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
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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)