Association for Public Policy Analysis & Management

Several attempts have been made to practically realise and theoretically describe the benefits of student advising, online education, and self-directed learning in higher-level education. Past research has indicated that academic advising increases student satisfaction, online education has the potential to improve learning outcomes, and the ability to self-direct learning is affected by multiple internal and external factors. However, there is a lack of research on the interaction between these fields. Sizeable student loans often put pressure on students to complete their educational track and find suitable employment faster. As a result, students want to choose electives and tracks that match their abilities and interests, but which also are feasible in the nominal time frame and leads to good employment opportunities after graduation.

This exploratory research examines how online education, in conjunction with traditional academic advising, can help advise students on how to self-direct their own education and support the transition to the labour market. It reviews the design and outcome of an open education project that is aimed at informing students about their educational choices, as well as the potential labour market routes available within each of the choice options. Using the case study of a Master in Public Policy at a Dutch public university, this research explored student use of and decision-making process when provided with these online educational materials. Student survey results were collected both before they reviewed the online material and then after they had reviewed the material and selected their specialization track. These findings were supplemented with learning analytics.

We find that students used the material for verification purposes and became more critical in making their track selection. These results suggest online material can help advise students in directing their education and help graduate programs become more adaptive. Particularly, this research also provides insights into how formal higher education institutions can best advise students in directing their own education. Further research within this field could encourage better academic and employment outcomes for graduate students.