Title: Lindsay Blair, Jane Duffy, Stefanie Landsman, Colleen Ruppert
1The Evolution of Technology and Student Affairs
- Lindsay Blair, Jane Duffy, Stefanie Landsman,
Colleen Ruppert - University of Connecticut
2- In order to foster student development,
information technology must encourage and foster
the development of social connections between and
among individuals and groups. Rather than replace
the college campuses, information technology must
be designed to strengthen and expand on the
college learning community. -Treue Belote,
1997, p. 22
3Program Overview
- Introduction
- Technology and its Impact on Student Affairs
- Marketing
- Customer Service
- Community Building
- Interactive Multimedia
- Assessment and Evaluation
- Closing Thoughts
4Computer Technology Timeline
- 1984 Apple introduces the Macintosh computer
- 1985 Microsoft Windows 1.0 is released
- 1987 Email link established between Germany and
China - 1990 Toshiba announces the SPARC LT, the first
SPARC laptop computer - 1990 First Microsoft Windows of PowerPoint
created - 1991 World Wide Web launched to the public
- 1992 Jean Armour Polly coins the term surfing
the Internet - 1994 Yahoo! created
- 1995 DVDs invented
- 1996 More email is sent than postal mail in the
US Google created - 1997 America Online Instant Messenger (AIM)
launched - 1998 Internet weblogs (blogs) begin to appear
- 1999 Napster created
- 2001 iPod introduced by Apple
- 2004 Facebook.com created
- 2007 Microsoft SharePoint Server created
5Introduction
- Todays Students
- The use of technology is a key characteristic of
the millennial generation, students born between
1980 and 2000 (Raines, 2002). - Today, traditionally-aged college students often
have technology seamlessly woven into their daily
lives and take it for granted. - The Numbers
- In a 2007 study conducted by the EDUCAUSE Center
for Applied Research (ECAR), 98 of the 27,846
college student respondents reported owning at
least two technological devices, most typically a
cell phone and computer (Caruso Salaway, 2007). - In respect to using these forms of technology,
students reported a mean of 18 hours per week and
median of 14 hours per week. - Approximately 6 spend more than 40 hours per
week engaging in some type of online activity
(Caruso Salaway, 2007). - Professional Considerations
- For student affairs professionals today, this
creates both challenges and opportunities for
engaging students and enhancing current programs
and services.
6Reaching Students
7Marketing
- Purpose
- According to the American Marketing Association
(AMA), marketing is the process of planning and
executing the conception, pricing, promotion, and
distribution of ideas, goods, and services to
create exchanges that satisfy individual and
organizational goals. - Marketing is the wide range of activities
involved in making sure that the organization
continues to meet the needs of customers and
benefits from the relationship with the customer. - Marketing is usually focused on one product or
service. Thus, a marketing plan for one product
might be very different than that for another
product. - Each student service is a product whose value is
determined by the marketplace, college students
who frequently question the purpose of these
services and other administrators who wonder how
to measure their effectiveness (Culp, 1987).
8Marketing
- Past
- In the past materials promoting student services
included brochures and flyers, reaching students
and parents through direct mailings and postings. - However, printing is expensive and wastes both
human and environmental resources. Posting
flyers is not an effective way to reach students,
and this static form of marketing may not be
accessible to the entire student population. - Present
- The interactivity of websites allow for
bi-directional communication between students and
student affairs professionals. Now, a larger
number of students can have access to the
information provided by a department website. - Customers know where to go and expect to find
information about services on designated sites. - College networked sites give access to multiple
services in one location. - Emails, list-serv information, online college
events calendars, and advertisements on
student-run television and radio stations are
effective marketing methods of increasing student
awareness about available programs and services.
9Using Web Sites for Marketing
- Today, the internet is the first place people
look to find information about a college. - Mission statements, services, locations, and
professionals can all be located on a college
website (Greenfield, 2007).
