What is Career Education?

Career Education is the umbrella term for educational experiences that allow a student to explore, experience, and articulate the connections between what they are learning and the application to the workplace. Career education can take place inside or outside of the classroom. Some career education activities may be examples of experiential learning. In addition, they may be examples of high-impact learning experiences.

Examples of Career Education may include, but are not limited to:

• Career reflection,

• Any type of assignment that is intended to help a student explore careers or prepare a student for the job search (PathwayU, a resume assignment, a mock interview),

• An assignment (or an addendum to an assignment) that specifically calls out career readiness competencies (i.e.- critical thinking, communication, teamwork, global literacy, etc.),

• Guest speakers related to a career, industry, or company,

• Employer connections and networking, and

• Experiential learning activities.

Career Readiness

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) states that career readiness is a “foundation from which to demonstrate requisite core competencies that broadly prepare the college-educated for success in the workplace and lifelong career management.” (NACE, What is Career Readiness?) NACE has identified eight competencies associated with career readiness. Supporting student achievement of those competencies is an important part of Boise State’s Strategic Enrollment and Retention Plan (SERP) and, likewise, the university’s Blueprint for Success University Strategic Plan. Boise State’s University Learning Outcomes are connected to the NACE competencies as seen in the image below. The university recognizes the value of connecting the work accomplished in the classroom to those competencies employers are seeking from graduates.

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Source: Boise State Career Services

Experiential Career Education

Experiential learning is an engaged learning process where students learn by doing and by reflecting on their experiences. David Allen Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory established that learning involves a 4-stage cycle. This Experiential Learning Cycle includes Concrete Experience, Reflective Observation, Abstract Conceptualization, and Active Experimentation. (Kurt, 2020)

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Image from Dr. Serhat Kurt, 2020, https://educationaltechnology.net/kolbs-experiential-learning-theory-learning-styles/

Some experiential learning examples related to career education may include:

• Internships/Work U/Practicums

• Undergraduate research

• Service Learning

• Vertically Integrated Projects (VIPs)

• Clinicals, Preceptorships, Field Work, Student Teaching

• Large-scale class projects, common experiences

• Intensive writing

• On-campus student employment

• Student involvement activities including clubs and organizations, alternative spring breaks, volunteering

How is Career Education a High Impact Practice?

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) identified eleven practices as high-impact practices. High-impact practices are effective because they require students to “devote considerable time and effort to purposeful tasks,” (Kuh, 2008) and they help students see that what they learn in the classroom works in different settings. Many of these practices have been around for a long time and have been proven to significantly benefit student engagement and academic success; we see many examples at Boise State, particularly in activities that are experiential and address career education. Of the 11 high-impact practices identified by AAC&U, some are directly represented in the examples identified above such as Internships, Service Learning & Community-Based Learning, Undergraduate Research, Writing-Intensive Courses, and others. In their research, Kuh and O’Donnell (2013) have identified 8 conditions that help to determine whether an experience might be “high impact.” Those conditions are:

• Performance expectations set at appropriately high levels,

• Significant investment of time and effort by students over an extended period of time,

• Interactions with faculty and peers about substantive matters,

• Experiences with diversity,

• Frequent, timely, and constructive feedback,

• Periodic, structured opportunities to reflect and integrate learning,

• Opportunities to discover the relevance of learning through real-world applications, and

• Public demonstration of competence.

Related Information

• Boise State Career Services

• AAC&U High Impact Practices

• Experiential Learning from Boston University Center for Teaching & Learning

• Eight Principles of Good Practice for All Experiential Learning Activities from the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE)

References

• Kuh, G.D. (2008) High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter. Association of American Colleges and Universities.

• Kuh, G. D. (2008). Why integration and engagement are essential to effective educational practice in the twenty-first century. Peer Review, 10(4), 27-28.

• Kuh, G.D. & O’Donnell, K. (2013). Ensuring quality & taking high-impact practices to scale. Association of American Colleges and Universities. 

• Kurt, S. (2020, December 28). Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory & Learning Styles. Educational Technology. https://educationaltechnology.net/kolbs-experiential-learning-theory-learning-styles/