This document proposes using gamification and digital collaboration to improve student career counseling. It suggests applying game mechanics and design techniques to engage students and motivate career exploration. Popular games and social media could deliver career-related messages and connect students with professionals. Simulations using virtual reality games and gadgets could help students experience different careers to discover their interests. The approach aims to address limitations like limited counselor availability and student engagement by making career counseling more interactive and experiential.

1. Gamification
&
Collaboration
for
Student Career
Counseling

2. Hello!
I am Subbu Ramanathan
You can find me at www.linkedin.com/in/subbur
I am here because I am passionate about this topic

3. Scope of the presentation
Career exploration
College selection
Application process
College financing

4. Why?
Importance of student career
counseling
1

5. 81%High school graduation rate
1
6.33 yearsAverage time to get a bachelor’s degree
1
59%College graduation rate
1
1: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics

6. Significance of Career
Counseling
Counselors, when
consistently and frequently
available and allowed to
provide direct services to
students and parents, can
have a positive impact on
students’ aspirations and
achievements1
1: Dr. Patricia McDonough, professor of education at UCLA (2004)

7. StudentChallenges with Career
Exploration
◎Anxiety
◎Lack of personal insight
◎Difficulty with problem clarification
◎Difficulty with problem resolution
Cause career indecision

8. Limitations Of Existing Techniques
◎Student-to-counselor ratio: 3961
◎Less student engagement
◎Inadequate exposure to careers
◎Digital solutions consume time
1: Info for state of WI from National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education (2006-2007)

9. What?
Aspects of proposed solution
2

10. Popularity of video games
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Overall Boys Girls Age (13-14) Age (15-17)
72%
84%
59%
74%
70%
Source: Pew Research Center’s Teens Relationships Survey, Sept. 25-Oct. 9, 2014 and Feb. 10 – Mar 16, 2015

11. Stats on social networking
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Instagram Snapchat Pinterest
44%
31%
11%
61%
51%
33% Boys
Girls
Source: Pew Research Center’s Teens Relationships Survey, Sept. 25-Oct. 9, 2014 and Feb. 10 – Mar 16, 2015 (Age: 13-17)

12. 28% (5.8 million)High school students took at least one online
education course in Fall 2014
1
71.4%Academic leaders rate learning outcomes in online
education as the same or superior to those in
face‐to‐face instruction
1
1: 2015 Survey of Online Learning conducted by the Babson Survey Research Group

13. Gamification
Concept of applying game mechanics and
game design techniques to engage and
motivate people to achieve their goals

14. Collaboration
Interactions with brief digital messages
delivered through social networking tools

15. Improve Engagement

16. Improve Retention
Students recall…
just 10% of what they read
20% of what they hear
30% with accompanying visuals
50% if observing doing while explaining it
90% if they do it, even if only as a simulation
Source: Report from the 2006 Summit on Educational Games by the Federation of American Scientists

17. Address Resource Constraint

18. Give the Experience

20. How?
Details behind proposals
3

21. engage
experiencereflect

22. Increase awareness
◎Popular games are mechanical
◎Don’t distract
◎Deliver messages
> Stats on choice to success
> Tips on career exploration
> Links to get more
1

23. Example:Stack
◎Very popular in high school
◎One mode, one level
◎Show messages at start/end

24. Follow Your Dream
Pick a Career U Love
Early Career Plans
Improve College &
Career Success
6 Tips for Career
Exploration

25. Combine observation
◎In-person observation
◎Electronic workflow
◎Electronic data capture
2

26. Example: Scavenger hunt
◎Observe professions
◎Capture responsibilities
◎Record feelings on a BOTG
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00
Feeling
Time of day
Behavior Over Time Graph (BOTG)

27. Psychological Immersion1
◎ Immersion into a game
heightens influence from
(health) messages
implanted within them
◎ Influence is greatest
among those who would be
prone to counter-argue
(health) messages
1: “Using Video Games to Communicate Health Messages: The Role of Psychological Immersion”, Christopher Burrows, U of Connecticut

28. Deliver details
◎Pick a popular game
◎Positive role models as personas
◎Provide career themed tracks
◎Display messages at level start
◎Display benefits at level end
3

29. Example: Color Switch
◎75M downloads in 3 months
◎Has 12 different modes
◎Uses rewarded video & ads
◎One mode per career choice
◎Game levels -> careel levels
◎Inter-level progression messages
◎Short videos for more detail

30. (Finance)
(Health Science)
(Info Technology)
(Human Services)

32. Enable digital collaboration
◎Digitally connect to real people
◎Get real exposure
◎Share with others
4

33. Instagram as a source
◎Identify popular career role models
◎Offer social branding on Instagram
◎Demo profession through videos
◎Highlight lifestyle with pictures
◎Benefit from sharing

35. Simulate experience
◎Simulate with cool gadgets
◎Make it fun
◎Capture preference
5

36. Virtual reality games
◎Fun + Simulation
>> Surgeon Simulator
>> JobSimulator: the 2050 archives
◎Keep the fun
◎Include key career aspects
◎Add like/dislike voting
◎Report out

37. “ A game is an opportunity to focus our
energy, with relentless optimism, at something
we’re good at (or getting better at) and enjoy.
In other words, gameplay is the direct
emotional opposite of depression ”
― Jane McGonigal

38. “ The world needs more love and Twitter just
figured out a way to send ‘hearts all over the
world’ ”
― Germany Kent

39. Any questions?

40. Thank you!
You can contact me at @subbur@espeera.com