Hayward, L.M., DiMarco, R., Kranz, T.M., Evans, S.M. (2001). Telementoring Using E-mail: The Classroom to Co-op Connection. Journal of Cooperative Education and Internships, 36(1), 32-47.
Educators in cooperative education programs are challenged to select teaching strategies that integrate classroom and co-op experiences. The purpose of this qualitative study was to describe the experiences of physical therapist students participating in a telementoring program. Thirty-three senior classroom students served as mentors for 22 underclassmen on co-op. Underclassmen used email to communicate with their mentors about physical therapy practice and the workplace. Data were gathered over six months from three sources: email correspondence, student journals, and interviews. Results demonstrate that telementoring provided students with opportunities for reflection on learning and promoted and integration of co-op and classroom experiences.