Cooperative Education Program

Areas of Interest and Research of Dr. Melvin Simms and Mr. Mark Erickson
College of Computer and Information Science     
302 West Village H MS: WVH-202
m.simms@neu.edu                  m.erickson@neu.edu

The focus of our research is in identifying what students learn
through the combination of theory and practice during their experiential activities (Cooperative Education).

Project Areas:
·        Portfolio Development and Rubrics
·        Assessment of Skills
·        Metrics for Quality Experientials

Index of Simms and Erickson Projects

Index of Simms and Erickson Projects

Co-op quality:  using aggregated assessment data to improve assignments, Mark Erickson a presentation at WACE Symposium
        in London, England, November 16, 2006, http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/Quality2.htm.

Completing The Loop:  Curriculum Feedback From The Assessment Of Experiential Learning, 
        Simms and  Erickson a paper at the New England Educational Assessment Association (NEEAN) Conference in
        New London, CT, October 2005,  http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/Loop.html.

High Quality: Defining and Systematically Assessing Co-op Assignments to Improve Work
        Integrated Learning,  Melvin Simms, Mark Erickson and Nora Jemison presentation at WACE Symposium in
           Orlando, FL. , October 2005,  http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/Quality.html

Designing and Integrating a Successful Graduate Cooperative Education Program ina Research Focused Environment. A paper and presentation at the WACE Symposium  (World Association of Cooperative Education) by Melvin Simms and John Spadaccini in Orlando, Fl, October 2005,  http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WACE_SimmsSpadaccini.html.

Up-date on Co-op Activities Integration of Academic and Workplace Outcomes.  
        Presentation to faculty in the College of Computer and Information Science Northeastern University a PowerPoint presentation:, link pending, Boston, MA, February 2005, http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/FtyPres.html

Looking Forward While Looking Back:  The Use of Electronic Portfolios for Curriculum Improvement
      and Reflection in Cooperative Education Programs.  Panel presentation, at the WACE Conference in Boston, MA,
        June 2005.  Panel participants were:  Mark Erickson, Viera Proulx, Kostia Bergman, Veronnica Porter and
        Melvin Simms,  http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/Portfolio_Panel.htm

The Development Process of an On-Line Portfolio System to Integrate Academia
    and Work Place Competencies - Funded by an (NSF)Natiional Science Foundation Assessment Grant.
      (A presentation by Mark Erickson at The NZACE Conference (The 5th Asia Pacific Conference on Cooperative
        Education in Auckland, New Zealand, December 2 2004)
        http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/nzace/NZACEpres.htm
       
The Development of an On-line Portfolio System to Integrate Academia    
        and Workplace Competencies   Funded by an (NSF)Natiional Science Foundation Assessment Grant.
        (A presentation at The NSEE Conference (The National Society For Experiential Education & International        
               Consortium for Experiential Learning(ICEL) in Miami, Florida, October 1, 2004)
               http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/nsee/NSEEpres.htm

The Integration of Academia and Workplace Competencies through
Systematic Development of Measurable Assessment Criteria
by Simms and Erickson
(Paper presented at WACE Conference (World Association of Cooperative Education) in Rotterdam, Netherlands, August 29, 2003)
            http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WACE/SimmsEricksonWACEPaper.pdf

The WACE Conference 8/29/03 presentation in Powerpoint format.
          http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WACE/WACEpres.htm

Sample Rubrics Developed as of 7/16/03
Programming Rubric
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/nsf/ProgrammingRubric.htm

Communication Rubric
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/nsf/CommunicationsRubric.htm

Developing Assessment Tools by Simms, Erickson and Jemison.
                   (A paper describing past research)
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/nsf/DevelopingAssessmentTools.pdf
______________________________________________________________

How do College of Computer and Information Science students at Northeastern University perform on the job?
Research data from 2005 through 2006 co-op periods?

The following are Excel spread sheets comparing the raw data collected from the assessment surveys completed by students, employers, and the Computer Science faculty.  This data is described in the paper listed above.

Our complete data:
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WACE/StudentsFtyEmployerComplete.htm

Our complete data sorted by how important each group described the skill.  We have matched up the data in a comparison layout.
            http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WACE/SortedAllImportance&Compared.htm
________________________________________________________________________________
Links to the Assessment Instruments Available to Students and Employers:

Directions for students and employers in filling out co-op evaluations.
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/studentserv.html
Combined Employer/Student Evaluation
https://cscoopsv.ccs.neu.edu/empstu.htm
Employer
https://cscoopsv.ccs.neu.edu/employer.htm
Student
https://cscoopsv.ccs.neu.edu/student.htm

Survey Instruments for CCIS faculty – piloted in 2001
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/WebSurvey/ftysvy.html

Survey for CCIS faculty revised – not completed or implemented.
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WebSurvey/Practftysvy.html

Another version of CCIS faculty survey being developed
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WebSurvey/Practftysvy.html

Earlier versions:
Skills assessment surveys developed and implemented by the above Co-op Team:
Employer Survey:               http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WebSurvey/empsvy.html
Student Survey:                   http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WebSurvey/svy.html
Faculty Survey:                   http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WebSurvey/ftysvy.html
The next generation of the faculty survey currently in development
                                                                http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WebSurvey/Practftysvy.html

General Information on the College of Computer and Information Science
Cooperative Education Program at Northeastern University
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/

General Information Available to Co-op Employers:

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/employers.html

           

           
Objectives
Abbreviated version and list of co-op and college objectives:
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/nsf/CoopCollegeObjectives92501.html

Professor Viera Proulx is our collaborating Computer Science faculty member from the College Computer and Information Science.  The following is the link to her website address for Computer Science Objectives:
http://www.ccs.neu.edu/teaching/Curriculum/objectives/ProgSkills/index.html

Information from the curriculum conversion activities:
Sections with Co-op Objectives, repeated at the top, to follow with Semester Conversion Charts created by Professor Proulx on where skills will acquire certain skills:

http://www.ccs.neu.edu/co-op/research/WACE/ObjectivesGoalsCCISCoop.htm

 

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