E-counselling modality: Following the changing learning needs of young people in higher education institutions of Malaysia

Abstract

Counselling helps to remove obstacles to learning and thus improve academic success and maximise human development. Traditional counselling approaches may not be able to effectively reach out to the technology-savvy generation because the way young people learn and how they go about seeking help has changed tremendously. This paper adopts a holistic approach to counselling which addresses the preventative, developmental and remedial dimensions to counselling, incorporating computer technology for the development of new counselling modalities to support Malaysian youths in this competitive globalised world. The importance, advantages and challenges of using e-counselling modalities will be reviewed. Mental health issues will be discussed against the backdrop of higher learning institutions in the Malaysian context. E-counselling approaches are effective as a resource in disseminating mental health information to raise public awareness, reaching out and offering guidance to young people. More research is needed to investigate its practicality with regard to the establishment of policies, collaboration among the stakeholders and facilitating factors from the various dimensions of counselling and the resources of the context.