10Successful Student-First Websites
- Developing a successful website to promote
student services requires three distinctly
different skill sets (1) Excellent technology
(2) Superb graphics (3) Meaningful content. - Typically one individual would not possess all of
these. For example, an IT specialist, graphic
designer, marketing specialist, and Director of
Student Activities all contribute specific
knowledge. - Creating a cross-functional web-management
leadership team with a variety of skill sets
enables a college to incorporate various skills
and talents in order to provide students am
effective centralized location for receiving
information. - For example, creating a common user-friendly
website where each student can personalize the
information they wish to receive. In addition,
designing one format for all websites at the
college would create a streamlined visual
experience for users. - However, the challenge is to make it easy to do
business with the organization in any way they
want, at any time, through any channel, in any
language or currency and to make students feel
that they are dealing with a single unified
organization that recognizes them at any touch
point (Pirani and Salaway, 2005, p 9).
11From Static to?
Why do I have to print this form? Why cant I
fill it out on the website and email it to you?
Four stages of website development on a college
campus
- Stage One ? Websites include the conversion of
static brochures and program information to
electronic formats. This is also known as one-way
publishing. Anything in paper format can be
posted online. Many departments create separate
sites with little coordination between other
departments and services (Kleeman, 2005).
12Where Many Colleges Are Today
This is fine, but I just want to talk to someone
online right now!
- Stage Two ? Websites become more interactive and
transactional. The ability to conduct business,
such as filling out forms, ordering and receiving
services, and paying fees are incorporated.
Information is still organized based on
departments and not personalized for each user. - Stage Three ? Websites are experienced
differently by each student. Personalized and
customized websites allow the user to receive
information based on their needs and wants. This
begins to establish a more personal relationship
between the student and the institution.
13Customizable Websites and Beyond
- Fourth Stage ? Websites are highly customized.
The use of interactive formats such as
e-portfolios, video demonstrations, and instant
messaging with student affairs professionals
allow for the development of relationships and an
enhanced community (Kleeman, 2005).
This is great! The website lets me access the
information I need and chat with a career
consultant.
14Serving our Students
15Customer Service
- Customer Service assistance and other resources
that a company provides to the people who buy or
use its products or services. - Role in Student Affairs
- Personal interaction has been the main means of
providing student services. - This is a crucial feature however, technology
offers many opportunities to complement and
streamline some aspects of student affairs work,
which would result in more quality time to
interact with students (Moreno, 2007). - This enables customer access at the students
convenience. This is particularly important with
the millennial generation. - With increasingly more online course offerings,
providing adequate student services through
technology is necessary.
16Customer Service and Technology
- Past
- Many services were provided by paper and pencil,
such as record keeping, copying, database
management, and registration forms. - These have been moved to digital platforms. While
the process has not changed, the use of
technology has increased efficiency of these
processes (Barrett, 2001). - Systems and services need to appear
seamless... Students need to be able to access
their personal information on-line through some
self-service technology students can have access
to their personal records and information 24
hours a day 7 days a week. This reengineering of
service processes gives the student access to the
right information quickly and efficiently. -
Aoki Pogroszewski, 1998, p. 5
17Student Affairs Examples
- Career Services Alumni network
- Create an alumni network for career
opportunities, internships and job postings for
alumni and current students. - Counseling and Mental Health Virtual counseling
center - Provide students, faculty, and staff with an
increasingly important resource for efficiently
delivering content and services. - Student Activities Club and organization
information - Provide online resources for student
organizations and advisors. - Student Activities Scheduling events
- Provide direct access to students to post events
on a campus-wide activities calendar. - Student Affairs Student involvement transcripts
- Create an application to track student
involvement with clubs and organizations. - Utilize online portfolios.
- Student Affairs Information Technology
Customized homepage - Create website based on an individuals interest
For example, a psychology major can have the
department news and updates on the side of his or
her homepage. - Student Health Services Appointment scheduling
- For example, provide direct access to students to
schedule appointments with student health
services. - Student Union Online room booking
- Provide direct access to students to book rooms.
- This increases student involvement and
empowerment.
18Customer Service and Technology
- Additional benefit
- In addition to increasing efficiency, many
offices have saved paper products and money on
mailings because information and services have
been moved online (Barratt, 2001). - Potential challenges
- Student affairs professionals may not be
adequately trained to incorporate technology into
their work to the degree of expertise that
students expect. - Need for improved speed, reliability, and support
of services provided online. - Increase awareness about how students differ in
their technological ability and ensuring that
resources are accessible to all students (Caruso
Salaway, 2007). - Often there is limited communication and
coordination between offices, with some offices
lacking strength in providing customer-service. - Typically academic and service units are
organized into vertical functional silos, but
students are best served across horizontal
functional silos (Kleeman, 2005). - If that experience is convenient,
efficient, and student-centered, they have a
positive reaction. If it provides a virtual
runaround and inaccurate or outdated information,
they have a negative one. - Shea, 2005, p. 15
19Building the Campus Community
20Community Building
- Community is no longer defined as a physical
place, but as a set of relationships where people
interact socially for mutual benefit - - Andrews, 2002, p. 64
- Purpose
- Community building happens in the context of
interactions between student affairs
professionals and students on a campus. It is
important in the higher education realm to
improve student engagement and retention as well
as information sharing between professionals. - Key reasons people participated in community
activities in person or online were to fulfill
personal needs, to learn, and to advance the
common good (Ludford et. al, 2004, p. 632). - Cohesive web-based services and
community-building tools are no longer a
convenience they are a necessity that is
critical to student achievement (Blackboard,
2007, n.p.).
21Evolution of Community Building
- Past
- Social networking was limited to primarily your
own physical community prior to the wave of
technology and computer access. - According to Mitrano (2006), initial forms of
social networking technologies included programs
such as online multiplayer games, bulletin
boards, news groups, and mailing lists. - Present
- These initial technologies are nearly outdated,
but provide a relevant backdrop to newer websites
such as MySpace, Friendster, and Facebook. - As technology advances, people continue to have
the opportunity to make connections around the
world. - Online communities have become a social norm
among students.
22Student Affairs Examples
- Blackboard/Vista
- Online training for judicial affairs and resident
assistance courses. - Facebook, MySpace, Friendster
- Student organizations can advertise events on
Facebook. - Many new student orientation programs discuss the
ethical components of online social networking. - Customized Websites
- Resident assistants can create their own webpage
to advertise events, send updates, and collect
feedback from residents. - iStudentAffairs.com, LinkedIn
- Student affairs professionals at different
institutions can share resources and discuss hot
topics. - Departmental Software Judicial Action, The
Housing Director, etc. - These programs are used within a department to
share information regarding students housing or
judicial standings. - Microsoft SharePoint
- A new tool used across institutions that enables
file sharing, online committee work, group
discussions, and blogs. - Second Life
- An online 3D virtual community that allows
students to simulate interactions with others
through personal avatars (virtual personas).
23A Closer Look
- Facebook is nonetheless the most significant
social networking technology to higher
education because of its original focus on the
college or university market. - Tracy Mitrano,
2006, p. 22 - Facebook
- Prior to online social networking, students came
to college and had a bound face book for all
first-year students including name, photo,
area(s) of interest, and hometown. - Today students typically set-up an account on
Facebook before they even arrive on campus for
first-year move-in. - Areas of Interest for Student Affairs
Professionals - Online social networking raises questions about
personal safety, content moderation, and the
relationship between institutional missions and
the millennial generations expectations of
privacy. - Institutions are receiving many roommate change
requests before students arrive on campus based
on Facebook impression of the assigned roommate,
resulting in some institutions placing a
moratorium on roommate change requestsuntil a
required period of time spent living together
has been met (Mitrano, 2006). - Colleges need to be clear about how these social
networking sites may impact their student
employee hiring process. - Administrators need to be upfront with the
consequences of online computer policy violations
for both students as well as faculty and staff. - Student engagement can be enhanced by utilizing
social networking technologies such as Facebook
because of students reliance on technology.
