Career Planning with Careerforward: Exploring Student Perceptions and Experiences in an Online Career Preparation Course

In April 2006, the Michigan State Board of Education and Michigan Legislatures adopted a rigorous package of high school graduation requirements, one of which made Michigan the first state that incorporated an online learning graduation requirement into the K‐12 curriculum. All Michigan\u27s students entering high school during 2008‐2009 school year were required to complete online learning during their course of high school studies in order to graduate. Michigan Virtual School helped the schools in Michigan to fulfill this requirement by developing a 20‐hour online learning course called “Career Forward”. In December 2008, the Michigan Virtual University provided the National Repository of Online Courses access to the CareerForward course content, allowing students from anywhere in the United States, the ability to access CareerForward free of charge. This evaluation study was conducted to provide Michigan Virtual School with information to improve the design and delivery of the Career Forward course, in order to improve the learning experiences of the future student and to improve the overall efficiency of the course. Analysis of data from this research indicated that, CareerForward in its current format had very little impact on student attitude towards career planning. Recommendations for changes in design and delivery options of the course for future offerings are suggested in order to make the course more effective and to meet its objectives