Curriculum Development for Cooperative Education

The Cooperative Education program at Lake Land College strives to provide training for students in any vocational/technical career. This is accomplished by individualizing curriculum plans using courses available on campus and securing a training station for them in local business or industrial establishments. Title VIII funding for the school year 1979 - 80 provided an opportunity to develop curriculum packages for ten of the most requested career areas. These ten areas were identified by using current students\u27 career choices as well as by examining the records of past Cooperative Education students. Commercial vocational material catalogs, educational curriculum guides, and the East Central Curriculum Management Center in Springfield were consulted to procure available materials in each occupation for review. Lake Land College resources available in the library and the Regional Career Guidance Center were researched and listed for the students\u27 use. The Career Guidance Center also offered a variety of services in obtaining pertinent information on each of the ten career areas being developed such as the career information and forecast computer printouts. The DAVTE consultants in Springfield were contacted and they provided additional sources of projects and materials being developed that would be beneficial. The task analysis and an extensive training plan were then written for each career which will guide the students\u27 learning during the two-year Cooperative Education experience. Courses available at Lake Land College that would support the on-the-job training were selected by interviewing counselors, division chairpersons, and teaching faculty. As a final step, materials developed for each career area were reviewed by practitioners in that particular occupation