Auburn University. 42 ~G@Perative Educatio~ to expandJoaunrndal of Health Occupations Education, Vol. 3 [19o88p]p, oNrot.2u,nAirtt.i7es. Learn ixg improve experiential learning ~~rough experience is ~ old and reliable instructional method. Prehistoric humans learned the fundamentals of food gathering, fire making and shelter building through trial and error. Morkers in the Middle Ages began guilds to teach young people the crafts and skills needed for allowing towns to survive. Farm families traditionally have passed down farm related skills to their sons and daughters. American land grant colleges were created for students to learn such subjects like engineering and agriculture through hands-on experiences (Crowe & Adams, 1979) . Experiential Learning Experiential learning enables students to learn by doing, by using actual examples and real life practices, to reinforce other ways of learning (Crowe & Adams, 1979) . A health occupations student will learn why and when to measure blood pressure along with the steps and procedures through practice with actual instruments under real conditions. Experiential instructional methods may include simulations, demonstrations, practice, role-playing or learning conducted in the actual work setting as paid or unpaid workers. Vocational education is a field strongly based in experiential learning. Vocational classrooms and laboratories are designed to resemble work settings. Course content is organized around the knowledge, skills end attitudes used by workers in particular occupational areas. In health occupations programs, laboratory exercises, simulations, role playing and clinical experiences are examples in experiential learning methods. Rapid changes in technology and subsequent changes in procedures and practices have made it difficult to provide effective simulated work 43 Thompson: Cooperative Education in Health OccupationCsoEodpuecartaiotnive Education experiences in health occupations classrooms (Walters k Johnson, 1985) . Teachers can orally describe probable scenarios but working under actual time constraints, with real patients and alongside experienced health professionals, provides the best opportunity for learning health care practices while demonstrating the knowledge, skills and attitudes required in particular occupations. The cooperative education method can extend experiential learning for health occupations students by allowing employment in actual health care settings under real work conditions. A comparison of cooperative education and clinical experiences may reveal ways to expand experiential learning for health occupations students. Clinical Experiences and Cooperative Education Clinical experiences in health occupations programs provide the opportunity to observe, assist or perform basic skills in community health care agencies (Walters & Johnson, 1985) . Cooperative education is an instructional method that combines classroom instruction with paid, on-the-job learning (Humbert & Woloszyk, 1983) . Both clinical and cooperative education methods provide students with planned and supervised learning activities in school and work place settings. Job and classroom instruction for cooperative and clinical experiences are directly related to career objectives of students. A formal contract between participants, as required in a cooperative training agreement, is also a requirement for clinical experiences of health occupations students. These agre~ents must be formalized before health occupations students may observe, assist or perform in any clinical activity. Clinical experiences may be short in duration while cooperative jobs last for the durat (...truncated)


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Mary J. Thompson Ed.D.. Cooperative Education in Health Occupations Education, Journal of Health Occupations Education, 2015, Volume 3, Issue 2,