Dr. William HenselCareer & Personal Counselor

A continuous developmental spiral:

Self-Discovery

Investigation

Decision Making Implementation

‘Pilot Study’ approach to development

Strengths Assessment Study

to guide selection and use of a program of strengths assessment and enhancement.

Strengths Assessment Pilot Study Fall 2001

• Precepts for Success (1st-year course)• 8 weeks, 1 credit• 4 experimental sections

– Two using StrengthsFinder® (SF) (N=32)– Two using IML CAREERQuest™ (CQ)

(N=24)

• 9 control Sections (N=133)

Practical Issues:

• Is it worthwhile to incorporate strengths assessment and enhancement in our first-year course?

• A comparison of the impact of SF (Gallup) and CQ (IML) in the context of our first-year course?

Questionnaire

• Assess & compare effects of SF and CQ

• 56 items

• 7-point scale

• Completed at penultimate class meeting

Strengths Assessment Project

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SF

CQ

Control

Significant Benefits from SF/CQ(40 of 56 Items, p < .05, two-tailed test)

• Setting realistic goals• Understanding self

and others• Course content

interesting• Student enjoyment of

self-learning• Perceived instructor

enthusiasm & preparation

• Class interesting and effective

• Advising effectiveness• Quality of activities &

discussions• Identification of own

and others’ styles of personality and learning

• Understanding own personality and learning strengths & limitations

• Understanding why diverse styles can conflict and benefit collaboration

• Insights to relate well with others of diverse personality styles

• Devising learning strategies fitting for oneself

• Understanding how to adapt to diverse teaching styles

• How select/improve one’s own learning environment

• Understand own information processing

• New insights re: self• Understanding own

general thinking style• Practice identifying

thinking styles of others

• Identify ways to improve own thinking

• Clarified own strengths and talents

• Able to maximize strengths and manage weaknesses

• Define high achievement for self

• More honest assessment of priorities

• Able to perceive others in terms of their unique strengths

• Growth in confidence and peace of mind

Practical Issues:

• Is it worthwhile to incorporate strengths assessment and enhancement in our first-year course? Emphatically YES