1. Randy: Hello, I am Randy and I technologist, jack of all trades and am a Renaissance Man.
Michele: My name is Michele and I have served as a community college counselor and faculty for 15 years.

2. Overview of GPS LifePlan
Self Assess, Career & Training Exploration, Find a Job, Set Goals
Plan Education, Academic Skills & Strategies, Set Goals
Budget, Finance Education, Credit & Debt, Save, Set Goals
Randy: What is the GPS LifePlan?
Michele: The GPS LifePlan is a holistic program designed to help learners plan for their futures. The program focuses on five areas of development: Career, Education, Finance, Leadership and Personal. The program provides a framework where students are encouraged to assess their needs, set goals, and create plans, and connect to resources that can help them achieve those goals. 
School & Community Involvement, Leadership Skills, Set Goals
Wellness, Relationships, Community Resources, Set Goals

3. Brief History College Version (2006) Military Version (2009)
WorkForce & Secondary (2011)
Randy: Is this just for college students?
Michele: Created originally by Century College (MN) in 2006 for college students, the program has expanded and adapted for various audiences including military veterans, service members, and their families, high school students and youth, and adult learners. It is a program for learners in a wide variety of ages and stages!

4. From Academically Adrift Page 3
“Drifting Dreamers”
“ … prevalence of ‘drifting dreamers’ with high ambitions, but no clear life plans for reaching them … [they] have limited knowledge about their chosen occupations, about education requirements, or about the demand for these occupations.”
From Academically Adrift Page 3
Randy: Why such a focus on goals and planning? Isn’t the issue that college students these days are underprepared for the rigors of college? If only the students could score better on those placement tests!
Michele: The literature on college completion includes an immense focus on academic preparedness (or “what is wrong with our students”) but another vital concept mentioned is the importance of students making connections to develop clear life plans that connect to their reasons for being in college. This includes learning about self in relation to careers, education, and personal dreams. As Tom Hanks recently shared in a New York Time Opinion letter, he went from “an underachieving student with lousy SAT scores” to “what I am today” at his local community college. Tom Hanks New York Times Op Ed:

5. What Works for first Generation Students
Raising Aspirations for College:
Connecting college to job and career interests.
Getting informed about how to pay for college.
Perceiving themselves as college material.
Understanding that college is possible.
Getting personal and being persistent about college.
Michele: The Pell Institute For The Study Of Opportunity In Higher Education supports this concept as well for First Generation College Students.
From: What works for First Generation College Students:
From: What works for First Generation College Students:

6. Using What Works for first Generation Students Living in Poverty
Highlight Strengths: Positive feedback, build on current knowledge, identify strengths and assets
Foster Resiliency: Meet students where they are and assist in developing strong support
Build Relationships Based on Identification: Connect through advising/counselor communication related to a student’s “MyLifePlan”
Connect Students with Navigators/Mentors: Show students that you believe in their ability to become educated through advising/counselor communication
Connect Students to Enrichment Opportunities: Can include job shadow, career informational interviews, and campus activities
Build in Peer Support: Through GPS LifePlan Community Connections
Randy: How does this apply to the mobile GPS LifePlan and the Robin Hood Grant?
Michele: Much of our work on this project reflects what national poverty expert Donna Beegle states as what is effective in working with first generation students living in poverty. Rather than using the prevalent “deficit lens approach,” we pratice a "strengths-based" approach using these key concepts. [May need to condense if lack of time – if we can include “Extensive research shows that expectations exert powerful influences upon both student and teacher behavior whether the expectations come from an external source or are held internally as self-expectations.” From:
1. Highlight Strengths: Give positive feedback, build on current knowledge, identify strengths and assets.
Look for what is good and right with them, highlight their strengths. Build on current knowledge and skills. Treat each student as if their potential is unknown.
2. Foster resiliency by providing positive support.
Resiliency develops when people have opportunities to shine and are shown their unique talents. Meeting students where they are and assist in developing strong support.
3. Build relationships based on identification.
Identification means I see how you are like me, and you see how I am like you. Connect through advising/counselor communication related to a student’s “MyLifePlan” can facilitate this.
4. Connect Students with Navigators/Mentors: Research on college graduates who grew up in poverty and achieved a bachelor’s degree shows that most of them had mentors who helped them “navigate” higher education. Show students that you believe in their ability to become educated through advising/counselor communication.. Faculty and staff can empower FGS by being a mentor.
5. Connect students to enrichment opportunities.
One of the greatest challenges with First Generation Students is the lack of engagement on the college campus or connection with the institution. they are likely to arrive on campus not knowing how to advocate for themselves, reach out, ask for assistance, and tell people what crisis they are experiencing. Most will not step out of their comfort zone with simple encouragement, this can include job shadow, career informational interviews, and campus activities.
6. Build in peer support.
Building relationships among peers is critical for the success of FGS because peers are a strong source of influence and impact FGS sense of self. This can be facilitated through GPS LifePlan Community Connections.
Source: See Poverty … Be the Difference by Donna Beegle

