Student Perceptions of Connections between Statics Class and Co-op Work Experience

In this paper, a collection of essays written by students at Kettering University in a sophomorelevel engineering class, Statics, is analyzed to determine what connections the students see between their classroom experience in Statics and their co-op work experience. These students were given a class assignment to write an essay in which they reflected on the links between their co-op work assignment and their Statics course. The pedagogical purpose of this assignment was to prompt students to think in depth about the links between their authentic engineering experiences and the theoretical knowledge they gained from the classroom, and articulate their thoughts, in order to enhance their understanding and retention of the course material. Since students at Kettering alternate between a term in the classroom and a term of coop employment, and complete at least six co-op work terms in the course of their education, the majority of students had completed several co-op terms prior to this course. Those who had not typically had experienced some other form of experiential education, which provided them with opportunities to reflect on applications of the course material. After completion of the assignment, students were asked for consent to include their essay in this research project. The research purpose of this project is to (1) show how students can be prompted to make such links between academics and work, through this classroom assignment; (2) determine what links students see between the course and their work assignments; and (3) provide data to allow instructors to better show students how the material they learn is relevant to a variety of work environments. The collection of assignment essays for which the students gave consent was analyzed to determine the students’ opinions regarding the strength of the relationships between their co-op assignments and the work they were doing in the Statics course. The result of this essay analysis is discussed in the context of relevant literature and presents recommendations to instructors so they are better able to provide an authentic experience for the students.