Destinations ® : The Irish Journey

1. Destinations ® : The Irish Journey Mary Sweeney Cooperative Education & Careers Division University of Limerick June 2008

2. Overview • Background • CCMS Partner Fellowship • UL Project Proposal • Project Schedule • Project Team • What have we done • Students’ views • Work in Progress • Reflections • Demonstration of UL Destinations ® June 2008

3. Background • Once upon a time in 2001….. • Experience with Reading CMS • Reading Conference 2007 • Appeal of Destinations ® • Options • Commit and compete • Wait and buy • Pass it by June 2008

4. CCMS Partner Fellowship • Expression of Interest • Application for Partner Fellowship • Contract between UL and Reading • Installation of Destinations ® • Training & IT support • Community of Practice – 5 partners • Adaptation and deployment • Evaluation • Dissemination June 2008

5. UL’s Project Proposal • Customise website for Irish students • Identify Irish links and resources • Pilot Destinations® with career module • Business, Public Admin, Language, Music, HPSS • Develop as resource for work placements • Promote through careers website • Provide student feedback • Disseminate outcomes to GCI colleagues June 2008

6. Project Schedule • Sep 07: Upload website & training • Oct 07: UL references; video clips • Nov-Dec: Review contents • Jan-April: Customise text, amend resources, pilot with students • March: Share experiences in Reading • March-May: Edit and upload video clips • June-Aug: Create new videos, VLE • Sept 08: Use with class groups June 2008

7. Project Team • Cross Functional Project Team • 2 Careers Advisors, Coop Ed Manager, Placement Officer, IT Coordinator, UL Web Editor, 2 Academics, Teaching & Learning representative, Student • Monthly meetings • Allocated tasks to small working groups • Familiarisation, consultation, identification of changes June 2008

8. What have we done? • Installed on server and linked to website • Filmed video clips of Irish employers • 7 employers, 38 video clips • Added, deleted, amended text • 1229 files of a total 4055 files • Amended teaching resources • Customised graphics • Designed posters & flyers June 2008

9. June 2008

10. June 2008

11. June 2008

12. What else have we done? • Promoted to students – emails, workshops • Piloted with Humanities class groups • Monitored student usage • 600 pages, 4400 hits per month • Commissioned usability studies • Surveyed students • Early reactions • Reading online survey June 2008

13. The Greening of Destinations • Minimalist approach to text changes • Amend, correct, or add value • Units requiring significant amendments • Careers & Employers • Postgraduate Study • Work Experience • Links and resources throughout • Disability information • Video Clips: Editing and transcripts June 2008

14. Work in Progress • New and more professional video clips • Work Experience & Postgraduate study • Include Irish interview • Customise new releases • Pilot with new class groups • Business Studies & Postgrads • Use on VLE – SAKAI • Evaluation activities • Interview students • Focus groups of academics and careers advisors • Share output with GCI community June 2008

15. What do students think? • Easy to use – structure & navigation • Design and appearance of site • Level of content just right • Content useful and interesting • Stimulates career thinking • 3 best: information & advice, activities, videos • 3 lowest: site map, links, videos June 2008

16. What do we think? • Reflections on our experience • Think, plan, act, review • Importance of positive & versatile group • IT expertise invaluable • Requires time commitment • Assessment of Destinations ® • Great careers resource, developed by experts • Excellent teaching resources • Low cost – high benefit: win-win solution • An offer you cannot refuse • …and they lived happily ever after June 2008

17. Home Page June 2008