7. Mobile Technology is Everywhere
Randy: … AND Mobile Technology is everywhere now in a students life.

8. Mobile ACCESS IS VITAL 45% 60% 43% 50%
Cell internet users living in households with annual income less than $30,000 mostly use their phone to go online.
45%
60%
Hispanics who are cell-mostly internet users.
43%
African-Americans who are cell-mostly internet users.
Randy: With almost 2/3 of cell owners using their phones to go online and 50% of cell internet users age 18 – 29 is mostly use their cell phones to go online, with a large percentage reflecting African-Americans, Hispanic and household earnings of less than $30,000 a year, mobile friendly essential!
From:
50%
Cell-internet users age 18 – 29 who mostly use their cell phones to go online.

9. Mobile Friendly Revisit
Randy: Plus, 3/4 of mobiles users say they’re more likely to revisit mobile-friendly sites.
From:
From:

10. Mobile GPS LifePlan
Michele: It is true more than ever, the future of our students are literally in their hands. Mobile GPS LifePlan provides a structure to guide them through that planning, connecting them to resources when they need them, and positively communicating with them about their goals and plans weather it is career (briefly describe screen shots) or …
Need screen shots of Career Assessment list and the assessment

11. Mobile GPS LifePlan
Michele: … their education, and more!

12. Setting Goals Increases Dopamine Activity in the Neurons
Michele: Setting goals increases dopamine activity in the neurons which enhances pleasure, maintaining attention, and increases motivation. The GPS LifePlan structure provides a place where students connect with resources when they need them and to return when they need to.
Information from:

13. Strengthening Neural Pathways
Randy: Also, GPS LifePlan is more than a single skill set – it is holistic. Goal setting and planning also activates the pre-frontal cortex of the brain, strengthening neural pathways related to rational problem solving, academic and cognitive control. One challenge for college students is taking the time to set goals and plans for their future, if their was only a way to make it even more enticing ….?
From:

14. Michele: There is. A recent study found that 1
Michele: There is! A recent study found that 1.2 billion people are playing games worldwide and 700 million of them are playing them online – of all genders and ages and they play them in all sorts of places!
Randy: But what are people really learning from playing such games?
From:

15. Michele: A lot! Some examples are:
Progression: This helps the student see success visualized incrementally through levels that ramp up and unlock content, as well as points that increase the running numerical value of work.
Investment: This helps the student feel pride in their work in the game through achievements earned.
AND
Cascading Information: This element helps unlock information continuously through bonuses, countdowns, discovery, loss aversion (playing to avoid losing what’s been gained); “infinite play” (learn until expertise is developed), and “synthesis” (working on challenges that require multiple skills to solve).
Randy: How powerful that would be to apply such concepts to career, education and life planning!
Gamification:
Gamification:

16. MyFutureQuest
Michele: And that is what we are doing with MyFutreQuest – tapping into the power of gaming to connect students to concepts, terms, and challenges for college, career and life success in a format that taps into a deeper learning through strengthening neural pathways beyond conscious reasoning as they progress through various levels, build confidence, and unlock information continuously that helps them create their future.

