CREATING COMMUNITY
THROUGH THE USE OF
TECHNOLOGY:
A LOOK AT VILLANOVA’S
MPA PROGRAM
THEODOROS ARAPIS, PH.D.
RALPH GIGLIOTTI, MPA
STEPHANIE NISSEN, MPA

VILLANOVA UNIVERSIT Y
INTRODUCTIONS
AGENDA
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie
Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph
Design Faculty Perspective – Theo
Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie
Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications
Q&A
BACKGROUND
UNIVERSIT Y MISSION
Villanova University is a Catholic Augustinian
community of higher education, committed to
excellence and distinction in the discovery,
dissemination and application of knowledge.
Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus
Christ, the University is grounded in the
wisdom of the Catholic intellectual tradition
and advances a deeper understanding of the
relationship between faith and reason.
MPA PROGRAM
 Public Administration is the organization
and management of people and materials
to achieve public purposes.
 The program’s mission seeks to prepare
“successful professionals capable of
ethical, intelligent and creative
leadership in the public service.”
AGENDA
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie
Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph
Design Faculty Perspective – Theo
Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie
Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications
Q&A
NEW ONLINE PROGRAM
 Launched in Fall 2012
 Fully online with no on -campus requirements- no hybrid
courses
 Video based e-learning modules
 12 required courses/36 total credit hours
 8-week courses
 Weekly virtual class meeting requirement through use of
Blackboard Collaborate initially, but now uses Adobe Connect
 Synchronous chatroom during virtual class meeting
 Asynchronous assignments & discussion board
 First graduate in September 2013
 Currently has over 250 active students
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT:
CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS
 Partnering with outside vendor - division of responsibilities
 National Association of Schools of Public Af fairs and
Administration (NASPAA) accreditation standards
 Transference of campus courses and curriculum to virtual
environment
 Measures of assessment and condensed classes
 Adjunct Faculty
 Use of new technology - faculty and students
 Comprehensive Exam
 Maintain strong presence on campus while growing online
program
 Creating a sense of community
CURRENT LITERATURE
 Community
 “a group of people who are willing and able to help each other.
In this sense, community is more than a way a group of people
defines itself: it is a capability that can be developed and
improved over time” (Cothrell & Williams, 1999, p. 60).
 The “community question” (Hampton & Wellman, 2003)
 Internet’s impact on community:
- severely weakening community
- transforming community into an online ‘virtual
community’
- enhance community and existing social relationships
 Haythornthwaite (2001) – raises the question as to what impact
the Internet may have on community and interactions with others
CURRENT LITERATURE
 Virtual Learning Community
 Overview of virtual community – Wellman, et al., 1996,
Wellman & Gulia, 1997
 Selznick (1996) identifies seven elements of community –
history, identity, mutuality, plurality, autonomy, participation,
and integration
 Schwier (2001) – adds an orientation to the future, technology,
and learning
CURRENT LITERATURE
 Virtual Communication & Distance Education/Online Learning
 Media multiplexity (Haythornthwaite, 2001)
 “how group members engage in multiple types of interaction,
using multiple media in support of multiple goals” (p. 222)
 Importance of informal communication for creating bonds of
community and group identity
 Latent tie theory (Haythornthwaite, 2001)
 “adding any network-based means of communication…lays
the groundwork for connectivity between formerly
unconnected others” (p. 136).
 Supporting virtual distance learning communities
(Haythornthwaite, et al., 2000)
CURRENT LITERATURE
 Online learning & community
 learning pertains to all communities and online communities
(Haythornthwaite, 2008)
 positive relationships between sense of learning community
and perceived learning engagement, course satisfaction, and
learning outcomes (Xiaojing, L., et al. (2007).
 “Communication, collaboration, interaction, and participation
are four cornerstones in a learning community framework”
(Lock, 2002, p. 397).
 Vygotsky (1978) – social development theory: “social
interaction is vital to cognitive development – all higher-order
functions originate as the relationships among individuals” –
constructivist approach
CURRENT LITERATURE
 Organizational Identification
 “If we accept the idea that organizational communication is
essentially a process through which meaning is created,
negotiated, and managed, we should expect to find identity at
issue in most organizing processes” (Cheney & Christensen,
2001, p. 241).
 In what ways do students in the online chatroom identify with
the university?
