Co-operative Education Learning Portfolio Guidelines

Transcription

1 Co-operative Education Learning Portfolio Guidelines January 2005

2 Table of Contents What is a Co-op Learning Portfolio? 3 Building and Formatting our Co-op Learning Portfolio 3 Co-op Learning Portfolio Contents 3 A. Co-op Preparation and Seminar Components 4 1. Co-op Learning Expectations 4 2. Self Assessments 4 3. Resume, Cover Letter and Job Description 4 4. Samples of Academic Work 4 5. Samples of Extra-Curricular Achievements 4 6. Work Search and Networking 5 7. Mock Interview Evaluation 5 8. Other Co-op Assignments 6 Page B. Co-op Work Term Components 6 1. Work Term Summary 6 2. Resume, Cover Letter and Job Description for the Co-op Position 6 3. Updated Resume 6 4. Work Term Learning Plan 6 5. Midterm Reflection on Learning 7 6. Samples of Work 7 7. Samples of Academic Work 7 8. Samples of Extra-Curricular Achievements 8 9. Work Search and Networking Employer Performance Assessment Student Assessment of Learning 8 Portfolio Grading Criteria 9 Student Checklist 10 Co-op Learning Portfolio Evaluation: Co-op Seminar 11 Co-op Learning Portfolio Evaluation: Co-op Work Term 13 2

3 What is a Co-op Learning Portfolio? The Co-op Learning Portfolio is a personal tool that will document your learning and development throughout your program of studies at Camosun College. It is also a professional tool that will serve as the basis for building your career portfolio by demonstrating and documenting your knowledge, abilities, achievements and experience as well as recording your growing network of industry contacts. The Co-op Learning Portfolio is your Co-op Coordinator s primary means for facilitating and evaluating your learning and development through your Co-operative Education Program at Camosun College. ou are required to submit your Co-op Learning Portfolio as a part of Co-op Seminar and at the end of each Co-op work term. Building and Formatting our Co-op Learning Portfolio our Co-op Learning Portfolio should be prepared, formatted and presented in a manner that reflects your commitment to the professional standards of your career field. It should be organized and indexed so that it is easy to follow and find information. A partitioned three-ring binder is often a good choice although your particular career field or personal style may encourage you to select another format. All written material presented in the portfolio should be word-processed unless otherwise approved by your Co-op Coordinator. To keep the material organized and professional looking include a table of contents, labeled tabs for each section, page protectors and document holders. In addition to the hard copy samples that you include in your portfolio, you may also find it valuable to include some of your samples (such as a recent copy of your resume, cover letter, and demonstrations of your work) on a CD or floppy disk. ou may choose to present the information in a reverse chronological format so that materials from a second work term would appear first, followed by materials from your first work term and then materials from Co-op seminar. If you choose a functional format so that all work samples, academic samples, etc. are in one section, the materials within each functional section may still be presented in reverse chronological order. As you update sections and add to your portfolio, retain the older versions of your documents. This will allow you, and your Co-op Coordinator, to follow your progress from your early inserts to graduation. our Co-op Learning Portfolio is a tool that you can use throughout your time at Camosun College and after your graduation, to assist you in directing your learning, development, and career advancement. Be sure that it is a tool that you can be proud of and truly reflects your best work. Co-op Learning Portfolio Contents our Co-op Learning Portfolio is progressive and cumulative so that it reflects your growth and learning over time. Starting from Co-op Seminar, continue to build your portfolio by adding examples of your goals, achievements, skills, knowledge, and personal reflections on learning. Throughout your Co-op experience, from Co-op Seminar to each subsequent work term, you will be accumulating examples of all of these. All Camosun College Co-op Learning Portfolios should include the components that are listed and described in the following pages. Depending on the nature of your particular program, your Co-op Coordinator may encourage you to include additional items or materials in your portfolio. 3