17. MyFutureQuest Game
Michele: They select a character (reflecting personal attributes correlated to various career areas), review various supply packs (reflecting various career options), apply their talents, and more as they navigate through challenges that will later provide guidance through their “MyLifePlan” locker.
Randy: That is pretty cool, but this college completion issue is such a major challenge – what is preventing students from success in the first place?

18. What prevents students from completing college?
Finances & Work
Skills & Time Management
Life Stresses
Michele: Some of the top reasons indicated by various studies are finance (and working more to help with finances), various skills that lead to failure such as time and procrastination management, academic success strategies, and major life stressors such as relationships and health issues.
Dropping Out Image From:
Non-traditional students will be changing their major more often than traditional students. Therefore factors such as academic skills, difficulty concentrating, family problems, financial problems, institutional commitment, college satisfaction, dedication to finishing college, academic motivation, academic progress are all significantly predicted the number of times non-traditional students changed their majors
From:

19. How Does GPS LifePlan Help
Self Assess, Career & Training Exploration, Find a Job, Set Goals
Plan Education, Academic Skills & Strategies, Set Goals
Budget, Finance Education, Credit & Debt, Save, Set Goals
Randy: Isn’t that what GPS LifePlan is designed to help?
Michele: Yes! The holistic nature of the program includes resources for students to help with many of these areas. By learning more about resources, developing goals, identifying obstacles, and developing plans to adjust as needed, students can feel like they have more control of their college experience. The advisor/counselor communication provides the support and encouragement needed to continue.
School & Community Involvement, Leadership Skills, Set Goals
Wellness, Relationships, Community Resources, Set Goals

20. Expected Impact on College Completion
History of improving retention
Wide spread use
Students and Faculty like it
Mobile meets students where they are
Randy: So what do you think this will all mean to students and their completion?
Michele: GPS LifePlan has a history of improving community college retention for students in development courses and CSSE benchmarks. The enhancements will make GPS match student mobile behavior.
The GPS LifePlan has wide spread use: it has been embraced by 26 college campuses in Minnesota; numerous (over so many – Randy will find)) high school teachers are using it for the required state Career and College Readiness Personal Learning Plan and Individual Learning Plans, and the websites are searched by more than 40,000 users annually. It is also used in 1st Year Experience, Career and Life-Planning, and other classes. In a Century survey, an overwhelming majority of students (99%) gave GPS positive ratings (71% excellent, 8% good, 11% average) on its ability to help with making career and education plans.
The mobile version and MyFutureQuest

21. Developmental Reading Re-Enrollment Fall to Spring
Measurement of Success
Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE)
Benchmarks
Century 2005
Century 2009
Change
Active and Collaborative Learning
48.2
50.5
+ 2.3
Student Effort
51.1
52.0
+ 0.9
Academic Challenge
50.8
50.9
+ 0.1
Student-Faculty Interaction
44.1
47.6
+ 3.5
Support for Learners
45.7
50.2
+ 4.5
Developmental Reading Re-Enrollment Fall to Spring
NOTE: Add Randy arrow picture!

