THE YEAR OF THE PERSONAL COMPUTER:
HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS
REVOLUTIONIZED STUDENT AFFAIRS
Baylor University
Melissa Gruver
J.T. Snipes
Kathryn Wheatley
StudentAffairs.com 2008 Case Study Competition
Technology is Ever Changing…
Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axH00N_fb5Q
Welcome McApple College Student
Affairs Staff!
AGENDA
 Icebreaker
 A Day in the Life of a College Student
 A Brief History of Information Technology
 Digital Natives vs. Digital Immigrants
 Student DevelopmentTheory
 5 Areas of Service Affected by Technology
 The Future of Technology in Student Affairs
Icebreaker
Using only your cell phone, find the current weather
conditions in Istanbul. You may work with one other
person.
When you find the answer, send it via text message
to 555-555-5555.
You have 3 minutes
Icebreaker Debrief
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And the winner is… 30 Degrees F, Snow
Ways of finding the answer:
 Calling
a friend and asking them to look up the answer
online
 Using the Media Mall to connect to your phone’s
Internet browser
 Texting “weather Istanbul” to GOOGLE (466453)
 Using a weather application on your phone
Can you think of other ways? Our students can! We asked
25 students to participate in this exercise and they
found the answer in an average of 63 seconds
A Day in the Life of a Typical College Student
A Day in the Life of a Typical College Student
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Wake up using a digital alarm clock
Utilize handheld-vibrating electric toothbrush
Check email, Instant Message, Facebook, News, Sports,
Weather (all at same time!)
Play video games & watch digitally recorded television
Check Blackboard to get updated on all course
assignments and information
Text message classmate about last night’s homework
Walk to class listening to MP3 player
A Brief History of Information
Technology
Paper
China
105 AD
Papyri
Egypt
3000
BC
Printing
Press
Germany
1442
Digital
Computer
United
States of
America
1942
Personal
Computer
United
States of
America
1985
(Komives & Woodward 2003)
The Personal Computer…and Beyond
The technology that was invented
for the personal computer
helped to pave the way for
other technologies that have
revolutionized students’ lives.
GPS
MP3
Devices
Online
Communitie
s
Email
Internet
DVR
Cellular
Phones
Text
Messaging
Instant
Messaging
http://laughingsquid.com/wpcontent/uploads/techno_tuesday_halloween.gif
College Students as Digital Natives
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Digital natives are native speakers of the digital
language of computers, video games, and the
Internet (Prensky 2001).
College students today have grown up surrounded with
technology. Due to their experiences with technology,
students have different learning styles than previous
generations.
“Our students have changed radically. Today’s students
are no longer the people our educational system was
designed to teach” (Presnky 2001).
The College Student Mindset
Most of the students entering College this fall, members of the Class of 2011, were born in 1989.
Every year Beloit College identifies experiences of the typical 18 year old and here are some
of the everyday things that they take for granted:
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What Berlin wall?
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Humvees, minus the artillery, have always been available to the public.
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They never "rolled down" a car window.
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They have grown up with bottled water.
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Rap music has always been mainstream.
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"Off the hook" has never had anything to do with a telephone.
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Being a latchkey kid has never been a big deal.
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Thanks to MySpace and Facebook, autobiography can happen in real time.
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Most phone calls have never been private.
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MTV has never featured music videos.
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They will encounter roughly equal numbers of female and male professors in the classroom.
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The World Wide Web has been an online tool since they were born.
http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/2011.php
Faculty and Staff as Digital Immigrants
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Digital immigrants were socialized differently than their
students and must be intentional about learning
technology, much like a second language(Prensky
2001).
This new “language” is learned later in life when the
brain is less elastic and is processed in a different part
of the brain (Berk 2007).
Digital Immigrants tend to retain an “accent”- evidence
with past experiences with technology (Prensky).
Can you think of some examples of an “immigrant’s
accent” in your own interactions with technology?
