Helping Skills & Advising: Guide Students with Confidence

Name: Helping Skills & Advising: Guide Students with Confidence
Rating: 4.7 (7 reviews)

Master the skills to guide, support, and motivate students toward academic and career success

Created byDina Torkhani

Last updated 11/2025

English

English [Auto],

What you'll learn

Understand the foundations and key theories of academic advising.
Explain the role and responsibilities of an academic advisor.
Build strong and supportive relationships with students.
Apply effective communication and listening skills in advising sessions.
Use practical advising models (e.g., developmental, appreciative, proactive) with confidence.
Guide students in defining, planning, and achieving academic and career goals.
Practice advising scenarios through real-life examples and role-play activities.

Course content

5 sections • 23 lectures • 1h 22m total length

Introduction0:59
Define, plan, and achieve academic goals through a collaborative advising partnership with regular meetings. Learn how academic advising works, why it matters, and how it supports students' educational careers.
Key Elements of Effective Academic Advising1:24
Develop effective academic advising by integrating knowledge and expertise with pedagogy. Ensure learning outcomes help students set goals, understand their academic path, and gain decision making and self-advocacy skills.
History of Advising3:30
Explore the evolution of academic advising from colonial colleges to modern, proactive support. Learn how developmental advising, data analytics, and holistic student development shape personal, academic, and career goals.
Responsibilities+ Role of an Academic Advisor2:40
Understand the responsibilities of an academic advisor, including updated curriculum knowledge, degree requirements, policies, accurate records, and timely information, while guiding course selection and connecting you to resources for success.
Student Responsibilities in Academic Advising1:34
Students take an active role in advising by scheduling regular appointments and preparing questions. They proactively plan their education, follow through on recommendations, and own their academic decisions.
Advising Models4:32
Compare three advising models: prescriptive, advisor-centered guidance for solutions; developmental, student-centered facilitation for growth, reflection, and decision making; and a holistic approach that integrates academics, personal growth, and career planning.
Choosing the Right Advising Approach0:58
Choose the right advising approach by flexibly adapting to each student's needs and goals, as no single method fits every situation, balancing direct guidance for immediate issues with long-term growth.
Building Advisor-Student Relationship4:40
Build trust through consistent support, active listening, and genuine interest to guide the whole student's growth, balancing warmth with professionalism and clear communication expectations.
Applying Advising Theories: Prescriptive, Developmental & Holistic Approaches9:01
Explore how prescriptive, developmental, and holistic advising models guide first-year course selection, time management, and major exploration, empowering students with clear strategies and supportive, whole-student planning.
Quiz 1

Erikson's Theory in Academic Advising + Stages3:50
Apply Erikson's psychosocial stages to academic advising, guiding interventions and support that address student growth, identity formation, and transitions in a trusting, student-centered relationship.
Chickering's Seven Vectors of Student Development4:15
Chickering's seven vectors of development guide academic advising toward holistic student growth by developing competence, managing emotions, autonomy toward interdependence, mature interpersonal relationships, establishing identity, developing purpose, and integrity.
Scenarios6:10
Explore identity exploration and career direction through Erikson's psychosocial stages, focusing on identity versus role confusion, and apply Chickering's seven vectors to strengthen students' competence with practical advising strategies.

Perry's Theory of Intellectual Development4:13
Explore Perry's theory of intellectual development and how advisors tailor guidance to students' cognitive stages—from dualism to relativism and commitment—using questioning, reflection, and problem solving.
Applying Perry's Theory in Advising2:23
Apply Perry's theory to academic advising by tailoring tasks and questions to students' stages—from multiplicity to relativism—stressing critical thinking, reflective assignments, and informed decision making.
Scenarios for Implementing Perry’s Theory in Advising4:45
Explore scenarios for applying Perry’s theory in advising, guiding students through stages from dualism to relativism by offering multiple options, evaluating strengths, and empowering decision making.

Defining Intrusive (Proactive) Advising+ Key Principles2:42
Drive student success with proactive advising by initiating early outreach, using data-driven methods to identify at-risk students, and delivering personalized interventions through ongoing communication and technology tools.
Benefits of Proactive Advising+ Challenges2:59
Proactive advising boosts retention and early issue resolution, increases student engagement and belonging, and supports timely degree completion through proactive, supportive outreach. It also presents resource, training, and autonomy challenges.
Strategies for Early Intervention1:24
Advisors implement early intervention through proactive monitoring, early alert systems, pre-enrollment assessments, mandatory first-year check-ins, and close collaboration with faculty to identify risks and provide timely support.
Case Study6:01
Master proactive advising through four steps: reach out early with a nonjudgmental message, conduct discussions to uncover root causes, create a smart-goal action plan, and schedule follow-ups to monitor progress.

Overview of Appreciative Advising1:37
Discover appreciative advising, a positive, strength-based approach grounded in positive psychology and organizational development theories that focuses on talents and potential, guiding students to leverage teamwork and internships.
The Six Phases of Appreciative Advising3:50
Explore the six phases of appreciative advising—from disarm to don't settle—to build strengths-based relationships, uncover talents, and set meaningful goals for student success.
The Six Phases of Appreciative Advising Continued3:54
Advance appreciative advising by guiding design to delivery, then through ongoing check-ins and continuous growth, co-creating actionable plans, timelines, resource access, and progress checks toward excellence.
Role-Playing Exercise: Appreciative Advising in Action5:11
practice appreciative advising through a role-playing exercise that applies the six phases, welcoming a new student, using open-ended questions, active listening, and empathy to design an initial collaborative plan.

Requirements

No prior experience in academic advising is required
A genuine interest in student support and guidance.
Basic English comprehension skills (the course is delivered in English).
An open mind and willingness to learn through examples and scenarios
Access to a notebook or digital device for taking notes and completing practice activities.

Description

This course contains the use of artificial intelligence.

Are you ready to guide students with confidence and clarity?
This course will give you the essential tools, skills, and strategies to become an effective academic advisor. Whether you’re a teacher, educator, counselor, or university staff member, you’ll learn how to support students in planning their academic journey and achieving long-term success.

Through a mix of theory, practical strategies, and real-life scenarios, this course breaks down the advising process step by step. You’ll gain confidence in building professional relationships, applying effective advising models, and helping students overcome challenges.

In this course, you will learn how to:

Understand the foundations and key theories of academic advising.
Apply practical models such as developmental, appreciative, and proactive advising.
Communicate effectively and build trust with students.
Guide students in defining academic, career, and personal goals.
Use real-life advising scenarios to practice problem-solving and decision-making.
Develop strategies to motivate, support, and empower students.

This course is designed to be beginner-friendly and highly practical. No prior advising experience is required—just a willingness to learn and a passion for student success.

By the end of this course, you’ll have the confidence and skills to advise students effectively, support their growth, and make a real impact on their academic journey.

Who this course is for:

New or aspiring academic advisors who want to build strong foundations in advising.
Teachers, instructors, and educators who also guide students academically.
University staff and faculty interested in supporting student success.
Counselors or student support staff who wish to expand their advising skills.
Graduate students or professionals exploring a career in academic advising.
Anyone passionate about helping students define, plan, and achieve their academic and career goals.

Helping Skills & Advising: Guide Students with Confidence

What you'll learn

Explore related topics

Course content

Introduction9 lectures • 29min

Psychosocial Development Theories in Advising3 lectures • 14min

Cognitive Development Theories in Advising3 lectures • 11min

Proactive Advising4 lectures • 13min

Appreciative Advising4 lectures • 15min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: