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Counseling Software Evaluations:
Decide for Sure
reviewed by: M. Denise Menchaca (GWCC); Fred Wieck (PVCC)

evaluation summary
1. Overall, how would you rate this program?

| | Excellent       |X| Good       | | Fair       | | Poor

A Counselor would need to help students attend to content and not dismiss the message because the introduction is specific to needs of managers. The study practice, grand practice, and conclusion modules are sequenced appropriately and appear pedagogicallly sound.
2. Please describe specific strengths, weaknesses, and/or limitations of the program.
Strengths: Opportunity for self-evaluation; Opportunity for study and practice; Information on decision making steps and strategies for improvement; Visual presentation. Limitations: Appears biased toward "business situations" at the expense of a larger domain where the decision making takes place.
3. Would you recommend this program?

|X| Yes       | | No

4. If you indicated "yes" to Question 3 above, in what settings would you use this program?

|X|Courses: Any CPD class in which decision making is a component. Introductory business-management courses, supervision and leadership courses. CPD102AB and CPD104.
| | The Learning Lab:
|X| Client Counseling situations:

Quality of Program Components
Defintely
Yes		 Somewhat Defintely
No
5 4 3 2 1 N/A
1. The program directions are clear.
Satisfactory introduction.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
2. Students can easily use the software independently.
Satisfactory, but still may intimidate students with no computer experience.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
3. The purposes of the program are clearly communicated.
Introduction leads viewer to believe this program is only for managers yet content can be applied to situations outside a corporate setting.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
4. The program content is accurate.
Yes, accurate, but I believe that decision-making is not as complex as this program may suggest.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
5. The content is appropriately sequenced.
Satisfactory - purpose, self-rating, study, then practice and conclusion.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
6. The program content is up-to-date.
It appears to be.		 |X| | | | | | | | | | |
7. The information provided in the feedback is helpful.
Satisfactory - the visual graph showing results of self-rating module is good. It would be advantageous if the students could print their self-evaluation results.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
8. The tone and style of the program are appropriate for community college students.
Satisfactory.		 | | |X| | | | | | | | |
9. The program's visual presentation is appropriate for community college students.
ISatisfactory - engaging. 		|X| | | | | | | | | | |
10. The program represents the diversity of our student population. | | |X| | | | | | | | |
Ideas For Uses of the Software
Uses in the classroom:
How would you use this program or a particular part of this program in a classroom lesson? (List and explain the specific steps you would do so that another faculty member could clearly understand how to use this program in the classroom)

Career Exploration: Near the end of the semester when career research is concluded. Modules 2 and 3 are an outside assignment. Class - Apply decision making model to self-analysis and occupational information gathered earlier in the semester.

Use in a decision making strategy/styles lesson plan.

  1. Students complete introduction and self-rating module as a "pretest";
  2. Students complete appropriate study modules recommended from "pretest";
  3. Students complete appropriate practice and grand practice modules in conjuction with supplemental information/concepts acquired via other pedagogical activities;
  4. Students review conclusion module and perhaps retake self-rating as a post-test.
Uses in the Client Counseling:
How would you use this program in a client counseling situation? (List and explain the specific steps you would do so that another counselor could clearly understand how to use this program in a client setting)

I would use modules 3 and 4 to supplement a discussion with a counselor and to provide simulated drill opportunities prior to asking students to practice steps to decision making in a real situation that requires them to take personal risks.