22. Student Rating to help with career and education plans
Students find it helpful with their career and education plans.
N= (62% who responded that they used the program)
Excellent =
Good =
Average =
Bad = 0
Century College Student Online Graduation Orientation Survey Spring 2009 (N=1259)

23. What students say about the mobile GPS LifePlan
Usability Quotes: “Especially for people who are starting out. A lean and smooth way to find a path through college. It’ll help guide students and keep them more focused and stay in college.”
“Liked how it went to a PDF that explains it to her (SMART goal). She liked the steps because if you just send her to a site, she doesn’t know where to start. It give her some direction.”
“[T]here is a lot of useful information and it is just a tap away and you can tell from the words what you are supposed to do next.”
“[GPS LifePlan helps to think about] the future and especially the cost.”
“It was eye-opening to the options within the site.”
“This is a great site for people like me who don’t know where to look and don’t want to be ‘that’ person who asks questions.”
MyFutureQuest:
“Puts you in the reality spirit with the skills you have …”
“Liked the encouraging response she got. Every likes being praised.”

24. Faculty View GPS LifePlan as Worthwhile
Faculty find it worthwhile.
Century College Faculty Spring 2009 (N=150)

25. Demonstrated operation
Michele: That is why we are proud to report that our Mobile GPS LifePlan is 73% completed.
Mobile GPS 77% done
MyFutureQuest: 33% done

26. Finalizing the Products
Mobile GPS LifePlan
Further optimize mobile functionalities
Enhance communication process to include outreach for “stalled” students
Research integration of “community” aspect
Establish ability to “MyLifePlan” results to user
Convert additional content from current desktop versions of the GPS LifePlan
myFutureQuest
Add at least 10 additional challenges
Add 8 groups of traits
Add 5 characters
Incorporate game progress with “MyLifePlan”
Create structure for tracking user progress and outreach
Add opportunities for increasing interactivity
Add 8 groups of traits which will be reflected visually within character
Add 5 characters (plus ability to upload user image)
Develop optimal game design flow and program (est. 33% complete)
Further develop use of custom pages and integrate into content and user flow
Establish login structure to display returning user results
to send notifications to agents when a user account has been inactive for a defined period of time (e.g., 1 month)

27. Estimated cost-effectiveness
There will be no cost incurred by the student or other site users, other than having access to a mobile phone/computer with Internet access, or printing off information.
To the best of our knowledge, the system would scale to at least 100,000 student users with mobile devices/computer without any additional costs.
There will be no cost incurred by the student or other site users, other than having access to a mobile phone/computer with Internet access, or printing off information. Since this is a software solution, there should not be any marginal cost to add one more student. There should not be any need to buy another server or for any user to buy any hardware
To the best of our knowledge, the system would scale to at least 100,000 student users with mobile devices/computer without any additional costs.
Students in Minnesota have actually saved money by using the GPS LifePlan in lieu of textbooks.
Does the marginal cost of the product (including the costs of hardware, onboarding, and support for each user) seem reasonable (and under $500)? Does the team provide sufficient evidence for its cost projection? It will be software only. Server? See notes
There is no cost to students, in fact if an instructor uses GPS as a textbook it may save students money. Document how that has worked already. This product will enable students to use devices they currently have without need to purchase.
If they want to implement the support and outreach functioniality, they would need to purchase an interface with Oracle Cloud Service

28. GPS Saves Students Money
Colleges use the GPS LifePlan in lieu of textbooks.
Lake Superior $67,000 – replacing textbook with GPS LifePlan
Century College $56,000 – using GPS LifePlan + 4 Chapters of OnCourse

29. Conclusion COMPLETE PACKAGE Nudge
Resources for not just career and education, but finance, leadership and personal issues
Game
Goal setting and planning
Device friendly/mobile that can be used at a workstation or laptop
Real people (maybe) to help students
Free, and link to safe resources
Active community that keeps the resources fresh, relevant and useful
Students and faculty like the product
Proven track-record of success
Analytics (maybe)
Tackles real world issues
Include usability, quotes

30. 310 First Year Experience Classes
Usage & Potential Usage – MNSCU Career & Life Classes – Fall/Spring 2014
49 Career Classes
1225 students
310 First Year Experience Classes
Keyword search in Systemwide for: career planning. Results say more than 150. Clearly, many of these classes are not Career and Life Planning classes, but most of them are.
7750 students