Click photo to enlarge
University of Otago marketing and communications director
Virginia Nicholls tries out a new software program designed
to help prospective students decide their courses. Photo by
Linda Robertson.
Prospective and current University of Otago students have
a new tool to help them select their courses from a potentially
bewildering array of choices.
The university yesterday launched Otago Choice - an
Internet-based software program designed to help people match
their personal preferences with papers on offer.
The software, believed to be the first of its kind in the
world, is the result of a two-year collaboration between the
university and two Dunedin-based software companies,
1000Minds and The Street.
It uses a decision-making algorithm invented by Associate
Prof Paul Hansen, from the university's department of
economics, and Franz Ombler, of 1000Minds, whose original
research was to find a method of prioritising patients for
surgery.
The algorithm is patented and has won several national and
international innovation awards.
The program asks users to identify what skills and interests
matter most to them when thinking about what to study, then
to answer a series of questions involving trade-offs between
these things in order to determine their relative importance.
The end result is a detailed picture of Otago's 105 major
subjects in tiered pyramid form, with the subjects deemed
most relevant to the user at the top.
Choosing subjects to major in could be a confusing experience
for many students, parents and careers advisers, Prof Hansen,
who is overseas, said in a statement.
A survey of Otago graduates in 2005 revealed that 41% wished
they had chosen different subjects or degrees.
University marketing and communications director Virginia
Nicholls said Otago Choice was an exciting new development.
"Choosing courses can be overwhelming for people, especially
school leavers who may not have a clear vision of where they
see themselves in the future.
"This is a fun, easy and fast tool to help them work through
the options."
Otago was the only New Zealand university able to use the
program, although there was potential for it to be sold to
overseas institutions, she said.
The program can be found at
www.otago.ac.nz/otagochoice
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