4 A. Co-op Preparation and Seminar Components 1. Co-op Learning Expectations This is the form that you completed and brought to your initial Learning Expectations meeting. The inclusion of this form will allow you to remember and reflect, as you progress through the next few years, on what your original goals, interests and expectations were as you embarked on your Co-op experience. 2. Self Assessments In your Co-op seminar classes, you will be engaging in self-assessment activities that will review your personal skills, attributes, interests and priorities to help direct your goals and your future decisions. 3. Resume, Cover Letter and Job Description In your Co-op seminar class, you will learn to write effective resumes and cover letters. By the time you have completed seminar, you should have an error-free resume that reflects your current skills, knowledge, abilities, interests and career goals, as well as an example of one error-free cover letter that is targeted towards a specific job description. ou may also wish to include earlier versions of your resume and cover letter to show how they have evolved. 4. Samples of Academic Work During your academic terms, you are engaged in projects, papers, and other course work that demonstrate the new skills and knowledge that you are acquiring. Choose samples of work that highlight particular skills, knowledge, and abilities gained in your courses that you would want to show to a potential employer. For each sample of academic work that you include, write a brief explanation of what it is, and why you have included it. Describe how it demonstrates your skills, knowledge, or personal characteristics, and why you are proud of the item. The explanation, which provides a context for the reader, can be as brief as a sentence or two or as long as a few paragraphs. For example, I have included, on the following pages, some of the programming code I wrote for one of my second year courses. This code demonstrates my problem-solving skills as well as logical thinking. I completed the assignment ahead of time, so it shows that I can get work done efficiently and with a high degree of accuracy. I received an A for this lab. 5. Samples of Extra-Curricular Achievements Choose items that reflect your achievements in volunteer work, employment, sports and recreation, parenting, or extra-curricular pursuits. Winning a golf tournament, assisting in a food drive, holding office in the Parent Advisory Committee in your child s school, participating at the BC Winter Games, rebuilding your car engine, or developing a web site for your family reunion will all demonstrate how you are developing and applying new skills and knowledge. There are a number of different ways that you can present your extra-curricular achievements. For example, you may include certificates, awards, letters of reference, thank you letters, photos, CD-ROMS, or you may write a summary describing your activities and achievements. 4

5 For each sample that you include, write a brief explanation of what it is, and why you have included it. Describe how it demonstrates your skills, knowledge, or personal characteristics, and why you are proud of the item. The explanation, which provides a context for the reader, can be as brief as a sentence or two or as long as a few paragraphs. For example, In addition to taking classes, I currently volunteer twice a month with the SPCA, where I help to feed and groom the animals as well as take them out for exercise. On the following page is a letter from the SPCA Director thanking me for my volunteer work over the past year. I think this demonstrates my organizational skills, as I am able to handle a busy academic course load, a part time job, and my volunteer work. It also shows that I am a caring, helpful person. 6. Work Search and Networking With the help and support of the Co-op Office, you will be learning networking skills and how to plan and undertake a work search. Provide a detailed summary of your work search plan and networking activities including at least three of the following: a) List of Contacts: Produce a list of 5 or more contacts, including all contact information (contact name, company, address, phone, ). and/or Collection of Business Cards: Collect 5 or more business cards from the people you meet working in your career field, or people who may have leads in your career field and display the cards in business card holder pages. b) List of Prospective Employers: Identify at least 5 companies/organizations for whom you would like to work. Briefly describe what the company/organization does and why you would like to work there. Include information such as address, phone number, website and, where possible, a contact name, for each company/organization. See the Electronic Job Search module of Co-op Seminar for ideas, tools and links. ( c) Information Interview: Conduct an information interview with one of the people you have identified above. Create a list of questions to ask and write a brief summary of the interview. See the Co-operative Education Seminar Student Workbook for details about information interviews. d) Networking Activities: Provide a list of your completed or planned networking activities. These may include events such as tradeshows, conferences, professional association dinners, lectures, and mixers. See the Electronic Job Search module of Co-op Seminar for ideas, tools and links ( 7. Mock Interview Evaluation As part of Co-op Seminar class, you will be participating in a mock interview. Constructive feedback from the mock interview will often provide valuable information on areas to further develop to successfully present your skills and abilities in future interviews. Include the completed mock interview evaluation form(s). 5

