http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/427722212

Exploratory study of information-processing procedures and computer-based technology in vocational counseling

As a preliminary to designing a man-machine counseling system, the guidance practices in 13 schools distributed through seven states were surveyed to study the variations in counseling practices. Analysis of an actual and ideal sort of a q-sort deck of 48 cards, each containing a description of a discrete counseling activity, indicated no marked differences among counselors from different schools. However, as a group they would prefer to reduce greatly the amount of time spent in routine processing tasks. After the survey, an experimental field site, a large school complex in the los angeles school district, was selected as the focus of the system development and experimentation. A detailed system analysis of all the school's counseling procedures was made, and workshops on information processing technology for the counselor were conducted. Two design teams, one of researchers and high school counselors and one of researchers and junior high school counselors, were formed to specify model I of the man-machine system. Model I will be programed to serve as (1) an information retrieval system for student information, (2) a teaching and monitoring system which will automatically alert the counselor when critical situations occur, (3) an automated report generator, (4) a predictor, (5) an automatic reminder, (6) a collector of followup data, and (7) a disseminator of programed interviews. Phase two of the project will include developing the software system, installing equipment in the schools, training counselors, developing systems procedures, collecting post-system-change evaluation data, and reporting. An extensive appendix contains data collection instruments and specific project information and calendars. (Hc).

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