Virtually all co-op programs require their students to be monitored and evaluated during each period of employment. In addition, most require that some form of written report be completed and submitted by the student on a topic that relates to the nature of their duties. This common practice has meant that many employers around the world are quite aware of these requirements of co-op programs and are happy to comply. After all, they too are involved with performance appraisals and are no strangers to this form of activity.
Most of the survey responses showed that program requirements continued to be met in the monitoring and evaluation of their students. In the exchange models, the hosting institution in most cases took responsibility for conducting site-visits, submitting reports and overseeing the delivery and collection of performance appraisals of the students. Programs without exchange partners were able to make good use of technology, sending forms directly to the employers using fax and email. Some programs had budgets that enabled staff to travel regularly overseas to conduct site-visits, while others took advantage of faculty traveling to conferences in the foreign country to conduct personal visits.
Regular contact appears to be maintained with students in some form or another during their international placements, most often by telephone and email. Some programs require their students to keep log books or diaries and expect them to be updated on a weekly basis. The Internet is being used increasingly by programs to supply forms for the students to use in their reporting duties. Such forms supply program administrators with information relating to their work environment (telephone number, email address, supervisoršs name and number, duties assigned), learning environment (goals and objectives, progress towards specific skills acquisition, project development) and their home environment (local address).
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A Guide for Developing International Co-op Programs |  |