Training Counselors to use computer-assisted career guidance systems more effectively: a model curriculum

Career Development Quarterly, June, 2005 by Becky L. Bobek, Steven B. Robbins, Paul A. Gore, Jr., JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey, Richard T. Lapan, Carol A. Dahir, David A. Jepsen

A model graduate training curriculum that emphasizes the counselor's role in assisting clients in the effective use of computer-assisted career guidance (CACG) systems is described. This 4-module graduate training program emphasizes client readiness and exploration using CACG systems, skill building and simulation exercises, and service learning with career clients. The study is evaluated from the perspectives of counselor educators, counselor trainees, and career clients. Findings from 4 institutions support the efficacy of a model curriculum for graduate training and the beneficial outcomes of using CACG systems under appropriate conditions.

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There is mounting evidence suggesting increased use of computers for career exploration and planning (Behrens & Altman, 1998; Boyce & Rainie, 2002; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2003). For example, the percentage of high school students using computerized career information sources increased from 27% in 1984 to over 57% in 2002 (NCES, 2003). Furthermore, recent estimates suggest that I out of every 5 Americans has searched online for occupational information and that more than 4 million users do so daily (Boyce & Rainie, 2002). Not surprisingly, a large number of Internet-delivered computer-assisted career guidance (CACG) systems have been developed in the last decade. The increased use and proliferation of CACG systems have led some authors to call for the development of formal, graduate-level training on the selection and implementation of them (Harris-Bowlsbey, 1983; Sampson, 1994). This call is consistent with the development of guidelines and standards that address both the quality of CACG programs and the effective and proper use of these programs by career counselors (American School Counselor Association, 1998; National Board for Certified Counselors and the Center for Credentialing and Education, 2001; National Career Development Association, 1997). Career counselors today need to understand the capabilities, benefits, and shortcomings of CACG systems as well as how to effectively use these systems with their clients. The purpose of this article is to describe a model graduate training curriculum designed to promote "best practices" with CACG systems and to present results from a pilot test of this curriculum.

In developing the model curriculum, we considered literature supporting the efficacy of CACG systems, recommendations for training counselors on the use of these systems, and recently identified critical ingredients that promote the efficacy of career choice interventions. Studies of the effectiveness of CACG systems have generally shown them to be effective in promoting career development and exploration (Fukuyama, Probert, Neimeyer, Nevill, & Metzler, 1988; Luzzo & Pierce, 1996; Peterson, Ryan-Jones, Sampson, Reardon, & Shahnasarian, 1994). Results from a recent meta-analysis (Whiston, Brecheisen, & Stephens, 2003), however, suggest that the effectiveness of computer-guided interventions were improved substantially if client-counselor contact took place during the time that the client was using the computer. Taber and Luzzo (1999) also suggested supplementing the use of CACG systems with individual career counseling. These findings led us to develop a model curriculum that calls for the integration of individual counseling and computer-assisted guidance.

Specific recommendations on how to train counselors to become proficient in the effective use of CACG systems were also incorporated into our model curriculum. For example, Johnson and Sampson (1985) suggested that counselors have hands-on experiences with CACG systems and receive training in how to integrate the use of CACG systems into an ongoing counseling relationship. These authors suggested the use of both didactic and experiential training strategies. McCarthy, Moller, and Beard (2003) further emphasized the importance of providing students with training in the practical and ethical problems that can arise from the use of the Internet in counseling. Our curriculum includes didactic training, practical experience, and an opportunity for graduate students to process their experiences with fellow counselor trainees and counselor educators.

Brown and his colleagues (Brown & Ryan Krane, 2000; Brown et al., 2003) recently identified five critical components integral to the effectiveness of career choice interventions: written exercises, individualized interpretations and feedback from counselors, information on the world of work, modeling, and support building. Brown and colleagues' research strongly suggests that beneficial career counseling outcomes are a function of the extent to which these ingredients are included. Our model curriculum is designed to emphasize the importance of combining individualized assessment feedback and interpretation with computerized exploration of occupational information. Emphasis was also placed on the use of written materials to help clients compare occupations as well as articulate career plans and action steps. In addition, the curriculum promotes ongoing consideration of support networks that may influence clients' career choices. By training counselors to integrate the critical ingredients into their use of CACG systems with career clients, we enhance the efficacy of these systems as career intervention tools.