Digital Natives Vs. Digital Immigrants
Digital Immigrants
Digital Natives
Printing out E-mails
Storing E-mails in digital
folders
Editing on hard copies
Editing on the computer
screen
Bringing people into office
to see interesting web sites
or video
Sending links via E-mail or
text message
Calling someone to see if
they received an E-mail
Sending a follow up E-mail
or text message
Think learning cannot or
should not be fun-no TV or
music while studying
Need background noise or
make learning into a game
Keeping a calendar on
paper
Keeping a digitized
calendar
Astin’s I-E-O Model
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Astin’s I-E-O Model (Pascarella & Terenzini 2003)
Input, Environment, Output
 We need to take into consideration what backgrounds and
experiences, or input, the students are bringing to college. Each
student is different, so we need to have a variety of programs to
meet student needs.
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Colleges are responsible for the environment-how we shape
the student experience through programs, policies,
technologies, cultures.
Are we speaking the same language? In this digital age, the
“immigrants” need to learn the language in order to communicate
with the “natives.”
 Belong to the same culture? We are all from different cultures and it
is important to recognize this fact instead of pretending that there is
no disparity.
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Astin’s I-E-O Model (Cont.)
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Having a wired and wireless campus is one way we reach out to
students on our campus and make them feel more at home in their
environment.
Are the programs offered by McApple connecting with the needs
and wants of the students?
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Getting student involvement requires being on their level: i.e. Facebook
messaging, texting, E-mail, Blackboard announcements.
Astin states that student involvement leads to higher retention, so we are
serving McApple by serving our students (1984).
With technology changing so quickly are the policies we set in
place antiquated before they are even initiated?
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Policies need to be constantly updated with new technology clauses as
it affects students and university policies.
It is necessary to have an Information Technology staff member working
with your departments to keep Websites and other technology current.
Chickering’s 7 Vectors Applied to Technology
Even though Chickering’s theory was designed to analyze the
development of students in the last century, it still holds true for
today’s technologically savvy student (Chickering & Reisser 1993).
 Developing Competence
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By engaging students more actively in the learning process, we can
promote intellectual, physical, and interpersonal competence (1993).
One example of how McApple Student Affairs Division assists students in
developing competence is the services offered to student with
disabilities. These students are better able to navigate the physical
campus and the intellectual world of college through technology
throughout the campus and access to professors’ PowerPoint slides and
digital recording of lectures.
Managing Emotions
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Students bring a wide variety of emotional baggage to college and it is
our responsibility to assist students in dealing with these issues (1993).
In order to accommodate to more techno-savvy students, counseling
centers offer online brochures, pamphlets, & referral warning signs to
allow for more information to be disseminated to our students.
Chickering’s 7 Vectors Applied to Technology (cont.)
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Moving through Autonomy towards Interdependence
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Developing Mature Interpersonal Relationships
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Students can achieve emotional autonomy and still rely on one another for
support (1993).
Social networking communities provide for individualism and affirmation from
peer groups.
A critical function of the college experience is to promote acceptance of
individual differences and a appreciation for cultural diversity (Pope et al.,
2004), which can lead to a greater capacity for intimacy (Chickering & Reisser
1993).
In the past, students at McApple did not have a centralized way of finding out
about cultural events on campus. Now we are able to utilize our Eannouncements and Facebook events and flyers to guarantee maximum publicity
for these events.
Establishing Identity
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When a student has achieved a stable and realistic self-image, new challenges
will be less threatening (Reisser 1995)
McApple students are encouraged by faculty & staff alike to utilize their own
webspace to introduce their personal strengths and involvements to the campus
community.
Chickering’s 7 Vectors Applied to Technology (cont.)
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Developing Purpose
This vector involves educational and vocational planning
along with lifestyle choices and establishment of priorities
(Reisser 1995).
 Career services provides an online module to allow students
to explore the many paths to future endeavors with just a
few clicks of the mouse.
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Developing Integrity
This vector is indicated by the presence of student
humanizing values and personalizing values (1995).
 It is important for us to communicate the university values to
our students in an accessible way. This is why we post all
judicial policy on the institutional website and email all
updates and rationale to entire student body.
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Astin’s Theory of Student Involvement
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“Student Involvement refers to the amount of
physical and psychological energy that the student
devotes to the academic experience” (1984).
