June 2008 Destinations ® : The Irish Journey Mary Sweeney Cooperative 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

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 – s, 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

June 2008 Home Page