CURRENT LITERATURE
 Other considerations:
 Social affordances
 the possibilities that technological changes provide for
social relations and social structure (Bradner & Kellogg,
1999)
 “Interpretively flexible communication systems”
 allow groups to define the form of their own collaboration
and communication (Orlikowski, 1992)
VIRTUAL COMMUNIT Y FINDINGS
Reasons for communication in the
online chatroom
Informal discourse
 Weather
 Technology
 Family
 Work
 Humor
Definition
Casual communication between students
that is unrelated to the course content
Course-related discourse
Formal communication directly related to
the course content
Peer-support discourse
Communication used to motivate and
support classmates in the virtual class
Program-related discourse &
institutional identification
Statements of identification to the
graduate MPA program or the University
AGENDA
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie
Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph
Design Faculty Perspective – Theo
Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie
Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications
Q&A
ONLINE TECHNOLOGY
LMS
 Course Menu (Syllabus)
 Video Lectures
 Camtasia Videos
Virtual Class
 Adobe Connect
 PPT presentations
 Poll Questions
 Screen Share
 File Share
 Break-Out Rooms
 Chat-Room
LMS – COURSE MENU
LMS – VIDEO LECTURES
LMS – CAMTASIA VIDEOS
VIRTUAL CLASS - ADOBE
VIRTUAL CLASS – POLL QUESTIONS
VIRTUAL CLASS – SCREEN SHARE
VIRTUAL CLASS – FILE SHARE
VIRTUAL CLASS – BREAK OUT ROOM
(WORKSHOP SESSION)
 Break students into groups
 Upload Instructions and Excel file for each group
 Visit break-out rooms and observe how students work or
answer student questions
 End break-out room and allow students to present their work,
main findings, etc.
ON-CAMPUS VERSUS ONLINE…
On-campus
 Ppt Presentations
 Video Demonstrations
 Youtube
 Mass Media
 Excel
 Demonstrations
 Workshops
 Blackboard








Syllabus
Ppt Presentations
Extra Readings
Homework
Project
Quizzes
Project Examples and Instructions
Learning Activities
Online
 Adobe Connect
 Ppt Presentations
 Video Demonstrations
 Video Lectures
 Camtasia Videos
 Excel Demonstrations
 LMS
 Quizzes
 Blackboard
DESIGN FACULT Y
CONCLUSIONS
 The on-campus and online class designs benefit from each
other
 Technology allows for identical on -campus and online designs
 But…
 Evolution is faster in on-campus classes
 Less flexibility in online classes
AGENDA
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie
Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph
Design Faculty Perspective – Theo
Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie
Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications
Q&A
CONNECTING AND CULTIVATING
COMMUNIT Y
 Building connections early
 Personal welcome messages and individual outreach
 New Student Orientation
 Online Info Session
 Providing access to resources and services
 Writing Tutor
 Comprehensive Exam
 Learning Support- modification of online class
 Access to events on campus
 Recording and Live Stream
 Webinar
 MPA Enewsletter
 Creating opportunities to connect
 Online “Coffee Break”
 MPA Meetups
 Inclusion in campus clubs and honor societies
Washington DC Happy Hour
2014 Pi Alpha Alpha Induction
MPA ENewsletter
SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNIT Y
 Utilizing social media and blogging as modes of communication
to bridge the gap between the two programs
 MPA Leaders Lounge
 Local and virtual networking events
 Job board- “Career Compass”
 MPA Facebook Page
 Upcoming Events
 Photos
 Flickr
 MPA Twitter Account
 Linkedin
 YouTube Channel
*Online students/alumni are more receptive and responsive to
social media communication
AGENDA
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie
Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph
Design Faculty Perspective – Theo
Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie
Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications
Q&A
IMPORTANT THEMES
 By “lay[ing] the groundwork for connectivity between formerly
unconnected others,” community is brought to life through
communication among initially weak ties with no prior shared
experience (Haythornthwaite, 2001 , p. 136).
 Learning and community lie at the core of the graduate online
MPA experience – cultivated intentionally by individuals
associated with the program.
 Noteworthy challenges include changes in technology and
reaching disconnected students
 Broader applications
STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8pzcgi0mzm47l8h/WIN_20141103
_124933.MP4?dl=0
QUESTIONS?
Theodoros Arapis – theodoros.arapis@villanova.edu
Ralph Gigliotti – ralph.gigliotti@villanova.edu
Stephanie Nissen – stephanie.nissen@villanova.edu
SELECTED REFERENCES
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