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Student Life and Technology
at Telnet College
A report by the Telnet
College Technology
Committee:
Jene Kapela, Chair
Amelia Mann
Kara Miller
Mary Tufaro
Submitted by the College of William and Mary
Purpose:
Mac G. Ford, Vice President of
Student Affairs, Created the
Technology Task Force To
Investigate Issues Concerning the
Impact of Technology Upon
Student Life at Telnet College.
Mission:
The Technology Committee members will
study and report on the pressing
technological issues that affect student
life at Telnet College. The Committee
members realize the important role that
technology can play in the education and
development of students when used
appropriately. For this reason, the
Committee members will approach their
task with the intent to:
Promote an understanding of student uses of
technology outside the classroom.
Inform the campus community to both the benefits
and risks of student uses of technology outside the
classroom.
Determine the ways that student affairs staff
members can utilize technology to better serve
students.
Foster a better understanding of appropriate uses
of technology when working with families of
students.
Enhance professional use of technology, including
increased knowledge and skill.
Promote an Understanding of Student Uses
of Technology Outside the Classroom.
“Technology is one of the forces today that has
the power to transform the nation’s colleges and
universities.”
“The convergence of publishing, broadcasting,
telecommunications, and education is blurring the
distinction between education and entertainment.”
Levine, A. (2000). The future of colleges: Nine inevitable changes. The Chronicle of Higher
Education, October 27.
Technologies
The committee members recognize that
students have access to a variety of
technologies. However, this presentation will
primarily focus on the use of computer-based
technology on campus.
Worldware
“Worldware” is the term used to describe
software that is not designed solely for
education purposes but that can be used for
teaching and learning. Examples of
worldware include:
Word Processors
Design Programs
Image Composing and Editing Tools
E-mail and Instant Messaging Services
The Internet
Uses of Worldware
Students use worldware for a variety of
purposes, primarily including:
Information
Communication
Entertainment
These uses can present both
benefits and dangers to students.
Inform the Campus Community to Both
the Benefits and Risks of Student Uses of
Technology Outside the Classroom.
“Ahead for many in the campus community is a
contest in which “high touch” competes with “high
tech.” For some, these are inherently conflicting
constructs. For others, the coming integration of
“high tech” resources with “high touch” instructional
practices represents what many faculty members
and administrators view to be the best hope for
revitalizing education.”
Green, K. C. (1999). High tech vs. high touch: The potential promise and probably limits of
technology-based education and training on campuses. Competence Without Credentials, March.
“We definitely need specification and
clarification of the rights and responsibilities
of faculty members, students, and
administrators on a whole range of issues
relating to information technology.”
“We need to be very careful to ensure that
information technology serves the university
and not the other way around.”
Kantz, S. N. (2001). Information technology: Don’t mistake a tool for a goal. The
Chronicle of Higher Education, June 15.
Benefits
Worldware has the potential to:
Enhance Student Development
Help Encourage the “Seven Principles”
Level the Playing-Field
Improve Learning Outcomes
Enhance Student Development
Extracurricular activities, including use of
technology, can significantly enhance student
learning and development (Astin, 1993;
Chickering & Reisser 1993; Pascarella &
Terenzini).
In general, use of technology is positive for the
personal development of students (Kuh and Hu,
2001).
Student uses of technology can help advance
Chickering’s “Seven Principles” and “Seven
Vectors.”
Promote the “Seven Principles of
Good Practice”
The seven principles for good practice in
undergraduate education, developed by Arthur
Chickering (1987), outline effective techniques for
interacting with students to promote learning.
Good Practice:
1. Encourages Contacts Between Students and
Faculty
2. Develops Reciprocity and Cooperation Among
Students
3. Uses Active Learning Techniques
4. Gives Prompt Feedback
5. Emphasizes Time on Task
6. Communicates High Expectations
7. Respects Diverse Talents and Ways of
Learning
Arthur Chickering and Stephen Ehrmann
(1996) determined that technology can play
an important role in promoting these
principles of good practice among students,
as well as faculty members and
administrators.
For example, technology can:
strengthen interactions between students,
faculty, and administrators,
encourage the practice of study groups,
collaborative learning, and group problem
solving,
provide tools and resources for active learning,
including learning by doing, time-delayed
exchange, and real-time conversation, and
allow students to make better use of their time.
Encourage Development of the
“Seven Vectors”
The seven vectors, developed by Arthur
Chickering (1969) and revised in 1993 by
Chickering and Reisser, provide a
framework through which to view student
development.
The Seven Vectors:
1. Developing Competence
2. Managing Emotions
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Moving Through Autonomy Toward
Interdependence
Developing Mature Interpersonal
Relationships
Establishing Identity
Developing Purpose
Developing Integrity
Technology can help encourage student
development along the seven vectors.
