Login User Name: Password: Login Help

COURSE OUTLINE

Course Title: Cooperative Education
Course Code: COOP4O1
Grade: 11/12
Course Type: Open
Credit Value: 1
Prerequisite: the tie-in credit
Curriculum Policy Document: : Cooperative Education and Other Forms of Experiential Learning Policies and Procedures for Ontario Secondary Schools, 2000
Department: Cooperative Education
Course Developer: Heli Kich
Development Date: 2008
Course Revised by: -
Revision Date: -

Course Description:

Cooperative Education is a program that allows students to earn secondary school credits while completing a work placement in the community virtually. A student’s program consists of the cooperative education course and the related curriculum course (that is, a course in another discipline such as Technology Studies, English, Business, etc.). Every student in the program must have a Personalized Placement Learning Plan (PPLP) which shows how the student’s related curriculum course is being applied at the cooperative education placement. The cooperative education course consists of a classroom component and a placement component. The classroom component includes 15 to 20 hours of pre-placement instruction, as outlined below, which prepares the student for the e workplace. Units One and Two are the pre-placement units of this course and Units Three and Four are the placement components. Cooperative education gives students the opportunity to make connections between school and work and to “try-out” a career of interest before finalizing plans for postsecondary education, training or employment. Cooperative education credits may be used to meet up to two of the 18 compulsory credit requirements for the Ontario Secondary School Diploma or any number of the 12 optional credit requirements.

Unit Titles, Descriptions and Time Allocations:

Students will not go to an actual workplace. All communication with their employer will be done electronically. Work will be completed via e-work and tasks assigned to students are done on a computer.

IMPORTANT: No student may choose to register for co-op without completing the intake interview with the principal. Email the principal to begin the intake process. Principal2@VirtualHighSchool.com

Note: This course is divided into two major components. During each component there are assignments to be completed; however, the vast majority of time is spent actually working at the assigned job.

Component	Titles and Descriptions	Time and Sequence
Unit 1	Pre-Placement Orientation (Must be completed PRIOR to start of co-op placement.) There are five major topics in this unit, all of which must be completed prior to beginning the e-placement. Self-Assessment: Here students will complete some self-assessment inventories and talk about their skills and career interests. Preparing for the Job Search – Job Readiness: This topic teaches students the different methods for job searching, how to prepare an excellent resume, how to work with references, how to research employers and the skills of strong interviewing. Rights and Responsibilities: This topic is focused on issues of confidentiality, human rights and how they relate to the hiring process, workplace legislation and the role of labor unions. Workplace Health and Safety: This is a critical topic of study in this course. Students will discover what risks they should and should not take, what universal precautions are and, because students will be involved in e-placements, they will develop an understanding of ergonomics and workplace design and safety issues. Employer/Employee Expectations: This unit asks the questions: what is 21st century job quality all about, how do you start a job on the right foot and what about responsible use of information technology in the workplace? These topics along with employer and employee expectations conclude this unit.	20 hours
Unit 2	Workplace Orientation - The Paperwork and Placement Logistics In this unit students will learn how to complete their Work Logs, Personalized Learning Plans, and Journals. They will develop an understanding of how the monitoring process works and how evaluations are conducted. Methods for dealing with and reporting workplace concerns are also reviewed. Students will employ an electronic tool that will guide their reflective learning in this course. This tool is called an e-Portfolio. In this unit students will learn what it is, what the key benefits are and how to use it in cooperative education. Students who learn to handle the e-portfolio with skill will be well prepared for using similar learning tools in the post secondary learning environment.	10 hours
Unit 3	Integration Students will complete the following three integration activities while working at their e-placement: Success on-the-Job; Career Decision-Making; and Exploring Sources of Occupational Information.	7 hours
Unit 4	Placement Students will spend the bulk of the time in this course in an assigned e-placement. All placements are e-placements. This is the job portion of the program. Students are not paid for their cooperative education placement.	68 hours
	Final Evaluation There is no traditional final exam in this course. Rather, students will submit their e-Portfolio along with a presentation feedback sheet and exit resume and this will constitute 30% of the student’s final mark. In addition, students will take part in a reflective exit task.	5 hours
	Total	110 hours

Teaching / Learning Strategies:

During pre-placement a variety of approaches will be used including discussion, reading and analyzing case studies, writing tasks, inventories and checklists, accessing additional websites, self and supervisor assessments and simulations. Of course during the placement students will learn by doing real placement tasks.

Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance:

The assignments that students complete in “pre-placement orientation” and as part of their “integration” activities will be assessed and evaluated. Students will also be assessed and evaluated on the compulsory independent study projects they complete. The student’s portfolio, assignments and demonstrations will be used to assess and evaluate student achievement. Opportunities for self- and peer assessment will also be provided. The student’s learning at the placement must be assessed by a qualified teacher a minimum of three times per 110 hours of a cooperative education course. All of these assessment tasks combine to generate 70% of the student’s final mark.30% of the final mark will be based on the e-portfolio including the presentation, exit resume and reflective exit task.

The Final Grade:

The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning.

The percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline.

A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:

• 70% of the grade will be based upon assessments conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student's most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.



• 30% of the final mark will be based on the e-portfolio including the presentation, exit resume and reflective exit task.

The Report Card:

The report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement; the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. The report card will contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects.

A Summary Description of Achievement in Each Percentage Grade Range and Corresponding Level of Achievement
Percentage Grade Range	Achievement Level	Summary Description
80-100%	Level 4	A very high to outstanding level of achievement. Achievement is above the provincial standard.
70-79%	Level 3	A high level of achievement. Achievement is at the provincial standard.
60-69%	Level 2	A moderate level of achievement. Achievement is below, but approaching, the provincial standard.
50-59%	Level 1	A passable level of achievement. Achievement is below the provincial standard.
below 50%	Level R	Insufficient achievement of curriculum expectations. A credit will not be granted.

Resources:

Students must have access to a computer and access to the internet to take this course. Some specialized software may be required depending on the e-placement.

Program Planning Considerations for Cooperative Education

Teachers who are planning a program in Cooperative Education must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment, 2000. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined there include the following:

• types of secondary school courses
• education for exceptional students
• the role of technology in the curriculum
• English as a second language (ESL) and English literacy development (ELD)
• career education
• cooperative education and other workplace experiences
• health and safety

Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in Science are noted here.

Education for Exceptional Students. In planning courses in Cooperative Education, teachers should take into account the needs of exceptional students as set out in their Individual Education Plan. The Cooperative Education course will certainly reflect the real world, which offers a vast array of opportunities for exceptional students. Students who use alternative techniques for communication may find a venue for their talents as they go about researching the nature of their world.

The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Information technology is considered a learning tool that must be accessed by Cooperative Education students when the situation is appropriate. As a result, students will develop transferable skills through their experience with word processing, internet research, presentation software, and telecommunication tools, as would be expected in any environment.

English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). This Cooperative Education course can provide a wide range of options to address the needs of ESL/ELD students. Assessment and evaluation exercises will help ESL students in mastering the English language and all of its idiosyncrasies. In addition, since all occupations require employees with a wide range of English skills and abilities, many students will learn how the operation of their own physical world can contribute to their success in their social world.

Career Education. Cooperative Education definitely helps prepare students for employment in a huge number of diverse areas. The skills, knowledge and creativity that students acquire through this course are essential for a wide range of careers. Being able to express oneself in a clear concise manner without ambiguity, solve problems, make connections between this Science course and the larger world, etc., would be an overall intention of this Science course, as it helps students prepare for success in their working lives.

Cooperative Education and Other Workplace Experiences. By applying the skills they have developed, students will readily connect their classroom learning to real-life activities in the world in which they live. Cooperative education and other workplace experiences will broaden their knowledge of employment opportunities in a wide range of fields. In addition, students will increase their understanding of workplace practices and the nature of the employer-employee relationship. Teachers of Cooperative Education should maintain links with community-based workers to ensure that students have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge they have gained in school.

Health and Safety. The Cooperative Education program provides the reading and analytical skills for the student to be able to explore the variety of concepts relating to health and safety in the workplace. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure that students can read and understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace.