An Evaluation of Remote Co-op Assignments on Engineering Students

The idea of a remote co-op in engineering is an artifact of the recent pandemic. In 2020, large proportions of engineering students at XXXX were forced to switch their co-ops to either an online or a hybrid model. This upended a century old tradition of having students experience industrial and professional practice by working alongside and learning from practicing engineers. The curriculum, requiring three co-op semesters as a condition for graduation, left the faculty and students little choice but to embark on this forced experiment. While this sudden shift was first met with concerns that this experience might cause a major loss of positive experiences, a qualitative and quantitative study of engineering co-op students reveal a more nuanced picture. In this study, over fifty students ranging from sophomores with one co-op to senior and recent graduates with three co-ops were given a survey to reflect on their experience. This paper presents the results of this study relating demographic factors to the level of satisfaction and sense of fulfillment and belonging experienced by the students on co-op. In particular, students were asked to reflect on the quality of their assignments and on their ability to learn and make meaningful contributions. They were also asked to reflect on their ability to make personal connections and to function and hone their teamwork skills. The study also included numerous interviews of students who had both in-person as well as remote co-ops to capture thoughts and feelings that could not be captured in the self-reporting survey. The paper concludes with a discussion and a possible map of the type (learning styles, personality traits, field of study, etc.) of student that could manage or even thrive in a remote (hybrid or online) co-op and which type requires in-person face-to-face work environment in order to find success and satisfaction.