6 8. Other Co-op Seminar Assignments Other Co-op seminar assignments to be included in your portfolio will be determined during the seminar class by the Co-op Coordinator for your program area. Some examples of the assignments that you may be required to include are: a personal business card, a 60 second networking pitch, and a written summary of the electronic job search tutorial. B. Co-op Work Term Components 1. Work Term Summary The work term summary is a brief description of your experiences during your work term. our summary should be approximately 1,000 to 1,500 words (2 to 3 pages) and should include: a) Company Information: Write a brief description of the employer. Who are they? What is their mandate? What services or products do they provide? What is the company structure? Who do they employ? While you may use company brochures or the website to learn about the company, it is essential that the information you provide in your work term summary is written in your own words. Cite your references. b) Student s Role: Describe your major projects, duties and activities. c) Conclusions & Recommendations: Write an overall summary of your work term experience. Provide any recommendations about your work experience to the employer, the College, future students and the Co-op Department. Ask your employer to review a draft of your summary before it is submitted. This will prevent you from inadvertently disclosing confidential material. ou are expected to respect the policies of employers regarding confidential or proprietary information and the application of these policies to student work term summaries. 2. Resume, Cover Letter and Job Description for the Co-op Position Include a copy of the job description/job posting for your Co-op position and the resume and cover letter that you used to apply for the position. 3. Updated Resume By the end of your Co-op work term you should have new skills, experiences, references, and accomplishments to add to your resume. Include an updated version of your resume that includes your most recent Co-op work term experience and also incorporates any new skills you will be developing during the upcoming academic term (where applicable). 4. Work Term Learning Plan ou will be submitting a Work Term Learning Plan to your Co-op Coordinator two or three weeks after beginning your work term. Include a copy of your plan in your Co-op Learning 6

7 Portfolio. This will help you to reflect on your progress during the site visit and after the work term. ou can find a copy of this document at 5. Midterm Reflection on Learning Midway through your work term, your Co-op Coordinator will be conducting an onsite visit with you and your employer. Prior to the work term site visit, complete the Midterm Reflection on Learning form and fax or it to your Co-op Coordinator. Be prepared to discuss it at your onsite. ou can find a copy of this document at 6. Samples of Work During your work term(s), you will be involved in orientations, training, projects, committees, and other work that will allow you to apply and develop skills, knowledge and characteristics appropriate to your career field. The samples of your work that you choose to include in your Co-op Learning Portfolio should demonstrate those things you would want to showcase to a future potential employer, your college instructors, or others. All work samples that are included must be pre-approved by your employer to ensure that any proprietary or privacy issues are addressed. (Ask your supervisor for his/her suggestions on things he/she feels would be beneficial to include.) For each sample that you include, write a brief explanation of what it is and why you have included it. By providing context and relevancy for your sample, you should explain what skills, knowledge, or personal characteristics are demonstrated, and why you are proud of the item. The explanation could be as brief as a sentence or two or as long as a few paragraphs. For example, On the following pages I have included a series of spreadsheets that I created. These spreadsheets, which summarize all of the projects that were ongoing in the department, enabled my supervisor to track the projects. This helped her to see how each project was progressing and to adjust timelines and budgets if necessary. This work sample shows my organizational skills, my ability to pay attention to details, as well as my initiative. I was the one who suggested this new way of tracking projects to my supervisor. Note: Students in Technology Co-op programs at Camosun who plan to complete the Engineering Bridge Program and transfer Co-op work term credits to the University of Victoria are advised to write a technical/analytical report as a sample of their work. For complete details consult the UVIC guidelines at: 7. Samples of Academic Work Update samples of your academic work from the academic term(s) preceding your work term that demonstrate the particular skills that you want to show to a potential employer. For each sample you include, write a brief explanation of what it is and why you have included it. By providing context and relevancy for your sample, you should explain what skills, knowledge, or personal characteristics are demonstrated, and why you are proud of the item. The explanation could be as brief as a sentence or two or as long as a few paragraphs. For example, The following page is an excerpt from a website I created. It shows my creativity and my design skills as well as the fact that I have mastered some of the more complex aspects of web page design such as animation and surveys. 7

8 8. Samples of Extra-Curricular Achievements Update samples of any achievements in volunteer work, employment, sports and recreation, parenting or other extra-curricular activities that you participated in while on your Co-op work term. For each sample you include, write a brief explanation of what it is and why you have included it. By providing context and relevancy for your sample, you should explain what skills, knowledge, or personal characteristics are demonstrated, and why you are proud of the item. The explanation could be as brief as a sentence or two or as long as a few paragraphs. For example, On the following page I have included my Certificate of Achievement for my grade 9 piano with the Royal Conservatory of Music. In addition to teaching piano to children ages 6-10, I have given numerous public performances as part of my training. Although I am generally a quiet and private person, I think that my piano lessons and performances show that I am able to communicate well with people and that I am capable of achieving a high level of performance in both public and high pressure situations. My love of music also shows that I am a creative person. 9. Work Search and Networking While you are on your Co-op work term your networking and work search activities should continue and expand. Provide a detailed summary of your involvement updating at least three of the following: a) List of Contacts or Collection of Business Cards b) List of Prospective Employers c) Information Interview d) Networking Activities For a detailed explanation of each of the above, please refer to the information on page Employer Performance Assessment At the end of each work term, your employer will be completing an Employer Performance Assessment and reviewing it with you. The employer assessments for each work term may provide you with additional opportunities to track and reflect upon your development, learning and career direction, and provide documentation to assist you in future personal development and work search plans. ou can find a copy of this document at Student Assessment of Learning Near the end of each work term, you will be completing a Student Assessment of Learning Form. The personal assessments for each work term will provide you with additional opportunities to track and reflect upon your development, learning and career direction, and provide documentation to assist you in future work search plans. ou can find a copy of this document at 8