24The Wired Campus
- The only way to discover the limits of the
possible is to go beyond them into the
impossible. - - Arthur C. Clarke, Technology and the Future
25Interactive Multimedia
- Purpose
- Student affairs utilizes interactive multimedia
to engage various learning styles by presenting
information in ways that stimulate different
senses. - Past
- Programs, services, and information were
presented through lecture, one-way, and linear
communication techniques. - Present
- Computer programs (PowerPoint), multimedia
downloads, blogs, vlogs, instant messaging,
podcasts, webinars, touch screens, interactive
kiosks, and online trainings all promote active
learning. - Companies such as e2Campus provide colleges with
a mass notification system utilizing text
messages, emails, digital signage throughout
campus, loudspeakers, PA systems, and school
websites in order to create a safer and more
connected campus community.
26Multimedia Definitions
- Blog provide commentary or news on a particular
subject others function as personal online
diaries. A typical blog combines text, images,
and links to other blogs, web pages, and other
media related to its topic. - Vlog a blog whose medium is video.
- Instant messaging a form of real-time
communication between two or more people based on
typed text. The text is conveyed via computers
connected over a network such as the internet. - Podcast a collection of digital media files
which is distributed over the internet, often
using syndication feeds, for playback on portable
media players and personal computers. - Webinars a type of web conference that can
include polling and question and answer sessions
to allow full participation between the audience
and the presenter. - Why are these useful?
- Provide bi-directional forms of communication,
which allows for opinions and immediate feedback. - The language used can be more informal and
digestible (Dowdell, 2006).
27Blogging Limitations
- Time can be wasted reading and creating
ineffective blogs. - Validity of source
- authors opinions may be biased.
- posting may not always be appropriate and/or
reflect the views of the institution. - information may be incorrect (Dowdell, 2006).
28Student Affairs Examples
- Orientation Services
- Student orientation leaders blog about their
experiences on campus. - Judicial Affairs
- Downloadable video segments help students
understand the judicial process. - Career Services
- Students can blog about their internship
experience or use instant messaging to receive
immediate feedback on questions. - Student Health Services
- Staff create podcasts of quick recipes for
healthy eating. - Residence Life
- Downloadable PowerPoint presentation about life
on campus with movie clips.
29The Evolution of Assessment
30Assessment and Evaluation
- Purpose
- Assessment is a means for focusing our
collective attention, examining our assumptions,
and creating a shared culture dedicated to
continuously improving the quality of higher
learning (Angelo, 1995, p. 11). - Assessment is critical for student affairs
professionals in order to demonstrate the value
of their programs and to continue to receive
funding, support, and room for growth in their
institution. - Technology has revolutionized the way student
affairs professionals 1. Evaluate programs and
services. 2. Provide assessments for students.
31Assessment Areas
- Program Assessment provides the opportunity for
the evaluation of what services and programs are
currently doing, how well they are accomplishing
goals, what is still needed for students, and the
potential for growth in their program. - Web-based Surveys
- Utilized by student activities, residential life,
dining services, academic departments, and other
student services programs to obtain feedback from
students on programs and services. - Statistical analysis programs, such as SPSS,
revolutionized the ability for professionals to
assess greater numbers of respondents and utilize
the information more efficiently.
32Assessment Areas
- Individual/Self Assessment is the process of
gathering information about yourself or an
individual in order to make an informed decision.
An individualized assessment could include
reviewing the following values, interests,
personality, skills, ability, at-risk status, or
mental health conditions. - Online Screening and Evaluation Assessments
- Often utilized by career services, counseling and
mental health, student health, disability
services, and orientation services. - Provides faculty and staff the ability to review
warning signs or to assist students in
identifying their strengths and weaknesses. - Provides students the ability to identify their
own struggles and/or areas for improvement. - Also provides appropriate resources in a timely
manner for students to access both on-campus and
off-campus.
33The Evolution of Assessment
- Assessment has grown tremendously through
technology advancements over the last twenty-five
years. - Past Assessments were paper-based or
face-to-face interactions. - Required experts to collect data, analyze data,
create feedback and reports all by hand. - A great deal of time from one employee or
department needed to be dedicated to the process
to collect the information and to utilize it
properly. - Examples
- Resident assistants handing out floor surveys to
ask for programming ideas or feedback. - Orientation leaders handing out paper-based
evaluations to assess the effectiveness of the
orientation sessions.
