Career challenge card sort

Anyone who wants to try a digital card sort might enjoy the SparkPath offering at McMaster University: via a set of digital challenge cards. I encountered this when attending the CANNEXUS conference earlier this year (2023), in a presentation from the authors of a new book, Mapping the Future of Undergraduate Career Education (Buford et al., 2022). One of the chapter authors detailed the use of the digital challenge cards, which was very interesting (Chapter 12; Stebleton & Franklin, 2022).

After watching the presentation I was quite keen to check out the cards, and found the digital resource online here (McMaster University, 2023). Students can go online, sign up so they get their results, then work through the cards. Their results will provide some ideas for discussion. The 'challenge' element of the cards comes in when users select their favourite cards in the card sort using emojis, as all the cards are focused on solving a problem, not on doing a job. This is really a form of interest inventory. 

The idea is that we go through the SparkPath card sort and select not interested, interested, or very interested for each card. Then we chose our first, second and third most loved cards at the end. We can download a personal report based on our choices. We can also download a workbook to continue our exploration.

However, having tried this myself, I found some negatives in the widespread use of this digital card sort: 

1. Age. Even though the card design is bright and cheerful, the language targets secondary school students; potentially younger secondary school students. I would not recommend this as a tool for adults as I think adults may get impatient and feel condescended to. 
2. Code. A paid access code is needed to even access the card sort. I used "macssccareers" to sign up, so you could try that. 
3. Personalisation. The resulting reports are extremely simplistic and the personalised report is not really personalised at all. It is a standard report containing three pages detailing our three main choices. For an adult there is simply not enough depth. The workbook might be helpful, but this contains absolutely no personalisation whatsoever.
4. Simplicity. I am not convinced that there is enough underlying complexity in the number and range of challenge cards, the resulting information, or the reporting to make paying for access to this card sort worthwhile.
5. Cultural alignment. Some of the cards I chose didn't fit my expectations due to language differences. Terms we use in New Zealand are not the same as those used in North America. Further, this was a very Western-centric card sort, being quite individualistic. There was little which focused on the collective, or the relational. 

Overall, while this is a great idea - for a monthly subscription model - I am unconvinced that there is enough value to warrant purchasing this card sort. If I was working with large numbers of 11-13 year olds I might. But otherwise, no.

I am glad I explored it though. 

Sam

References:

Buford, M. V., Sharp, M. J., & Stebleton, M. J. (Eds.). (2022). Mapping the Future of Undergraduate Career Education: Equitable Career Learning, Development, and Preparation in the New World of Work. Taylor & Francis.

CANNEXUS. (2023). Stebleton, M. J., Franklin, M., Michel, J. P., Mapping the Future of Career: A New Textbook [video]. CANNEXUS23 Conference 23-25 January 2023. https://cannexus23.gtr.pathable.com/meetings/virtual/jfn4JNM26uHoB8Xra

McMaster University. (2023). The Digital Challenge Cards. https://studentsuccess.mcmaster.ca/digital-challenge-cards/

Stebleton, M. J. & Franklin, M. (2022). Chapter 12: Applying Narrative Approaches to Support Undergraduate Career Decision-Making. In M. V. Buford, M. J. Sharp, M. J. Stebleton (Eds.), Mapping the Future of Undergraduate Career Education: Equitable Career Learning, Development, and Preparation in the New World of Work (pp. 183-199). Taylor & Francis.