By Kevin Gaw, Ph.D. 

This Issue’s Student Learning Outcome (SLO)   

Kevin Gaw

Students comprehend the world of work.

What to Measure and Why 

Perhaps the most challenging part of this SLO is defining the phrase “world of work.” For some practitioners, it is comprised of general and specific workplace variables, such as expectations, work schedules, corporate culture, benefits, salaries, promotional ladders, and the like. For others, the phrase may encompass a person’s career/work themes, something similar to ACT’s global work “tasks” (working with data, ideas, people, and things) or Holland’s RIASEC Code: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Still others might add more layers to include one’s values, personality style, and abilities—and the work environments in which one can express all these combined elements and the interaction of these with others in the workplace.  

Fortunately, career counseling typically addresses all of these dimensions of the world of work: workplace variables, workplace tasks and themes, and intrapersonal and interpersonal variables (though not always in a unified manner). These three dimensions are like a web and each dimension, and elements within each dimension, interact with each other. This interactive complexity is an additional, and extremely important, learning point for students. 

The second challenge of this learning outcome is the “actionable” element: comprehension. This is a mental “event” that is very challenging to observe and, therefore, to measure. To remedy this, simply state that students will demonstrate their comprehension of the world of work. The demonstration of the comprehension is what can be observed and measured. 

Without a doubt, helping students comprehend the world of work is critically important; this endeavor helps students express their career interests and develop accurate and realistic career expectations, and it helps with their academic plans, retention, degree attainment, and their successful entry into their world of work. 

Actions that prompt student learning: 

This is a career development SLO that requires students to engage in career counseling—reflection, dialogue, exploration, and testing assumptions are essential. This is not a “fast” single session SLO as it requires time to digest and integrate the information; it is developmental.  

To gain the most, students will need to complete formal career assessments, conduct informational interviews, conduct site visits, reflect on themselves and the world around them, and engage in experiential activities. Students will also need to engage their career counselors to make the connections and to diagram these connections to understand the complexity of each. It is through this dialogue and the mapping that students demonstrate their comprehension of the world of work as it relates to them. 

 Method of measurement: 

Have students record their observations using any system that allows for them to organize their information and reflect on its importance. (Note: If they are working on their career plan and values, as discussed in previous articles, they will have a head start.) The completed document demonstrates comprehension of the world of work, based on the student’s aspirations.  

If not complete, or if there are sticking points to completion, then the student has not demonstrated full comprehension and the gaps highlight areas for further exploration. The sample worksheet below is just one way (of many) to do this. Students are instructed to complete the worksheet as homework and then use the worksheet in session to reflect on what they have learned. It is essential each dimension is discussed in detail and the student has data with which to work, prior to assigning this as homework to maximize success.

So, how much is enough? 

For this career development SLO, comprehension requires demonstration. When a student can demonstrate full comprehension of the world of work, as it relates to career plans, he or she will be able to articulate a picture that includes all three dimensions. There is the assumption that this student is well on his or her way in career planning, and is most likely a third- or fourth-year undergraduate (or a graduate student).  

As such, this SLO applies to a subset of our typical client base. This SLO “brings it all together” in many aspects, and could therefore be a major component of the career counseling plan. On a client-by-client basis, then, 100 percent completion may be appropriate.                                                                                                                                        

Send in your SLO! If selected, it will be featured and discussed in a future “Measuring SLOs” column. Send your suggestions to kgaw@gsu.edu and kgray@naceweb.org.