For example, technology can:
increase communication and promote open
discussion,
provide opportunities for students to share their
ideas and ask questions of others,
enhance collaboration among students and
increase student participation,
encourage students to strengthen the skills they
will need to function in today’s world,
present learning challenges that force students to
improve upon cognitive skills, and
help individualize the learning process.
Level the Playing Field
Technology can:
allow for equal participation from a more
diverse student population, and
afford equal opportunities for all students
regardless of economic status, gender, race,
physical abilities, and geographic location.
Dangers
Excessive Amounts of Time Spent On-line
The “Digital-Divide”
Legal Issues
On-line Harassment
Downloading Copyrighted Material
Excessive Amounts of Time
Spent On-line
Students spend increasing amounts of time
e-mailing, chatting, and instant messaging,
downloading music, playing games, and
browsing the Web.
Student use of technology serves as a
popular method of procrastination, affecting
students’ academic performance.
Furthermore, the amount of time spent online decreases personal interactions among
students.
The Digital Divide
The term “digital divide” is used to refer to
differences in economic status, gender, race,
physical abilities, and geographic locations
between those who do and do not have
access and/or the skills to make use of
information technologies (Shirley, 2000).
Although the digital divide presents extensive
concerns for primary and secondary education,
the matter is not as serious for higher education.
Two different recent studies (Lewis, Coursol, and
Khan, 2001; Kuh and Hu, 2001) found that there
is a lack of significant difference between male
and female college students in use of
technology.
Furthermore, the Kuh and Hu (2001) study
found that college students use of technology
did not differ significantly by race or ethnicity.
Legal Issues
A variety of legal issues arise out of student
uses of technology.
For example, how does an institution define
the line between free speech and protecting
the community from offensive material?
How does an institution ensure the security of
e-mail and web-based programs?
Is a technology service provider responsible
for the misbehavior of those who use the
services?
On-Line Harassment
The accessibility of computer technology has
provided an easy means for students to
behave inappropriately towards others.
As students can obtain e-mail addresses and
log into chat rooms under any name, it can be
almost impossible to track harassing
messages.
Downloading Copyrighted
Material
The practice of downloading materials –
especially music – from the Internet has become
very popular among college students.
The high-speed connections provided by most
institutions facilitate the ease with which students
can share and download music and other items.
Aside from concerns regarding copyright
infringement, downloading large amounts of
material also monopolizes the available
bandwidth, clogging campus servers.
Determine the Ways That Student
Affairs Staff Members Can Utilize
Technology to Better Serve Students.
“A specific example of the strategic use of
technology is building community… Tailored
online activities can expand horizons and
make one a part of the greater world.
However, students may become reclusive.
The proper mix of high tech and high touch
will be important in these new communities.”
Glick, M. D. & Kupiec, J. (2001). The answer is still technology – Strategic technology.
EDUCAUSEreview, November/December.
“Our definition of learning is changing, just as is
the delivery mechanisms (“technology”)
available to serve learning needs.”
Twigg, C. A. (1994). The need for a national learning infrastructure. Educom Review, 29
(4,5,6).
“Technology is not something that happens to
us. It is something we create. We must not
confuse a tool with a goal. We must, therefore,
be sure that technology serves the fundamental
purposes of higher education.”
Kantz, S. N. (2001). Information technology: Don’t mistake a tool for a goal. The Chronicle of
Higher Education, June 15.
Student affairs professionals can enrich the
college student experience by both protecting
against the dangers and encouraging the
benefits of student uses of technology.
While doing so, it is imperative to always
ensure that technology use supports and
serves the mission of the College.
Furthermore, student affairs professionals
need to be more proactive in embracing
current technology by providing better webbased services.
Counteracting the Dangers
Student affairs professionals can help
counteract the dangers relating to student
uses of technology by:
Building Community
Providing Equal Access
Educating Students About
Important Legal Issues
Build Community
Work harder to provide programs that build
community and encourage social interaction to
prevent against losing identity, decreasing
personal interactions, and excessive time spent
on-line.
Create new learning environments that use
technology to encourage communication
between diverse groups of students. For
example, host on-line discussions of significant
campus issues that affect student life.
Provide Equal Access
Guarantee that all students – regardless of
gender, race, financial situation, or enrollment
status – have equal access to technology.
Reduce any inequalities that may already exist
by providing training for all. For example,
encourage women (who are less likely than men
to use multimedia) to design their own web
pages by offering a program on web design by
women specifically for women.
Educate Students About
Important Legal Issues
Many students, especially those who have
not had extensive experience with computer
technologies, are not aware of the vast array
of legal issues surrounding technology use.
Colleges should provide mandatory
educational programs to inform students as to
legal issues, such as downloading
copyrighted music. These programs should
also address students’ rights and
responsibilities when using technologies.
Liability
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act relieves
‘on-line providers’ – such as universities that
offer Internet connections to students – of
some responsibility for copyright infringement
by their users (Hutchinson, 2001).
This means that students can be held
responsible for inappropriate on-line behavior,
such as downloading copyrighted music.