As student affairs professionals, we are utilizing
more technologies to draw students into the realm
of involvement.
As co-educators, we are involving the mental
aspects of learning as well as the physical or social
experiences.
A True Digital Immigrant
Five Key Themes of Change in Student Affairs
Community
Communication
Security
Accessibility
Global Leadership
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Community
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In the past the community was traditionally limited to a
physical geography, today the internet helps
communities transcend physical space (Sheir 2005).
Traditional Foundations for Community Building
Residence Halls
 University Traditions
 Social Organizations
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Social Networking Sites are an increasingly popular
medium through which students form community. There
are several social networking mediums of interest to the
Student Affairs Division.
Current Examples of Community Initiatives
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Residence Life
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Resident Advisor Facebook group
Hall Director Blogs
Student Activities
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Facebook invitations to on-campus events
Blackboard organization for student groups
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Online Roster
Event Management Requests
Counseling Services
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Facebook support groups for common college campus disorders
(i.e. alcoholism, eating disorders, internet/gaming addictions)
Weekly online chat session hosted by a licensed counselor
More Current Examples of Community Initiatives
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Student Health
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Orientation Services
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Fitness / Health center coordinator blogs
Email Newsletters “Healthy Habits”
Instant Messaging
Facebook group created for incoming freshmen (McApple Class of
2011)
Websites including a wall to post comments, pictures and other media
Career services
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McApple Connections – McApple students create online profiles with
resumes. McApple alumni can browse profiles and encourage students
to apply for internships or jobs at their companies
McApple Online Career Fair – a game in which students create
avatars and compete against other students on campus for jobs
What our Students are talking about
Communication
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Communication has many formal and informal
embodiments, and its specific nature between the
source and receiver has an impact on how the
information will be adopted (Rogers 1995).
The rise of technology has dramatically changed
the way higher education administrators must
communicate to our students (Winston 2001).
Current Examples of Communication Initiatives
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All Student Affairs Division
 Emailing
students
 RSS Feed subscriptions of university website
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Orientation Services
 Text
Messaging Incoming Students
 Student Testimonial Blogs
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Career Services
 University
Information Network web portal
 Emailing about upcoming Career Fairs or workshops
More Examples of Communication Initiatives
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Student Activities
 E-announcements
highlighting campus happenings
 Online forms and applications for involvement
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Counseling Center
 Mailing
students “stay stress-free” tips DVD
 posting pamphlets or refferal forms on their webpage
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Judicial Affairs
 Policies
posted online
 Anonymous hazing report forms
Safety & Security
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Over the past decade security has become
increasingly important. Students of the digital age
witnessed the following events:
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Students of this generation watched in horror as two
Columbine High School students killed and wounded their
classmates
The Millennium bug Y2K scare
The event that binds them as a generation is, of course, the
terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001
As college students, the terror of the Virginia Tech shooting
is a very real issue for them
When students are on campus they want to feel that
this is a safe place to be (Komives 2003)
Current Examples of Safety & Security Initiatives
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Residence life
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Counseling Services
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McApple Safety and Security officers patrol all residence halls.
Each Residential Building is protected by card swipe technology
which only allows access to students who live in that particular
building.
Faculty and Staff Referral system for at risk students
Emergency plans in place for unexpected experiences (weather,
assault, etc.)
Student health
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Emergency Call boxes located around campus
Text Messaging students in case of emergency
More Examples of Safety & Security Initiatives
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Orientation services
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Disability services
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Students issued ID cards that students are required to carry
with them at all times.
Assigning student ID numbers instead of using Social Security
numbers so that identities are protected at all times.
All buildings are currently ADA compliant.
Residence halls have been built using the latest technology to
aid both the visually and hearing impaired in case of
emergencies.
Career services
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Student online applications for potential employers are
protected via advanced secure connections on campus
Accessibility
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Students strive for autonomy within access. We need to
create automated systems with 24/7 availability that
allow students to complete simple functions such as
online registration for classes or paying student bills
online (Moneta 2005).
More and more college administrators are utilizing
mediums like blogs, Facebook, etc. to make themselves
more accessible to students and other administrators.
