Student perceptions of a work exposure component of a college program

• Main Author: Chaulk, Elizabeth
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Memorial University of Newfoundland 1999
• Subjects: North Atlantic
• Online Access: https://research.library.mun.ca/10289/; https://research.library.mun.ca/10289/1/Chaulk_Elizabeth.pdf

This study determined whether the four-week work exposure component of the two-year Business Administration (Accounting) diploma program at the College of the North Atlantic was meaningful to its students. Data was collected through observation during two feedback sessions, individual interviews and written work term reports. -- Seven randomly selected students from the Business Administration (Accounting) program identified psychosocial development and the application of in class learning as crucial to making the experience meaningful. Students indicated, however, that the experience was too short for learning to occur. As well, the timing of the work term at the end of the program meant it was not an integral part of their program and resulted in ineffective reflective learning exercises. As a result, the researcher concluded that the experiential learning process was not complete. Based on this research, it is recommended that the College review the experiential learning component of its programs in the context of policies and procedures, work term structure and necessary support services to ensure that the experiential learning process is complete.