Retaining disciplinary talents as informal learning outcomes in the digital age: An exploratory framework to engage undergraduate students with career decision-making processes

Considering the national need for developing a variety of professional talents through higher education, this chapter proposes an exploratory conceptual framework, to allow educators and parents to harness informal learning opportunities afforded by virtually endless resources on the Internet, in order to engage undergraduate students with necessary career decision-making processes early on in their college experience. The thesis of this chapter asserts that we must consider students' career decision-making processes as a relevant higher education learning outcome. The proposed Digital Informal Learning Resources for Career Decision-Making (DILR-CDM) framework is grounded in the Social Cognitive Career Theory and the Self-Determination Theory to identify attributes of informal learning resources manifested by digital game-based environments and social media environments. These attributes, in turn, afford informal learning opportunities to scaffold and facilitate career decision-making processes among undergraduate students.