Conducting simulated job interviews online
Deakin University is committed to ensuring that its graduates are ready to apply for professional roles and have realistic career plans. Other features of Deakin University are innovation and flexible learning. The case study below shows how students were prepared for job interviews using current technology and pooled resources from the Faculty of Science and Technology and the Careers and Employment team.
The School of Information Technology (SIT) and Careers staff from the Division of Student Life have piloted a collaborative program to provide students an opportunity to develop their interview skills online. Students experienced the realism of telephone interviews, a common stage used in the recruitment process, through the Elluminate Live (eLive) environment- a synchronous communications tool which allows facilitators to conduct real-time interviews and use other features such as text messaging and polling.
The unit SIT 301, IT Practice, aims to prepare students to become IT professionals and is offered wholly online. Students apply for a position in a virtual organisation, United Enterprises, which is used in SIT 301 to simulate the workplace. During Trimester 2 about 80 students undertook this unit and were advised to self enrol in an interview session. Interview sessions for students were offered over three days at various times from 8am to 7pm to provide maximum accessibility for students. Each session was moderated by Careers staff and SIT faculty members. Careers staff were trained in the use of eLive in a customised session facilitated by Deakin’s Institute of Teaching and Learning.
Students were given a position description which included selection criteria that focused on key generic skills such as communication, teamwork and problem solving. Group sizes were limited to nine students for one hour sessions to ensure active participation. Each student was asked to complete pre reading which included a list of interview questions. During the session each student was asked and given feedback on a practice question before being allocated an assessed question. Attendance rates were high and students valued immediate individual feedback and benefited from the reciprocity of their peers’ responses. In addition it was possible to direct students who required more intensive assistance to specific career resources and workshops offered on campus.
Students responded positively to the interview scenario as it provided an authentic experience. Dr Jo Coldwell, unit chair of SIT 301 strongly supported Careers staff with both the logistical operations of the program as well as providing the opportunity to seamlessly integrate career development skills into a contextualised curriculum.
Next year the aim is to provide ELive interview sessions to all students enrolled in SIT 301, which equates to nearly 250 students. It is also planned to broaden the ELive sessions to cover other job readiness activities in those units which have careers embedded within their curricula.
For further information on this innovative approach, contact maria.sponza@deakin.edu.au or sabrina.chakman@deakin.edu.au.
