Bringing Learning Outcomes to Life

1. Bringing Learning Outcomes to Life Prepared for:NACE Virtual SeminarMarch 7, 2007 Presented by:Gail S. Rooney, DirectorJulia Panke Makela, Career ConsultantThe Career Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2. Presentation Overview • Career Services Outcomes – Past & Current • Defining Developmental Outcomes • Implementing the Design • Exploring Results • Progress Review and Next Steps • Questions & Answers Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3. Career Services Outcomes The Past and Current Environment

4. Outcomes “Old-Hat” for Career Services • Historical role in placement provided natural outcomes measures • Number of students employed 6 months after graduation • Number of employers recruiting • Starting Salary • Counted everything! (heads, bodies, papers, job postings, phone calls, etc.) Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

5. Problems with “Old-Hat” • Yet, what control do Career Services have over these outcomes? • Economy • Student interests / motivation • Perpetually counting… but what did it mean? • And today, our services are more developmental • Senior placements are just a capstone outcome • We start early with students, preparing them throughout their college experience for effective career decisions and transitions • (But, how do we measure this?!) Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

6. Drivers & Goals for a New Approach • Personalized services for students • Tracking client relationships • Record of counselor interventions and student competency development • Focus on learning outcomes • Use of theory to guide practice • Staff buy-in throughout the process • Evidence of the positive impact of services Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

7. Defining Developmental Outcomes One Career Center’s Approach

8. Developing Learning Outcomes • Beginning discussion questions • What do we want undergraduate students to know and be able to do regarding personal and professional career development? • When a student graduates, what difference should The Career Center (TCC) have made in their lives? • Brainstorming • TCC Staff • TCC Advisory Committee Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

9. Shaping Our Outcomes • Organized answers into a developmental model for student’s college experience • Embedded responses into a counseling model:AffectiveBehavioralCognitive (ABCs for TCC) Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

10. Making Outcomes Practical • Identified indicators for our outcomes • Created a reporting mechanism for indicators, including: • Discussed – Career advisors discussed the indicator with the student • Expressed / Expressed Action – Student demonstrated some action or responsibility for the indicator Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

11. Action Steps to Tailor Outcomes • Specific action steps assigned by counselors to provide highly personalized service and attention • Action steps can be revisited at each meeting • Demonstrates individual student progress on learning outcomes • Drives personal connections and intentional interventions in every individual student contact Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

12. Example Action Steps • Take the Strong Interest Inventory and schedule a return appointment to review the results (Explore Self & Options - Values, skills, interests, strengths) • Use the “Careers for...” series in the Career Resource Center to explore options (Use Resources - Career Resource Center) • Use the Alumni database to find people to contact for information interviews (Use Resources - Content experts) • Attend the Managing Your Entrepreneurial Passion program (Conduct job search – Career fairs / events / workshops) Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

13. Implementing the Design Harnessing Technology for Outcomes Solutions

14. Types of Activities to Address Individual Services Appointments (4 kinds) Drop-ins (4) Assessments (2) Mock interviews (4) Group Programs Workshops Fairs Employer information sessions Career information sessions Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

15. Our Technology Solution • Schedule system (interfaces with Microsoft Outlook) • Interfaces with university student information system • Electronic check-in uses student ID card swipe • Counselor notes and history • Reporting functions Counselor notes and history Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

16. Counseling Notes & History Features • Demographics • Appointment history • Counselor notes • Action steps • Assessments Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

17. Exploring Results What have we learned so far?

18. Big Picture Results • July 1, 2005 – December 31, 2006 • 30,611student contacts across all activity types • 12,782 entries with student ID swipes (17,829 headcount) • 7,407 individual students / unique visitors Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

19. Sample Demographic Data Demographics from July 2005 – December 2006 Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

20. Sample Demographic Data Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

21. Sample Student History - Jim Action Steps Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

22. Sample Student History - Peggy Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

23. Sample Student History – Peggy Action Steps Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

24. Formative Evaluation • Goal = Continuous improvement of one-on-one career services • Summarized data for the office and individual career advisors: • Mean number of action steps per individual appointment • Mean number of outcomes per individual appointment • Most & least used outcomes • Structured a career advisor retreat to: • Improve the tie between theory and practice • Learn from each other to enhance outcomes focus in day-to-day activities Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

25. Sample Action Steps Data Overall Office 1351 appointments with completed notes 46 appts. with notes pending 4053 possible action steps 2602 written action steps Average of 1.86 action steps per appt. Career Advisor: Melissa 197 appointments with completed notes 10 appts. with notes pending 591 possible action steps 485 written action steps Average of 2.46 action steps per appt. Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

26. Melissa’s Completed Action Steps • Consider which courses to change for Spring 07 schedule • Meet again to discuss cover letter • Meet with David Skadden in Psych again to discuss opportunities for research • Network with professionals at the Autism Conference next week • Visit the testing center to find out when she can take the GRE Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

27. Sample Outcomes Data Overall Office 1351 appointments with completed notes 46 appts. with notes pending 97,272 possible outcomes 6,973 selected outcomes Average of 5.00 outcomes per appt. Career Advisor: Melissa 197 appointments with completed notes 10 appts. with notes pending 14,184 possible outcomes 1,649 written outcomes Average of 8.37 outcomes per appt. Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

28. Sample Outcomes Data Melissa’s Most “Discussed” Outcomes Most “Discussed” Outcomes for the Office Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

29. Sample Outcomes Data Melissa’s Least “Discussed” Outcomes Least “Discussed” Outcomes for the Office Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

30. Progress Review and Next Steps How does our Current Learning Stack-Up to Our Original Goals?

31. Results – Addressing the Drivers • Personalized services for students • User friendly check-in system • Counselor notes & action steps • Tracking client relationships • Contact history • Record of accomplished action steps • Record of counselor interventions and student competency development • Report aggregate contact and ABC outcome data Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

32. Results – Addressing the Drivers • Focus on learning outcomes • Identified outcomes via a collaborative process • Developed and operationalized outcome indicators • Placed career theory at the center of every individual contact through the counselor notes • Use of theory to guide practice • Allows individuals to use their own preferences and style in selecting interventions • Uses consensus-based developmental, career model that cuts across theory preferences Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

33. Results – Addressing the Drivers • Ensure staff buy-in throughout the process • Collaboratively defined outcomes • Periodically offered formal opportunities to revise outcomes and indicators • Shared and compared outcomes usage in a supportive environment • Evidence of the positive impact of services • Gathered a truly rich data set! • Demonstrate effective use of data to inform practice • And yet, we know there is more… Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

34. Next Steps • Staff Development • Continue to engage staff in connecting learning outcomes to programs and services • Increase consistency in use of learning outcomes • Accountability • Use learning outcomes to demonstrate impact of career services to university community & professional partners • Theory & Research • Show impact across developmental tasks via longitudinal case studies • Generate hypotheses of relationships among indicators, career goals, and action steps Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

35. Questions and Answers What would you like to know more about?

36. Thank you for joining us! Gail S. Rooneygrooney@uiuc.edu Julia Panke Makelajpmakela@uiuc.edu University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 715 S. Wright St. • Champaign, IL, 61820 Phone: (217) 333-0820 • Fax: (217) 333-0122 www.careercenter.uiuc.edu

37. Technology Solution Screen Captures A quick glimpse of our approach

38. Counselor Home Page View Counselor clicks name to see student information. Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

39. Student Demographics Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

40. Student Appointment History Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

41. Action Steps Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

42. Counselor Notes, Part I Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

43. Counselor Notes, Part II Schedule Q  2007 The Career Center at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign