Introducing this Spark
This AI Spark allows asynchronous students the opportunity to engage in a structured simulation that gives them specific opportunities to learn to gain information, build relationships, and support the student reaching their goal despite barriers and/or resistance.
Learning Outcome
Activity Learning Outcomes:
- Conceptualize important developmental factors influencing career development in different stages of adolescence.
- Apply career theory and its application to various career development needs.
- Evaluate how to support students while ensuring they are pursuing realistic and achievable goals and have the resources they need to be successful.
Course Learning Objectives the Spark Supports:
- Course LO 1: Analyze the school counselor's role in promoting a K-12 postsecondary-going environment.
- Course LO 3: Develop resources to assist students and parents with the college research process.
- Course LO 7: Formulate resources related to scholarship, financial aid, and financing process for college.
Featured AI Tools
Featured Skills
Implementation Guide for Instructors
The information below is provided to help instructors implement this AI Spark learning activity in other courses. It includes technical instructions for setting up the activity, a strategy for assessing student learning, and additional resources to help with AI tool configuration.
This experience is designed to help counseling students practice skills, apply theory, and conceptualize developmental needs. The AI will provide an interactive element that serves multiple benefits including (1) availability for asynchronous students, (2) a simulation that doesn't require a peer to be a strong actor, and (3) a specific process needed for the persona to go from more closed off to more open.
Gem Configuration: The Gem needs clear instructions to act from a specific lens (e.g., middle school student) as well as benefit from theory to provide parameters but will need to be informed not to share this information. Additionally, consider hard stops for the AI as well as for the person interacting with the persona to avoid it getting too far off track.
Access & Artifacts: Have clear directions on how students access the Gem utilizing their FSU account as well as how they will produce the artifacts for evaluation. (For instance, preferring that a copy of a log be an AI-generated PDF, rather than a document copied by the student; however, if the AI does not support this command natively, provide direction for students to generate/copy and submit it).
Canvas Setup: Post the shared Gem links on Canvas, provide clear instructions on initiating and ending the simulation, and create a submission point for the session dialogue log and written reflection.
Gem evaluation of student performance. Reflection on experience and log if necessary for clarity.
Shared Gem Links:
- Career and College Readiness - Middle School Student Gem 1
- Career and College Readiness - Rising Senior Gem 2
System Prompts for Gems:
Knowledge Source Materials: None linked (Multiple personas could be developed depending on desired needs or outcomes).
Key Behavioral Constraints: Act as a student of a certain age. Be closed off until the relationship is developed. If practicing out of competence, note it appropriately. If responses are poor and cause persona to remain closed off, provide feedback and offer to restart.
Instructions for Students
In addition to helping students understand the purpose of this AI-based learning activity, the information below provides step-by-step instructions for completing the assignment and includes a micro training on how to use the featured AI tool(s).
A Gemini Gem is an AI agent that is given specific directions on how to interact, as well as a specific knowledge base it can pull from. The Gem will provide an interactive experience and give a brief summary of how it felt like you did on various elements. Functioning as a persona for interaction, the Gem will provide nonverbal written cues as well as dialogue to portray the persona's response to your statements and questions.
- Follow the link to the assigned simulation (sign in using your FSU email): Career and College Readiness – Middle School Student.
- To begin the simulation, type "begin session".
- Engage in the counseling dialogue with the student persona. Pay close attention to the persona's nonverbal cues and conversational tone. The student persona starts closed off; you must use counseling and relationship-building techniques to help them open up and engage with their goals.
- When you are satisfied with where you ended with the session, type "end session".
- After you type “end session”, you will be given feedback. You will then type "Generate pdf log" (or copy and save your full transcript and evaluation).
- After completing the simulation, reflect on your experience in around 100-200 words.
- Upload your log and reflection to the assignment in Canvas.
What to Submit:
Log: Your dialogue with the AI persona, including the evaluation of your performance.
Reflection: 100-200-word reflection on your experience.
What is a Gem? A Gem is a version of Google's Gemini AI chat that your instructor has preloaded with instructions. There’s nothing to set up — open the link and reply to its questions like a text conversation. Read more about Google Gems.
- Sign in. Open the Gem link and sign in with your Google account. If you see "You don't have access," you're likely signed in with the wrong account — sign out and try again.
- Send a message. Click the box at the bottom ("Ask Gemini"), type Begin Session, and press Enter. Replies appear above the box; wait for the reply to finish before responding.
- Reply in the same chat. The Gem remembers the whole conversation. Don't click "New chat", which will start the session over.
- Lost the page? Go to gemini.google.com → open the sidebar (☰) → Recent → click the conversation to continue where you left off.
- Copy the output. Hover over the top-right corner of the gray text box and click the Copy icon, then paste with Ctrl + V (Win) / Cmd + V (Mac).
- Good to know. Type text, rather than use voice (Gems don't work with Gemini Live). Don't enter passwords or sensitive personal information. Keep in mind that the Gem may ask you to expand a short answer.
- Access via FSU. To ensure protected data is not used to train AI’s large language models, always access the tool using your FSU institutional account.