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The activities of career guidance
Chain of services and joint responsibility
Merja Karjalainen, University of Jyväskylä, Open University
Kyösti Nyyssölä,South Ostrobothnia Folk High Scool, Ilmajoki
This presentation: Guidance for degree oriented open university studies
• Practical co-operation between two adult-education organizations
• Jyväskylä Open University and South Ostobothnia Folk High School (SOFHS), Ilmajoki
• Locate in different parts of Finland• New model of cooperation – “from courses to degrees”
(Bachelor’s degree) • Started in August 2008• 28 part-time adult students • Students study at SOFHS according to the Jyväskylä
university curriculum, have individual study plans• Three majors: Organization Communication and PR,
Health Promotion and Health Education, Creative Writing
Back ground: The Open University system in Finland /1
• OU studies are organized by 19 Finnish Universities – Curriculums are the same as in the faculties
• General studies (e.g. language and communication courses), basic studies (25 ECTS credits), subject studies (50-55 ECTS credits)
– Students get the certificates from the faculties• Target: to increase educational equality
– Free entry regardless of age and educational background – Regional equality: co-operation with educational partner institutions
• All the studies studied and the credits earned at the OU can be included in the university degree
– Students at OUs cannot take university degrees
• Possibility to apply for admission to the University through the “Open University channel” without an entrance examination
Back ground: The Open University system in Finland/ 2
• Open University of the University of Jyväskylä (OUJ):– 14 000 students– 120 partner institutions organize studies nationwide– Model of blended learning– Own pedagogically qualified teachers
• University Senates decision in the University of Jyväskylä (2007):
– The faculties name the major subjects in which adult students can complete the studies at the Open University that comprise the Bachelor's degree
– This decision has had a great significance for developing the model of degree-oriented studies at the OUJ
How do we impliment the activities of career guidance in co-operation?
Activities of career guidance (Ford 2001; 2004): 1. Informing2. Advising3. Counselling4. Assessing5. Teaching6. Enabling7. Advocating8. Networking9. Feed backing10. Managing11. Innovating/Systems change
12. ...there are also signposting, mentoring, sampling and following up
1 Informing= providing information about opportunities
available, without any discussion of the relative merits of options for particular individuals
• OUJ produces general information: studies (aims, content, study methods), degree structure, character of university-studies, entrance criterion into university.
• EPI produces spesific information/materials (programm, timetable)• webpages, avoinyliopisto.fi (”openuniversity.fi”) database, hand-outs/brochures,
journal ads, educational fairs, local information activities• Critical success factors:
– Context of the information is correct – Both institues inform parallel – Clear difference between informing and marketing – Content of the information: adult, part-time students can make conscious and considerate
decisions – Standard of the studies is accurate for the student
• Concrete action:– OUJ is responsible for the content: up-date and check the information on the web-pages – If needed, further check at the faculty/-s or department/-s of Jyväskylä University– OUJ ensure EPI’s hand-outs/brochures– EPI organise information sessions at the beginning of the academic year – OUJ personnel
have presentations
2 Advising= helping individuals and groups to
interpret information and choose the most appropriate options
• The first level of services (Holistic guidance service model, van Esbroeck 1997): EPIs has main responsibility for advising the students
• Students call, send e-mails, come to meet the personnel • Critical success factors:
– Personnel have access to materials and basic & spesific information of the studies
– No “empty” promises (mandate to make a promise? distribution of work has to be clear)
• Advising is based on the information on the web-pages (all have assess, no hidden criterion= transparency)
• Concrete action – Guidelines are agreed at meetings at the beginning of the academic year – Up-date ja give feed-back of the web-pages– Vivid and close relationships between the organizations – when you know your
partners it is easier to ask “stupid questions”
3 Counselling= working with individuals to help them discover,
clarify, assess and understand their own experiences, and to explore alternatives and their possible implemention
• Main ”tool” is Personal Study Plan (PSP) – 1) The content of the bachelor's degree, 2) academic skills and 3) ”I as a learner
and my metacognitive skills” - Accute question: crediting of former studies? - are extra courses need f.ex English language? Ability to read foreign language
literature? - the working life relevance of the degree?
• Concrete action:a) Open University of Jyväskylä
– ePSP–base in the web – study-counsellor reads and gives feed-back to the degree-oriented open
university students PSP – crediting of former studies are agreed with the faculties– study path to the university, master’s degree studies
b) Educational Partner Institute– organize PSP-discussions with the students at the beginning of the studies – organize teacher tutor-sessions, 1 session/month
4 Assessing= helping individuals to obtain a stuctured
understanding of their personal, educational and vocational development, in order to enable them to make informed judgements about the appropriateness of particular
oppotunities
• Assist the students to assess… – their skills (language, acquisition of information,
writing, ICT) as a part of the PSP-process
• Main responsibility: Open University of Jyväskylä• Concrete action:
– Perspectives and questions in the PSP – web-pages: self-assessing assignments – learning outcomes an essential part of the curriculum.
Description of learning outcomes are essential for assessing.
5 Teaching= providing a planned and systematic progression of
learnercentred experiences to enable learners to acquire knowledge, skills and competences related to making personal, educational and career decisions and
transitions
• EPI– Teaching happens at the local institues (regional equality)– Syllabus for the study year – Timetable suitable for part-time students? – Lectures, workshops, face-to-face sessions are in the evenings and
weekends, attainable for all• OUJ
– Curriculum from the University– The University gives instuctions for the teaching – Materials for the teachers – Teachers have planning meeting at the beginning of the semester – Study guides for the students – teachers also utilize them– Open University teachers and EPI teachers have informal co-operation:
keep in touch by telephone and e-mail
6 Enabling= Supporting individuals and groups in dealing with
organisations providing or influencing employment and learning opportunities
• Informing students that they can include studies from different Open Universities into their degree? Major studies to University of Jyväskylä
• Encourage students to gain adequate language skills, us the local adult training opportunities (upper secondary school, folk high school, …)
7 Advocating= negotiating directely with organisations on behalf of
individuals or groups for whom there may be additional barries to access
• Open University of Jyväskylä agrees with the faculties the crediting of former studies
• New majors? Discussion and negotiation with faculties and departments to expand majors. Local needs for Special Education, Education and Adult Education.
• EPI inform local employers of the training opportunities Open University offers. Could it be one possibilty to raise the educational level of the employees?
8 Networking= establishing specific links with a range of
individuals and organisations to support and enhance guidance provision.
• Open University of Jyväskylä – In-house networking – the university:
• OPJ and the network of 7 faculties, 15 departments, 50 subjects (University of Jyväskylä)
• The meetings of the study counsellors, counsellors from different faculties and institutes
– In-house networking – the open university• Subject-teams• Pedagogical working group: general guidelines, pedagogical strategy, PSP-base ….
– Regional networking:• OPJ and EPI in different parts of Finland (about 100 insitutes)• OUJ invites EPI representatives (office personnal, principals, teachers) to a meeting
once/ year in Jyväskylä• Web-based portal of EPIs
– Networking with the other open universities
• Educational Partner Institutes– Contribute in local networks f.ex. adult education institutes, employers
9 Feeding back= gathering and collating information on the
unmet needs of individuals and groups and encouraging providers of opportunities to respond by adapting or developing their provison
• Feed-back questionnaire in the web for students. They get a request to fill it up when they get their basic/ subject studies ready. – Summation sent to the EPIs (their own students)
• Feed-back questionnaire in the web for EPIs (answers in May)– Summation sent to the EPIs in August
• A new feed-back model for degree-oriented students?
Spesific – new model has been developed 8/2008-5/2009• Feed back form to the students• Focus: the first study year guidance • Meeting with the students: discussion of the feed-back• Riikka Hurri has a presention in IAEVG congress 2009
10 Managing= managing guidance activieties into a coherent
programme, ensuring it is sustainable within its insitutional or organisational setting, co-ordinating and developing its human and physical resources, evaluating its effectiveness
and promoting its services and intrests
• Co-operation between OUJ and EPI has worked for 20 years. We have a solid ground for the co-operation
• Degree-oriented studies is a new aspect in the co-operation
• Different organizations have their own responsibilities. Is the distribution of work and responsibilities clear?
• Recourses for guidance?
11Innovating/Systems change= supporting developments and changes in organisational and guidance practice, in order
to improve the quality and organisation of provision
• New model of co-operation? From courses to degrees – these really means something new
• EPI have different profiles. Which kind of models are needed?
• Planning is a common/shared effort: from a fragmented planning model to a coherent model
• Local needs? University’s interest? • EPI take a financial risk: drop-outs + studies must be
available for 3 years instead of one year. • Curriculum changes every 2 years • Quality assurance?