Students are also very accessible to each other, and
can be accessible to administration as well. As one
writer adroitly observes, students are unplugged on
campus but always connected (Guernsey 2000).
Current Examples Accessibility Initiatives
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Orientation
 Create
online “chat” night between orientation leaders
and incoming students
 Select three incoming students to blog their journey
through orientation
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Health, Disability and Counseling Services
 24
hour response line that links students to local
authorities or on-call personnel (if available)
 Giving on call personnel cellular phones or pagers so
that they can be reached any time.
A Little Humor
More Examples Accessibility Initiatives
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Residence Life
 Faculty
resident in all residence halls
 All residence halls are completely wired with computer
labs available for student use
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Career Services
 Provide
all students free corporate accounts with
monster.com and experience.com

Judicial Affairs
 Created
online notification for students
Global Leadership
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As a university, we strive to develop our students
into global leaders in a world that continues to
become more digital.
By providing services to our students that utilize
current technology, our students are becoming more
in pace with the society at large (Winston 2001).
For example, institution-wide student record
applications can also track and record student
involvement in various clubs and activities and may
include modules for career portfolio design for
individual student use (Winston 2001)
Current Examples of Global Leadership Initiatives
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Careers Services
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Student Activities
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Online Alumni Networking Portals
Opportunities for student service to the community or the world
Electronic leadership profiles outlining student participation in cocurricular activities
Posting opportunities for leadership development workshops or
speakers
Residence Life
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Language Immersion residence hall – students living in this hall
live with native speakers of a foreign language and learn more
about that specific culture
Living learning centers have a series of lectures about world
issues
Conclusion
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Since the invention of the personal computer 25 years ago,
higher education, and student affairs in particular have
been revolutionized. We are more able to provide services
that students need and want to make sure that their college
careers are all that they wanted them to be and more.
Advancements in the areas of community, communication,
safety and security, accessibility, and global leadership
have made McApple College a place where students feel at
home.
In the future we need to stay abreast of all forms of
technology that affect our students and how we can best
serve them. Also, we have to remember that our IT
department is irreplaceable and we would be lost without
them!
Look How Far We Have Come
References
Astin, A. (1984). Student involvement: a developmental theory for higher
education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308.
Beloit Mindset (2008). Retrieved February 17, 2008 from
http://www.beloit.edu/~pubaff/mindset/2011.php.
Berk, L.E. (2007) Development through the lifespan (4th Edition).Boston, Pearson.
Chickering, A. W. & Reisser, L. (1993) Education and identity (2nd edition). San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
EgoDust (Producer). (2008). Future Technology Now. Retrieved February 15, 2008
from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pYMn1RR7Y0&feature=related.
Guernsey, L. (2000) Unplugged on campus, but always connected: When the goal is
high-speed web access for students and faculty, wireles networks can cut costs and
add mobility. Retrieved February 18, 2008 from
http://www.indiana.edu/~aainfo/Wireless/Info/NYT/Unplugged%20on%20
Campus,%20but%20Always%20Connected.htm.
Komives, S.R., Woodard, D.B., & Associates. (2003). Student services: A handbook
for the profession(4th Edition). San Francisco, Josey BassMoneta, L. (2005).
Technology and student affairs: Redux. New Directions for Student Services,
112, 3-14.
References
Moneta, L. (2005). Technology and student affairs: Redux. New Directions fro
Student Services, 112, 3-14.
Pascarella, E. T. & Terenzini, P. T. (1991). How college affects students. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Pope, Raechele, Amy Reynolds, & John Mueller (2004). Multicultural Competence in
Student Affairs. San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon,9, 1-6.
Reisser, L. (1995). Revisiting the seven vectors. Journal of College Student
Development, 36, 505-511.
Roger B. Jr., Winston, Don G. Creamer, & Theodore K. Miller (2001). The
Professional Student Affairs Administrator: Educator, Leader, and Manager.
New York: Brunner-Routledge.
Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion Through Innovation. New York: Free Press.
TheCake (Producer). (2006). Evolution. Retrieved February 17, 2008 from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axH00N_fb5Q.