9 Portfolio Grading Criteria 1) An Outstanding Portfolio: Demonstrates, meets or exceeds the learning outcomes of either seminar or the Co-op work term Is handed in on time and is evaluated outstanding on the first submission Includes all of the elements listed in the contents section of the guidelines Provides a written explanation and context for all samples of work, academics, and extra curricular achievements Is well organized and easy to read Includes a table of contents and labeled sections Is visually appealing and appears professional for the area of study Is error-free (i.e. no spelling or grammatical errors) 2) A Satisfactory Portfolio: Meets most of the learning outcomes of either seminar or the co-op work term Is well organized, and easy to read Is visually appealing and appears professional for the area of study Is relatively error-free (i.e. few spelling or grammatical errors) Includes most of the elements listed in the contents section of the guidelines The Co-op Preparation and Seminar Components must include: Self Assessments Resume and Cover Letter Samples of Academic Work Work Search and Networking Mock Interview Evaluation Other Co-op Assignments, as assigned by your Co-op Coordinator The Co-op Work Term Components must include: Work Term Summary Updated Resume Work Term Learning Plan Midterm Reflection on Learning Samples of Work Work Search and Networking Student Assessment of Learning Note: If a student receives an unsatisfactory or incomplete evaluation for his/her Co-op Learning Portfolio, he/she is given the opportunity to revise and resubmit the portfolio. The Coop Coordinator will determine the revised timelines for this. 9

10 Student Checklist Before submitting your Co-op Learning Portfolio, complete this checklist to make sure that you have included the necessary material. Co-op Preparation and Seminar Components Required for Satisfactory Portfolio Required for Outstanding Portfolio! Co-op Learning Expectations! Self Assessments! Resume! Cover Letter! Job Description! Samples of Academic Work (with Explanation & Context)! Samples of Extra-Curricular Achievements (with Explanation & Context)! Work Search and Networking (3 Components)! Mock Interview Evaluation! Other Co-op Assignments our Co-op Learning Portfolio is cumulative. When submitting your Co-op Learning Portfolio after a work term make sure that you have included all the material listed above and added, for each work term, the components listed below. Co-op Work Term Components Required for Satisfactory Portfolio Required for Outstanding Portfolio! Work Term Summary! Resume for the Co-op Position! Cover Letter for the Co-op Position! Job Description for the Co-op Position! Updated Resume! Work Term Learning Plan! Midterm Reflection on Learning! Samples of Work (with Explanation & Context)! Samples of Academic Work (with Explanation & Context)! Samples of Extra-Curricular Achievements (with Explanation & Context)! Work Search and Networking (Update 3 Components)! Employer Performance Assessment! Student Assessment of Learning 10

11 Co-op Learning Portfolio Evaluation Co-op Seminar Student: Program: : Date Submitted: Portfolio Contents Co-op Learning Expectations Self Assessments Resume Cover Letter Job Description Samples of Academic Work Explanation & Context 11

12 Samples of Extra Curricular Achievements Explanation & Context Work Search and Networking (3 Components) Mock Interview Evaluation Other Co-op Seminar Assignments Portfolio Format and Presentation Overall Assessment: Outstanding Very Good Good Satisfactory Comments: Incomplete, resubmit by Unsatisfactory Evaluated by: Date: 12

13 Co-op Learning Portfolio Evaluation Co-op Work Term Student: Work Term # Program: Date Submitted: Portfolio Contents Work Term Summary Resume for the Co-op Position Cover Letter for the Co-op Position Job Description for the Co-op Position Updated Resume Work Term Learning Plan Midterm Reflection on Learning 13

14 Samples of Work Explanation & Context Samples of Academic Work Explanation & Context Samples of Extra Curricular Achievements Explanation & Context Work Search and Networking (Update 3 Components) Employer Performance Assessment Student Assessment of Learning Portfolio Format and Presentation Overall Assessment: Outstanding Very Good Good Satisfactory Comments: Incomplete, resubmit by Unsatisfactory Evaluated by: Date: 14