Technological Advancements: Enhancing the University?

University of Texas at Austin

Lizabeth DohertyAmy Manderscheid

Nancy Wendlandt

Progressive University

Leading the Way

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Only 27.3% of incoming students had used a computer frequently in the previous year

In 1985…

The average student spends 3.5 hours a day e-mailing, instant messaging, and web surfing

41% of students own an MP3 player and 85% use them each day

Students are spending a total of 11 hours each day engaged with media and technology

1.3 million students own cell phones and spend nearly 20 minutes each day sending and receiving

text messages

Today…

These advancements in technology affect the learning, socializing, and development of

today’s university students. University faculty and staff need to be committed to

understanding the trends and addressing their impact.

1. Technology in the Classroom2. Blogging

3. Social Networking Sites4. Institutional Spam5. The Digital Divide

Progressive University’s Hot Topics in Technology

Topic #1Technology in the ClassroomHow can technology

enhance learning?

Technology in the Classroom

What is it?• The most common educational technologies utilized on

university campuses are PowerPoint & courseware packages such as Blackboard or WebCT.

• PowerPoint is a presentation software that allows professors to visually present material to the class.

• Courseware provides a structured online format for professors to post announcements, course documents, assignments, and course notes available for easy student access.

Technology in the Classroom

Why is it important?• Currently, 72% of students receive grades, as well as

assignments, via the Web.• 71% of students use e-mail to submit papers.• 56% of students utilize e-mail

or instant messaging to contact professors rather than visiting traditional office hours.

taken from http://www.crk.umn.edu

Technology in the Classroom

Why is it important?• Between 20 and 30 million PowerPoint presentations are given

around the globe daily.• Courseware such as WebCT and Blackboard are among the

most rapidly expanding e-learning technologies around the world.

• New forms of communication call for new ways of thinking about communication processes.

Technology in the Classroom

What are the problems for the university community?• Rather than supplementing a presentation, PowerPoint can

become the focus. The lesson then becomes centered on the presentation rather than the content.

• When the focus is directed toward the screen, PowerPoint may reduce dialogue and immediacy behaviors (eye contact, facial expressions, etc.) that have a positive impact on learning.

• Students can become so occupied copying slides, that they miss the instructor’s expansion of the idea.

Technology in the Classroom

What are the problems for the university community?• PowerPoint can inhibit an open exchange between presenter

and audience, allowing students to be passively rather than actively engaged in class.

• Online communication with professors can hinder the development of students’ face-to-face interaction skills.

• Learning new technologies can initially create more work for staff and students.

Technology in the Classroom

What are the benefits for the university community?• Online communication can diminish student inhibitions by

removing psychological and social barriers to student-professor and student-student interactions.

• Students’ learning is enhanced when ideas or concepts are presented in a variety of ways such as having PowerPoint slides highlight key concepts while the professor explains the details and provides examples.

Technology in the Classroom

What are the benefits for the university community?• Courseware can serve as an excellent vehicle for topic

discussion, group participation, and assignment clarification.• As relatively few students participate in large classroom

discussions, the use of online discussions can create opportunities for all students to participate.

Technology in the Classroom

What are the considerations for the university?• Faculty, staff and student affairs professionals need to be

trained on how to effectively integrate technology into lessons, activities and workshops.

• Students should also have the opportunity for trainings or tutorials on new programs such as courseware packages.

• Students report that when technology is used in a static manner it is not valuable. However, dynamic use of technology, such as participation in online discussions, does enhance learning and is recommended.

Technology in the Classroom

What are the considerations for the university?• Technology should enhance a presentation and foster critical

thinking rather than simply serve as a mechanism to deliver content.

• The professor should still maintain the role of narrator/performer, rather than simply become a stagehand.

Topic #2BloggingHow can the university

utilize blogs?

BloggingWhat is it?• A blog is a user-generated Web site where entries are made in

journal style and displayed in reverse chronological order.• The term "blog" is derived from "Web log." "Blog" can also be

used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

BloggingWhat is it?• Blogs can provide commentary or news on a particular subject

or function as a personal online diary. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.

taken from http://www.concurringopinions.com

BloggingWhy is it important?• As of November 2006, there were nearly 60 million blogs

recorded.• 9 blogs are created every minute and 2.3 content updates are

posted every second. • 92.4% of blogs are created by people under the age of 30. • 39% of the U.S. online population, or 57 million adults, read

blogs.

BloggingWhat are the problems for the university community?• If the university is providing Web space for blogs, questions of

responsibility for content can become an issue.• Like many online communication methods, blogs reinforce poor

grammar and writing, since online-published versions do not need to be polished and edited.