34The Evolution of Assessment
- Present The internet has impacted the
distribution, presentation, and quality of
assessment of student services. - Characteristics of Online Assessment
- Survey large numbers of students quickly and
accurately. - Receive timely feedback and opportunity for
improvement of services. - Responses can be monitored on an ongoing basis
and collectively at the end of the assessment
with ease. - Assessments can be stored and used again in the
future. - Result comparisons can be done more efficiently
and with more flexibility by the assessment team. - More sustainable and cost effective option for
institutions to gather information. - Web-based surveys do not over extend the
information technology department or monopolize
the time of one individual or department to do
the process well. - More departments and individuals have the ability
to create assessment tools. - Survey anonymity and security are issues that
must be controlled (Moneta, 2005).
35Closing Thoughts
- As technology continues to evolve, student
affairs professionals need to stay current with
technological advances in order to provide the
most efficient service to meet students evolving
needs. - Although technological advances provide
opportunities for a new delivery of services, it
is important to remember that technology can
never completely replace face-to-face interaction
and interpersonal relationships. - An effective student affairs professional will
need to maintain a balance of both technological
and personal interaction when working with
students. - Information technology in student affairs
has the potential to provide student services,
programs, and activities that promote learning
while also improving the quality, efficiency, and
effectiveness of administrative operations. The
senior students affairs staff set the tone for
how information technology is introduced in the
division and possibly the greater campus
community. - - Karley Ausiello, 1997, p. 79
36References
- American Marketing Association (2008). Retrieved
February 13, 2008, from http//www.marketingpower.
com/my-marketingpower.php - Andrews, C. D. (2002). Audience-specific online
community design. Communications of the ACM,
45(2), n.p. - Aoki, K. Pogroszewski, D. (1998). Virtual
university reference model A guide to delivering
education and support services to the distance
learner. Online journal of distance learning
administration, I (3). Retrieved February 13,
2008, from http//www.westga.edu/distance/ojdla/f
all13/aoki13.html. - Ausiello, K. Wells, B. (1997). Information
technology and student affairs Planning for the
twenty-first century. In New directions for
student services Vol. 78.New York Wiley, Inc. - Barratt, W. (2001). Managing information
technology in student affairs A report on
policies, practices, staffing and technology.
Unpublished manuscript. - Benjamin, B. Lee, J. (2005). Enhancing your
website as a recruitment tool by implementing
chat technology. Proceedings of the 2005 ASCUE
Conference. - Caruso, J. B. Salaway, G. (2007). The ECAR
study of undergraduate students and information
technology. - Clarke, A. Technology and the future quotation.
Retrieved on February 16, 2008 from
http//www.quotationspage.com/search.php3?homesear
chtechnologypage2. - Dowdell, J. (2006, October 10). How blogs changed
the world. Retrieved February 12, 2008 from
http//www.marketingshift.com/2006/10/how-blogs-ch
anged-the-world.cfm. - Greenfield Belser Ltd., Big idea (2007).
http//greenfieldbelser.com/big_ideas/?NewsID196 - Mitrano, T. (2006). A wider world Youth,
privacy, and social networking technologies.
EDUCAUSEReview.
37Image References
- http//blogs.ipswitch.com/archives/bullseye.jpg
- http//www.mcphee.com/sethgodinimages/sethgodinact
ionfigure.jpg - http//www.anacominc.com/images/AnaComCustomerServ
ice.jpg - http//condoprincess.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/a
ir-canada-motto.jpg - http//www.csbyorp.org/images/bigstockphoto_Teamwo
rk_Connection_529643.jpg - http//images.appleinsider.com/product-red-ipod-mo
ck2.gif - http//www.sfpl.co.in/About20us/Inquiry.jpg
- http//serc.carleton.edu/images/NAGTWorkshops/asse
ss/Assessment1.jpg - http//greenfieldbelser.com/big_ideas/?NewsID196
- http//lifewithalacrity.blogs.com/photos/uncategor
ized/evolution.jpg - http//www.quality.nist.gov/eBaldrige/Self_Assessm
ent.jpg - http//www.unitedwecan.ca/uwc_site/files/stickman_
pointingright_lg_w.gif