Work-Learn Institute

Amplifying the student voice: barriers faced by students from equity-deserving groups in a Canadian co-op program

Mon, 17 Jun 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Students from equity-deserving groups (EDGs) may face barriers in work-integrated learning (WIL). This study aimed to identify these barriers experienced by WIL students on a co-op journey from various EDGs. Analyses revealed that students from EDGs faced both structural and non-structural barriers on their co-op journey. The results of this study highlight the need for solutions and action to address these barriers by all WIL stakeholders.

Tags: Journal publication, Completed project, Research feature, Student experience outcomes

Student-faculty partnerships: The role of paid co-op experiences in enhancing teaching and learning

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 12:00:00 +0000

Between 2020 and 2022, the University of Waterloo rapidly hired and trained over 1000 undergraduate co-operative education (co-op) students as part of the Online Learning Assistant (OLA) Program, to support faculty (i.e., course instructors) in the transition to online teaching. Our research findings suggest that these co-op hires were incredibly beneficial to many faculty, with their efforts ultimately leading to improvements in teaching and learning.

Tags: Journal publication, Completed project, Research feature, Student experience outcomes

Bridging the gender-gap in supervisor interactions: Empowering inexperienced women for success!

Idris Ademuyiwa, David Drewery, Michelle J. Eady, Anne-Marie Fannon — Wed, 27 Mar 2024 12:00:00 +0000

This study explores how students’ gender and work experience are associated with the amount of time they spend working together on tasks with supervisors during their co-operative education (co-op) experiences. We also examine how the time spent working together on tasks with supervisors affects students’ self-reported learning.

Tags: Student experience outcomes, Employer experience outcomes

The impact of remote work on workplace friendship development for co-op students

Katie Knapp, Iris Xing and David Drewery — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 12:00:00 +0000

This research study explored the kinds of friendships co-op students make on work terms and how they are impacted by remote work. We also examined the impacts of these friendships on outcomes that are important to both students and employers.

Tags: Completed project, Journal publication, Student experience outcomes, Research feature

Artificial Intelligence and Résumé Critique Experience

David Drewery, Jennifer Woodside and Kristin Eppel — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Résumé critiques are one of the most popular services offered by career services at post-secondary institutions. Researchers wanted to know if using an artificial intelligence-based (“AI”) résumé critique tool prior to an in-person critique would influence the student’s critique experience and learning outcomes.

Tags: Journal publication, Student experience outcomes

Priming Jobs as Skill Development Opportunities and Responses to Job Postings

David Drewery, Judene Pretti and Jamie Nettinga — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Researchers conducted a study to test whether students can be “primed” to be more open to job postings that may seem unrelated to their interests or academic program.

Tags: Journal publication, Quality program design, Future of work and WIL, Employer experience outcomes, Student experience outcomes

Students’ perceived relevance of job advertisement

Dave Drewery, Judene Pretti and Dana Church — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Designed by a previous co-op student, this study explored how students perceived the relevance of a co-op role by reading a job description.

Tags: Active project, Student experience outcomes

COVID-19 and Co-op

Judene Pretti, Tara Stevens and Brittany Etmanski — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Despite the challenges and hardships individuals experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, these unfortunate circumstances presented a unique opportunity to study widespread organizational change in the context of co-operative education.

Tags: Student experience outcomes, Active project, Employer experience outcomes

An investigation of co-operative education students’ experiences with an artificial intelligence résumé critique

David Drewery, Jennifer Woodside, Kristen Eppel, and Katie Shafer — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Work-integrated learning (WIL) programs often partner with career services centers to support WIL students throughout the job search process, and résumé critiques are among the most popular career services that WIL students might access.

Tags: White paper, Quality program design, Student experience outcomes, Future of work and WIL

Well-being and the recruitment phase

Dave Drewery, Judene Pretti and Dana Church — Sat, 01 Jan 2022 12:00:00 +0000

Two previous co-op students designed a study to explore the emotional well-being of engineering co-op students during their first recruitment term to develop a better understanding of what aspects of the co-op process are particularly stressful for students.

Tags: Active project, Student experience outcomes