Partners in Excellence:: a New Model for Cooperative Education

• Graeme Sheather ^[1] ; Ray Martin ^[1] ; David Harris ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Technology

     University of Technology

     Rusia

     
• Localización: Innovations in education and teaching international, ISSN 1470-3297, Vol. 30, Nº 1, 1993, págs. 5-31
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • Australian industry is currently undergoing major restructuring in terms of infrastructure investment, adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies and workplace reforms, to improve its competitiveness in global markets. Recent studies of industry's poor economic performance attribute the problem to bad management practices, inadequate management education and lack of industry‐based training regimes. Industry, along with educational institutions, have recognized this failure, and together are supporting new ventures in cooperative education to redeem the situation. This paper addresses some key issues related to the role of cooperative education in this process of industry restructuring. It offers answers to the questions: Why cooperative education? What are the emerging workplace factors influencing the structure of cooperative programmes? How to design cooperative programmes for experiential learning? How to rationalize the ‘bottom‐line’ benefits to cooperative partners? Details of the planning, design and implementation of a ‘Partners in Excellence’ cooperative degree programme leading to a Bachelor of Manufacturing Management are outlined. Critical factors to the success of the programme are the support (both in terms of curriculum design and sponsorship) from general industry and firms’ willingness to host industry‐based training. The initial cohort of fully sponsored students to the three‐year degree, including three summer periods of industry‐based training spent in two different host companies, commenced in 1992. The programme caters for both secondary school entrants as well as industry trainees attending on a day‐release basis. Innovative concepts of curriculum design using experiential learning theory, ‘hands‐on’ training in workshop technologies, a simulated factory environment for teaching CIM cell and FMS technology, self‐directed computer‐based learning techniques for guiding students’ industry training periods, and matrix teaching structures for linking streamed theoretical subjects with practical case study material, place the degree at the leading edge of cooperative education design.

    Details of the curriculum design, and action plans covering joint industry/university curriculum design, promotion and marketing, financial drives for industry sponsorship, programme management and staffing have been reported elsewhere (Sheather, 1991). This paper focuses on the benefits to industry and academe of an experiential learning theory model for cooperative education. The export and distance learning potential of the computer‐based course modules for industry training is addressed, and the use of ‘cooperative learning’ and ‘benchmarking’ networks with industry for enhancing curriculum content and collaborative research opportunities are discussed.