PACE: A Sure Bet for Success

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PACE A Sure Bet for Success!

• An interactive online tool facilitating student
  academic and career development

Presented by Susan Stone Julia Panke
MakelaPamela Allen
Prepared for NACADA 2005 Concurrent Session
472 Annual ConferenceLas Vegas, NV
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Session Overview

• The Mason Advising Challenge
• PACE Setter Development
• The PACE Setter Method
• Tour of the Web Site
• PACE Setter Enhancements
• PACE Setter Assessment Pilot Studies
• Future Directions

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Session Goals

• Understand how to use web technology as a
  developmental tool, rather than limiting its use
  to information or resource delivery
• Appreciate the importance of building counselor
  expertise into technology tools
• Understand the collaborations needed to develop
  websites encouraging competency-based learning
  and exploration
• Understand the process we used to develop this
  online tool
• Realize the implications for future development
  of this tool in assessing student outcomes

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The Counselor Challenge _at_ SOM

• Increasing student enrollments in SOM
• 3200 undergraduate students, 60 transfer student
  rate at Junior Senior years
• 6 academic advisors 3 career advisors
• Increasingly complex undergraduate student body,
  with many factors competing for their attention
• High percentage of non-traditional students (12
  25-30 years, 11 over 30 years)
• Over 50 working 25 hours while taking classes
• 25 first generation college students
• Increasingly diverse student body

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The Counselor Challenge, Cont.

• Increased demand for accountability from
• University/School of Management leadership
• AACSB Accreditation Board
• Employer advisory committees
• Professional associations calling for action
  (e.g. SACS, NACADA, NACE, NASPA, NCDA)
• Renewed emphasis on holistic approach to student
  development (combining career academic advising
  in a one stop shop)

Within the limits of our current staffing and
resources, how do we adequately meet the needs
of our diverse and growing student population,
while clearly demonstrating the impact of our
efforts?
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The Core Team

• Supportive Leadership
• Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs
• Assistant Dean, Academic and Career Services
• Experienced Content Experts
• 2 academic advisors
• 1 career advisor
• 2 front-line support staff
• Technical Support
• SOM Web developer

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Components of a Successful Solution

• Encourages each student to take responsibility
  for his/her own academic career planning
• Clearly defines steps successful students take
• Chunks information making it realistic and
  manageable
• Provides all resources needed to take those steps
• Relieves pressure on advisors to review the
  total package in every appointment
• Encourages traditional, face-to-face advising at
  appropriate times, as well as access to advisors
  whenever a student feels stuck

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The Promise of Technology

• Employ interactive online tools to reach computer
  savvy, millennial students
• Engage students anytime day or night
• Provide all of the details accurately
  completely every time
• Deliver countless advising resources and tools in
  a cost effective manner

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The Limitations of Technology

• Technology CANNOT replace the career counselor or
  academic advisor. (Rather, it improves the
  quality of advising services by supporting
  repetitive tasks, allowing professional staff to
  concentrate on more complex needs)
• Technology alone CANNOT guide users to select
  resources that are most appropriate for them.
  (Information must be carefully chunked and
  presented to avoid overwhelming or confusing the
  user.)
• Technology CANNOT guide student users through
  complex questions about their unique academic and
  career paths that arise as they make life
  decisions.

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Harnessing Internet Technology
How do we harness the potential benefits of
internet technology, without falling into its
limitations? We set out to

• Build upon Internet technologys strengths,
  creating a developmental tool meeting the needs
  of our students
• Integrate advisor expertise into technology tools
• Collaboratively develop a website that encourages
  competency-based learning exploration
• Implement current research findings on website
  design for counseling career services

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How is PACE Setter Different?

• Standard Website
• I have a question
• The website addresses specific and factual
  questions
• Provides many tips and resources for solving
  these questions
• PACE Setter Website
• I dont know what questions I should be asking
• The website introduces developmentally
  appropriate questions to help our maturing
  students get answers and formulate questions
  they need to ask
• Chunks information with the knowledge and
  experience of professional counselors and
  advisors
• Provides tailored tips and resources for
  addressing these questions

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PACE Setter Development

• Nine month project, through program inception,
  research, development and launch.
• Benchmarked best practices through milestones
  programs at universities such as
• Cornell University
• Indiana University East
• Ottawa University
• Stanford University
• University of Florida
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute State University
  
• (Fall 2003)

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PACE Setter Development, Cont

• Researched website development in advising
• Develop site content, layout design(Spring
  2004 Summer 2004)
• Provide demonstrations at new student orientation
  and gather feedback from students (Summer 2004)
• Developed job search ethics module (Summer 2005)

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PACE Setter Development, Cont

• Formally Launch the SOM PACE Setter at
  college-wide WelcomeFest (September 29, 2004)
• SOM Team Celebration September 30, 2004

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The PACE Setter Method

• The four-year plan (Plan for Academic and Career
  Excellence) is built on a marathon metaphor
• A training guide presenting obtainable,
  well-paced goals at developmentally appropriate
  times
• Academic and Career Advisors to coach students
  through the process
• Ultimate success belongs to the student
• Provide semester tasks, based on number of
  credits
• Each semester plan includes three key pieces
• The PACE Activities
• End of Semester PULSE CHECK
• Track Your Progress

Lets check it out! http//som.gmu.edu/pace
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PACE is presented at all orientations where both
students and parents appreciate its possibilities
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This section is designed to help helicopter
parents and faculty
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Answer to the problem of transfer students
knowing where to start
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Section with the most tasks to complete
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This is a semester reminder to check the degree
evaluation to keep on track
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Blending of academic and career tasks is an
important part of this program
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Navigation is an ongoing issue the index has
proven to be an effective solution
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PACE Prescription Pad a tool to help advisors
use PACE effectively