BloggingWhat are the problems for the university community?• Blogs create an environment where users can start arguments

in unconstructive ways and post hurtful things about other people.

• They are not a trustworthy source of news and research, but they are readily available and often cited by students in papers.

BloggingWhat are the benefits for the university community?• By publishing student blogs, many university admissions Web

sites provide applicants with a better understanding of college life. With teenagers being the largest users of blogs, this is a particularly effective method for communicating with this population.

• Students and staff can use blogs to easily communicate with their counterparts across campus and at different universities.

BloggingWhat are the benefits for the university community?• Writing about positive experiences in a particular program (i.e.

study abroad, student organizations) can spark interest in other students.

• Much like courseware, professors use personal blogs as an avenue to relay information about classes and host discussions.

• Faculty are using blogs as a way to stay current on research and trends in their fields of study.

BloggingWhat are the considerations for the university?• Blogs should be utilized to give students an inside view of life

at a particular university, programs of study, or extracurricular activities.

• Similar to courseware, do not use blogs to replace class discussions, but instead to supplement course work.

• The university should provide tutorials and education for students about the safe use of Internet resources like blogs, both in the dangers of sharing personal information and incorrectly citing as factual resources.

BloggingWhat are the considerations for the university?• Due to the number of free resources for students on the

Internet, the university does not need to provide Web space to students for personal sites or blogs. The following are four free available blogging sites:• www.tblog.com• www.blogger.com• www.blogeasy.com• www.myblogsite.com

Topic #3Social Networking Sites

Why does the university need to play a role in the use of social networking sites?

Social Networking Sites

What is it?• Online directories linking people with the goal of connecting

with friends or joining groups that share similar interests and lifestyles.

• Students create a profile highlighting their interests, relationships, and favorites. Profiles can include photos and contact information.

• Popular sites include flickr, friendster, myspace and facebook.

Social Networking Sites

Why is it important?• 18-24 year old students spend an average of 6.5 hours a week

on social networking sites.• Facebook, friendster and myspace rank in the top 20 Web sites

for overall Internet traffic.• 3.85 million people have joined facebook.• 230,000 people visit myspace every day.

Social Networking Sites

Why is it important?• 60% of student members log-in daily to their social networking

sites.

taken from http://www.facebook.com

Social Networking Sites

What are the problems for the university community?• University administrators and hiring personnel review social

networking profiles to find personal and potentially damaging information.

• Students may be stalked, threatened or harassed as personal information (class schedules, phone numbers, etc.) is publically posted in their profiles.

• Spending too much time connecting with online friends may keep students from developing meaningful in-person relationships.

Social Networking Sites

What are the benefits for the university community?• Professors can post pictures and information on student trips

and activities for promotional purposes.• Allows members (faculty, staff, students) to stay in touch with

friends and alumni.• Students can use sites to campaign for student government

positions and promote student organizations.

Social Networking Sites

What are the benefits for the university community?• Can build stronger relationships between students and

faculty/staff.• Faculty and staff can use the sites to connect faces with

students.

Social Networking Sites

What are the considerations for the university?• Faculty and staff are not mandated to use the sites, but should

be aware and receive necessary training on using them.• A collective presence of faculty and staff could tone down

student antics on sites. • The university needs to make it a priority to educate students

on how to utilize the benefits of social networking sites but also on how to use them safely. Student affairs has a responsibility to look out for students’ safety and security.

Topic #4Institutional Spam

What does the university need to consider when

using institutional spam?

Institutional SpamWhat is it?

~ Take the Following Quiz ~ Spam is…

A. The abuse of electronic messaging systems to send unsolicited bulk messages

B. Canned meat that is sold by Hormel C. A popular Monty Python sketch D. A type of dance characterized by frequent, spastic body

movements E. A way to facilitate electronic communication among large

groups of computer users

•While all of these are true, we are most interested in the university’s ability to mass communicate with all students or groups of students through e-mail.

Institutional SpamWhy is it important?• Estimates indicate that amounts of unwanted spam increased

by 600% in the last year.• Unwanted spam accounts for 12-15% of all e-mail traffic.• The drastic increases have led individual e-mail users,

including students, to take steps to block unwanted e-mails even if they come from a reliable university source.

Institutional SpamWhat are the problems for the university community?• Students who apply filters to their individual e-mail accounts

may not receive important information from the university.• Universities that apply universal spam filters for safety may

block students from receiving important information from employers and others outside the institution.

