Everything You Need To Get You Started on OpenLearn
12. Choosing The Right Course
12.1. Supporting Course Choice Decisions
In this section we will explore some easy ways to support your learners make course decisions
1. Ensure you understand context and needs of your learner(s)
Through building rapport, active
listening and asking curious and purposeful questions, you will develop an
understanding of the needs, barriers, support requirements and options you to
enable your learners to be more in control of their choices.
Graham B & Ali L 1996Adapted from Counselling Approach to Career Guidance (1996) a pyramid showing key skills for effective choice focussed discussions -
(1) Building Rapport
(2) Active Listening
(3) Questions and Exploration
(4) Understanding and decision making
Building Rapport - establishes trust
which is important for any sort of helping or facilitation role - verbal
nods, recognising concerns, mirroring language appropriately and
reinforcing positives may all form part of rapport building
Active
Listening -
by clarifying, summarising, asking clarifying questions and listening not
only to what is said, but how it is said and what is left unsaid
will support you to build as full a picture of your learners needs as
possible
Questions &
Exploration - with appropriate understanding you can use your knowledge of the
learner and the resources to ask questions and explore appropriate options
- an example questionnaire can be found in section 7.2
Understanding & Decision
Making -
ideally through effective conversation each individual learner will
understand what they could do and feel empowered to make a plan - decide
the next step along with you
2. Understand the Options
Once you have been able to establish needs and start to ask questions, possibly
using the suggested questionnaire in section 8.2, to effectively
facilitate an exploration of appropriate options whether with individuals or in
a group, it is really helpful to have a good working understanding of the
course options -
Use the search function on
OpenLearn / Openlearn Create to look at courses together by subject,
length, whether there is a digital badge etc
It's ok to share your
knowledge or experience of courses - as long as this leads to questions
for the learner to get them to consider whether course is right for them
It is also ok to make
suggestions - though empowering the individual to undertake their own
research and evaluate courses within their own context is the ideal. A
balance is needed as confidence may be low initially so you may start with
a slightly more directive approach to begin with and over time your
learner needs less input from you to make choices.
3. Make information as simple as possible
Use plain English - you
might need to 'translate' complex information into language that works for
your learner
Be impartial where you can-
watch out for giving your opinion too much
Avoid overload - monitor the
individuals' reaction as you deliver information as much as possible - be
succinct :)