• Encourages advisor use of PACE in individual
  appointments
• Enables students w/ advisor to see next (and
  missed) steps in their development
• Serves as a take home list of student needs to
  work on
• Emphasizes to students the integrated nature of
  academic career development

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Getting the Word Out Our Marketing Plan

• Introduction at Orientations to all new students
  parents
• Postcards to introduce to current students
• Spring semester targeted emails
• Introduction of various products to advertise
  PACE
• Waterbottles (carry out the marathon theme)
• Bookmarks with PulseCheck questions in our
  waiting area
• Buttons

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Tracking Website Usage

• Currently average about 144 hits per week
• Considerable spikes when coupled with events,
  graduation and orientations

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PACE Setter Assessment Pilot Studies

• Assessment Project 1 Fall 2004
• A. Are the PACE Setter activities appropriate and
  motivating for our unique student population?
• B. Are students able to understand the program
  structure and activities?
• Assessment Project 2 Spring 2005
• Pilot study examining innovations in PACE to help
  clarify determine next steps

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Project 1 Part A Appropriate Motivating
Activities?

• Administered a survey that covered 25 PACE Setter
  items to 568 students.
• Each PACE Setter item was judged on two scales
• Has the student completed the items? (Yes/No)
• How important does the student believe this item
  to be? (5 point Likert scale Not at all to
  Extremely Important)
• Wanted to discover if the items were
  appropriately placed in their assigned semesters
• Not too easy, leading students to become bored
  with the system
• Not too difficult, discouraging students from
  working on the items

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Project 1, Part A Appropriate Motivating

• Results for Sophomores

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Project 1 Part A Appropriate Motivating

• Results for Juniors

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Project 1 Part A Appropriate Motivating

• Results for Seniors

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Project 1 Part B Are students able to
understand the program structure and activities?

• Administered a course project to 61 students,
  using PACE Setter to answer questions about
  academic and career milestones
• Could they find the right answers?
• How quickly did they find the answers?
• Uncovered a few trouble areas, leading to the
  development of a first time users section and
  some terminology changes

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Project 2 Pilot Study Purpose

• Purpose to understand how technology strategies
  are currently employed in higher education to
  enhance student academic, career and social
  development
• Identified innovative programs and universities
  via presentations and awards presented by various
  professional associations (e.g., NACE, NCDA,
  NACADA, Educause).
• Selected 12 sites for interviews, 8 chose to
  participate(66.67 response rate)

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Project 2 Pilot Site Approaches

• Two main applications of technology
• Portfolio programs designed for reflection and
  demonstration of many competencies --academic,
  career or social.
• Modules primarily dedicated to development and
  reflection in one particular competency area.
• Clear differences exist between these two
  approaches

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What we have learned

• Your Audience
• Be aware of your audiences and their needs
• HINT There many be more audiences than your
  primary users. Who else may be affected by your
  program?
• Your Objectives
• Begin with clearly defined learning objectives
• If those objectives are broad or vast, break them
  down into manageable chunks. Tackle one piece,
  and build upon it.

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What we have learned, cont

• Your Project Plan
• Set a realistic time frame, and be flexible if
  this is your first project of this scope.
• Financial and emotional support from the top,
  as well as the many players, is invaluable.
• A dedicated person to manage the project is a
  must.
• Your Impact
• Build in assessment strategies from the
  beginning, to show the quality and impact of your
  work

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What we have learned, cont

• Going High-Tech
• Learn as much as you can about the technology,
  and ensure that you have the proper technical
  support before you start programming
• Thoroughly address security and privacy issues up
  front
• Staying High-Touch
• If you want your freshman to be involved, your
  approach must reflect their high school
  experience Remember to start where they are!
• Be sensitive to the human side of technology
  learning curves and motivations need as much
  attention and thought as the programming!

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Future Directions

• Ultimate goals for PACE Setter Dreaming Big!
• Matching portfolio system, allowing students to
  complete semester activities record successes
• Direct connection to classes, with assignments
  made and graded through the portfolio system
• Built in evaluation system, potentially via
  portfolio scholarship competitions and review
  board audits
• Next steps for PACE Setter One Step at a Time!
• Designing interactive, online modules for
  specific competencies
• Requiring participation via classes

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Our Project Fall 2007
Assurance of Learning
AACSB
Modules
PaceSetter
EPortfolio

• Record of PaceSetter
• milestones
• Ethics Philosophy
• Resume
• Reviewed by gate course
• instructors
• Evaluated by capstone
• instructors

• Presented at Orientations
• Assessed and updated
• yearly
• Discussed at each
• advisor appointment
• Monitored on client
• database
• Milestones at appropriate
• intervals

• Ethics module
• Leadership module
• Majors module
• Skills module
• Orientation module

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References

• Florida State University, Center for the Study of
  Technology in Counseling Career
  DevelopmentWeb Design Strategies in Career
  Services http//www.career.fsu.edu/techcenter/co
  mputer_applications/internet_based_models.html
  Needs-based Web Designhttp//www.career.fsu.edu
  /techcenter/computer_applications/need-based_web_s
  ites.html

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References, Cont

• ACPA NASPAs Learning ReconsideredA
  Campus-Wide Focus on The Student
  Experiencehttp//www.myacpa.org/pub/documents/Le
  arningReconsidered.pdf
• SOM PACE Setter Websitehttp//www.som.gmu.edu/pa
  ce

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Thank you!

• Feel free to contact us if you have further
  questions.
• Susan Stone, sstone_at_gmu.edu
• Pam Allen, pallen_at_gmu.edu
• Julia Panke Makela, jpmakela_at_uiuc.edu