A new system to track students\u2019 work-related experiences while they are at Brock University is now live.<\/p>\n
The Student Experience Record (SER) has replaced the Experience Plus transcript and will capture a wider range of student experiences, document student learning and contributions, and support professional growth and future career success.<\/p>\n
The SER, which lives within Brock\u2019s existing CareerZone<\/a> platform, validates student experiences, requires reflection on their learning and identifies competencies they\u2019ve developed. Qualifying experiences have been expanded significantly from the former Experience Plus transcript and now include both curricular and co-curricular experience, on-campus and off-campus volunteering and employment, and professional development activities that meet a defined set of criteria related to skill development and application.<\/p>\n For the first time, students who have a part-time job in the community, complete co-op work terms or support local businesses through service-learning projects, along with numerous other opportunities, can document those experiences and the skills they have acquired in one place.<\/p>\n Stephanie Harper, Brock\u2019s Associate Director of Career Education, said the SER is a dynamic platform that captures and aggregates a student\u2019s experiences, both inside and outside the classroom, and showcases their contributions to local and global communities.<\/p>\n \u201cAs students gain experience, it\u2019s important that they also understand what they learned, the skills they gained and how to articulate their competencies to the outside world,\u201d she said. \u201cThis lays a foundation for making more informed career decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Harper said students often don\u2019t recognize the skills they already possess.<\/p>\n \u201cDespite the fact that most students have worked a job, volunteered in the community or engaged in an experiential learning opportunity as part of a course, they don\u2019t recognize these experiences as supporting their career goals,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen we ask students to talk about something they have done, we are able to prompt them to consider the skills they used and the learning that occurred, including the extent to which the experience aligns with their strengths and interests. For example, a student\u2019s part-time job as a campus tour guide helps them develop communication skills and collaborate effectively with others, which can then be applied to other roles and experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n The SER is anchored in Brock\u2019s 10 core competencies<\/a> and prompts students to consider the competencies they\u2019ve developed through each of their experiences using a guided reflection process.<\/p>\n Students can also submit the number of hours they contributed to each of their experiences to support their reflections on competency development and overall learning.<\/p>\n \u201cThese hours roll up to a total number of accumulated years of experience, which is displayed on the record and can be shared with employers and other external audiences,\u201d Harper said.<\/p>\n