destinations ® : the irish journey
DESCRIPTION
Destinations ® : The Irish Journey. Mary Sweeney Cooperative Education & Careers Division University of Limerick. Overview. Background CCMS Partner Fellowship UL Project Proposal Project Schedule Project Team What have we done Students’ views Work in Progress Reflections - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
June 2008
Destinations ® : The Irish Journey
Mary SweeneyCooperative Education & Careers Division
University of Limerick
June 2008
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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• Monitored student usage– 600 pages, 4400 hits per month
• Commissioned usability studies
• Surveyed students– Early reactions– Reading online survey
What else have we done?
• Promoted to students – emails, workshops• Piloted with Humanities class groups
June 2008
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
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
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
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