• It is the university’s responsibility to decide who has the ability to send mass e-mails and what topics mass e-mails can address.

Institutional SpamWhat are the benefits for the university community?• Mass e-mails are an efficient way to pass important information

to groups of students from administrators, professors, and other students.

• Many student affairs professionals effectively use e-mail to survey students and conduct needs assessments on programming and services.

• As students are regularly logged into e-mail, institutional spam allows for rapid transfer of information.

Institutional SpamWhat are the responsibilities of the university?• For institution system safety and for the benefit of students, the

university needs to train students on safe e-mail set-up and use prior to allowing them access to school systems.

• Universities should create listservs for activities, clubs, majors and schools that allow students to elect to receive e-mails on specific topics. This ensures that students receive information relevant to them.

• Utilizing courseware allows students the same benefits of listservs for individual courses each semester.

Institutional SpamWhat are the responsibilities of the university?• The university needs to create a policy for approving mass e-

mails to students. There are two effective solutions currently being utilized by large universities:1. At the University of Texas at Austin, senders must submit an application to

forward mass e-mails. All mass e-mails sent will include what type of e-mail it is (official, urgent, informational, etc.) to the receiver.

2. At the University of Minnesota, senders must also submit an application to forward mass e-mails. Users sign up to receive individual mass e-mails or to receive either a daily or weekly digest of all e-mails they would have received during that period.

Topic #5The Digital DivideHow can we address the

Digital Divide?

The Digital DivideWhat is it?• The Digital Divide is the gap between those with regular,

effective access to digital technologies and those without. • It refers to those who can benefit from technology, and those

who don't, as opposed to just talking about who has direct access to technology, and those who don't.

The Digital DivideWhy is it important?• 15% of students entering college in 2004 reported not having

used a personal computer on a frequent basis during the past year.

• The Digital Divide first gained national attention in the 1990s. Since then little or no progress has been made in bridging the gap.

The Digital DivideWhy is it important?

• The divide exists mostly along racial and economic lines.taken from Higher Education Research Institute (2004)

The Digital DivideWhat are the problems for the university community?• Frequent computer usage is a major part of college academic

coursework. Professors expect tech savvy students who are able to complete and submit assignments online.

• Students lacking what is considered basic computer knowledge will shy away from majors, schools, and careers that rely heavily on technology. This continues to divide society racially.

The Digital DivideWhat are the problems for the university community?• Students who have their own computers are at an advantage.

They can use them at any time in a location of comfort, and enjoy constant availability.

• “Students who must make an extra effort to learn computer skills after matriculating are likely to experience long-term academic challenges.” Mark J. Warschauer, Associate Professor of Education at the University of California at Irvine.

The Digital DivideWhat are the problems for the university community?• An integral part of student social life involves using technology

to connect with others.• “[Computing is] really an ingrained part of the college culture

and lifestyle, and if you don’t know it, you’re in a world of trouble.” Larry M. Gant, Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.

The Digital DivideWhat are the benefits for the university community?• Students with strong computer skills can be utilized as a

resource for professors and student affairs professionals as they are learning to integrate more technology into their work with students.

• Students who are comfortable using technology can serve as mentors to other students developing computer literacy.

The Digital DivideWhat are the considerations for the university?• Continue to provide high-quality public computer labs with

hours matching student study habits, as well as the ability to borrow portable technology (laptops, cameras, etc.).

• Utilize students with mastery knowledge of computers to offer training and/or mentoring opportunities for students without a strong comfort level with technology.

• Financial aid “cost of attendance” for the school can be altered to allow students to utilize financial aid to purchase personal computers for learning.

Summary

How can technology enhance learning?

When used in a supplemental and interactive way, student reports indicate that technology is beneficial.

Summary

How can the university utilize blogs?

Despite their informal nature, blogs can be an effective tool for sharing individual accounts of experience, activities, and research.

Summary

Why does the university need to play a role in the use of social networking sites?

Social networking sites are an integral part of student life and the university should be knowledgeable about both the benefits and concerns associated with this technology.

Summary

What does the university need to consider when using institutional spam?

While institutional spam is an effective way to quickly disseminate information, the university must develop a policy to address the challenges associated with cost and abuse.

Summary

How can we address the Digital Divide?

Acknowledging the gap will allow the university to implement programming that addresses the need for student access and skill development.

Technological Advancements: Enhancing the University?

University of Texas at Austin

Lizabeth DohertyAmy Manderscheid

Nancy Wendlandt

Progressive University

Leading the Way

Thank you

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