Sources of Information
The student counsellor needs to know how to find accurate information from various sources concerning education institutions and destination countries.
Market Research
To be successful, education products and services (such as courses and schools) have to offer benefits that meet customers’ needs. The student counsellor needs to discover what these are. Market research, using techniques such as surveys and focus groups, will help him/her do this. Although the end user of the product/service might be the most important customer, the needs of other parties may have to be taken into account.
Researching a Market
The student counsellor should be aware of relevant destination countries, their education system, and institutions and the courses they offer. When a new market emerges or an existing market changes, he/she should undertake research to become familiar with it. This requires basic research skills and the ability to find relevant sources of information.
Research Skills
The student counsellor should be able to find a good deal of information on the internet using web browsers and search engines. Knowledge of filtering techniques is essential for defining search parameters to isolate sites containing relevant information. The student counsellor should also know how to use physical resources, such as libraries (and their catalogues and indexes).
Use of the internet and other technology is discussed in C1.1 Technology.
Research Questions
The student counsellor should look for both specific information about courses, institutions, visas, etc. and general information about the living environment in the destination country. Prospective students usually find answers to the following questions valuable:
- What are the characteristics of the language, society, people, and environment?
- What is the quality of the education system?
- What courses are available and how much do they cost?
- How are qualifications recognised?
- Is there a variety of student accommodations to suit different budgets and needs?
- What support services are available to international students?
- What quality assurance systems are there?
- What government regulations and safeguards protect international students?
- Does a student visa include permission to work?
Information Sources
Useful sources of information can generally be found in:
- The official websites of the destination country’s government on the internet
- The destination country’s diplomatic, cultural, or trade offices in the home country
- The observations of other student counsellors
- Surveys of current and former students
- Industry publications, magazines, documentaries, etc.
Refer to A1 Destination Countries for main destination countries and related information sources and websites.
Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:
- What information is needed to understand its education market?
- What research tools are available to the student counsellor?
- What information sources are likely to be useful?
Accuracy and Integrity
The student counsellor needs to gather research data and organise it into accurate and usable information. How data from various sources is collected, collated, and processed is critical to the integrity of the resulting information.
Collating and Processing Information
Data should be collected according to search parameters which will yield relevant facts, figures, and statistics. The student counsellor should check this data and select only that which is accurate, reliable, and up to date. It can then be collated, sorted, and filtered to provide useful information.
Accuracy and Currency
The student counsellor must choose sources of information which are trustworthy, and inspect the data for both accuracy and currency. This is important not only for a good reputation but to meet contractual obligations with education institutions. The student counsellor should monitor the destination country for changes which may affect the integrity of the data previously collected, and if needed, update the data as soon as possible.
Organising information is discussed C1.3 Work Practices.
Extension Questions: For each relevant destination country:
- How does the student counsellor process research information?
- How does he/she check the information for accuracy and currency?
- How does he/she keep information up to date when changes occur in the destination country?