Encouraging the Benefits
As already mentioned, technology use can
encourage the emergence of new learning
communities and enhance student
development. Student affairs professionals
must take advantage of these potentials by
incorporating the use of technology in activity
and program planning.
Web-Based Student Services
As students become more inclined to conduct
business on-line, it is necessary for student
affairs professionals to improve their webbased services to meet the needs of a more
technologically savvy population.
Departmental and program web pages should
be redesigned to appeal to the
increasingly diverse students
who have access to the Web.
Students should be able to receive and submit
necessary information on-line.
Furthermore, student affairs professionals should
utilize available technology when providing
services to students. For example, offer:
grades by phone and/or through a secure on-line
student information system,
transcripts in electronic format,
telephone and/or on-line registration for courses,
on-line academic advising, and
continuous web-based evaluation.
Foster a Better Understanding of
Appropriate Uses of Technology When
Working With Families of Students.
“The rapid breakthroughs of new information and
communication technologies will further change the
way knowledge is developed, acquired, and
delivered.”
World conference on higher education. (1998). World declaration on higher education for the twentyfirst century: Vision and action. October 9. Retrieved on 4/10/2002 from:
http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/wche/declaration_eng.htm#world%20declaration.
Traditional means of delivering services and
programs will be enhanced by technology.
Upcraft, M. L.; Terenzini, P. T.; & Kruger, K. Looking beyond the horizon: Trends shaping student
affairs. ACPA Scholar Series. Retrieved on 4/7/2002 from:
http://www.acpa.nche.edu/seniorscholars/trends/trends5.htm.
Communicating With Parents and
Other Family Members
Family members of students increasingly expect
all relevant information about the College and its
services to be available on-line, as well as for
some services to be provided on-line.
These individuals also more often prefer to
communicate with student affairs professionals
through e-mail.
For these reasons it is important to keep the
needs of family members in mind when
updating web-based services.
Enhance Professional Use of
Technology, Including Increased
Knowledge and Skill.
“Institutions must change to meet the
changing needs of learners. Information
technology is playing a central role in these
changes, driving the information explosion
and making it possible for us to think about
new ways of responding to new demands.”
Twigg, C. A. (1994). The need for a national learning infrastructure. Educom Review, 29
(4, 5, 6).
“We can continue to be reactive and use
whatever technology seems to fit a given or
perceived need, or we can be proactive and
purposefully consider the larger arena in which
we operate, and adapt our strategies
accordingly.”
Glick, M. D. & Kupiec, J. (2001). The answer is still technology – Strategic
technology. EDUCAUSEreview, November/December.
“The most successful institutions will be those
that can respond the quickest…”
Levine, A. (2000). The future of colleges: Nine inevitable changes. The Chronicle
of Higher Education, October 27.
No longer can only a few individuals in an
office be responsible for the technological
needs of that office.
It is essential that all student affairs
professionals have an understanding of the
technologies currently in use by the
institution.
Furthermore, it is necessary for staff
members to learn new skills in order to
provide new services and also to meet the
expectations of students and their families.
Recommendations
It has become necessary for our student
affairs division to not only respond to the
technological advances taking place on
campus but also to anticipate the changing
needs of the student body.
The members of the this committee would like
to recommend that the Technology Committee
be appointed as a permanent standing
committee to create a strategic plan
addressing the five following propositions:
I.
II.
III.
Systematically observe how much time
students spend using technology for various
purposes to better gauge how student affairs
can meet students changing needs.
Develop a document that clearly outlines
expectations as to students rights and
responsibilities when using campus
technology services.
Enforce a residence requirement for all firstyear students to guarantee that students are
exposed to the experience of living and
learning in a residential community.
IV.
V.
Provide continuous training for student affairs
professionals to ensure that staff members
are able to use existing technology in a
manner that meets the expectations of
students and their families.
Complete a review of the current professional
uses of technology within student affairs to
determine how we can improve our practices.
These measures will guarantee that uses of
technology on campus will better serve the
mission of the College.
On-Line Resources
Association for Educational Communications and
Technology - http://www.aect.org/
EDUCAUSE: Transforming Education through
Information Technologies – http://www.educause.edu/
Higher Education Trends for the Next Century: A
Research Agenda for Student Success –
http://www.acpa.nche.edu/seniorscholars/trends/trends.ht
m
International Conference on Technology and Education
– http://www.icte.org/
National Learning Infrastructure Initiative http://www.educause.edu/nlii/
U.S. Department of Education: Digital Divide –
http://www.ed.gov/Technology/digdiv.html
U.S. Department of Education: Office of Educational
Technology – http://www.ed.gov/Technology/
World Conference on Higher Education –
http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/wche/world.htm
World Declaration on Higher Education for the 21st
Century : Vision and Action.
http://www.unesco.org/education/educprog/wche/declaration
_eng.htm#world%20declaration
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