New Technology Trends and
Resources Presentation
Illinois State University
Team Leader: Heather Campbell-Mullendore
Members: Ashley Venneman, Brandie Miller, Sara Kohout
Overview
• Audience: The Dean’s Council at Illinois State
University, including but not limited to: the Deans of each
academic college, Provost, Dean of Students, Associate
Vice President for Student Affairs, and Assistant Vice
President for Student Affairs
• Presentation: What are the new technological trend and
resource “hot topics” affecting student affairs
administrators on Illinois State University’s campus
• Time and Location: February 5, 2007, in the Brown
Conference room during the Dean’s Council Spring
semester meeting
Illinois State University Demographics
• A mid-sized, public, suburban, residential university in
the Midwest, in the small twin cities of BloomingtonNormal in central Illinois
• 99% of students are from in-state with 17,885
undergraduates out of the total enrollment of 20,247
• Illinois State University (ISU) recently passed a policy
requiring all incoming students to own a personal
computer
• Email accounts are provided to every student and every
student has access to a unique website address,
useable at their own discrepancy
Purpose and Goals
Purpose:
• To educate the
Council members
about new technology
trends and resources
that affect college
students
• To explain the
applicability of the
new technology on
ISU’s campus
Goals:
• To explain the
importance of each
technology “hot topic”
• To outline the benefits
of each topic
• To inform about the
potential problems
and relevant issues of
each topic
Outline
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Institutional Spam
Online Education Web Services
Blogs
Cell Phone Use
Online Academic Resources
Institutional Spam
Why is “Institutional Spam” an important hot
topic to the Council?
In a generation of fast food, ATMs, and drive-thru wedding
ceremonies, students and staff members should always be on the
lookout for the newer, easier ways to utilize available services to
provide a flawlessly operating university experience. Getting upto-date information to students as quickly as possible has led to
the new technology trend of institutional spam.
Institutional spam is specific to campus wide massemailing, most often used to inform the entire campus
constituency of urgent information. But when should a university
limit the amount of emails one person sends, and how many
unnecessary emails do you want to sort through each day?
Institutional Spam
At Illinois State University, there
are very specific institutional
spam policies and
procedures in place. To
understand these policies,
here are some definitions to
get started:
1. Mass Electronic Communication
(mass email): For the University
campus, it is any electronic
communication of the same
message to more than 100
recipients
2. Spam: An unsolicited electronic
communication, outside the
scope of the University mission,
sent to recipients without their
permission
3. Listserv(s): A software program
that automatically distributes
email to members subscribed on
the email list
4. Opt-in and Opt-out: Subscribers
to mass email listervs may
choose to always subscribe (optin) or unsubscribe (opt-out). A
no-opt-out list does not give a
subscriber the option to stop
receiving emails
Institutional Spam
ISU’s institutional spam email policies- there are 4 internet channels
through which to send emails on campus. They are:
• President’s all-campus mass email (opt-out not permitted):
Reserved for urgent, necessary messages for all members on
campus. Examples include:
• Crisis or urgent announcements like terrorist threats
• Logistic announcements like construction closures
• Major campus events like naming a new president
• Vice President’s mass-email groups (opt-out not permitted):
Reserved for urgent messages where all members of a specific
predefined University population must be contacted. For example:
• The Vice President for Finance and Planning emails all campus
Administrative/Professional staff and all campus Civil Service staff
• General campus mass-email groups: Most flexible channel designed
for sharing campus information and discussing mutually interesting
topics among a wide variety of groups within the campus community
• Individual emails to fewer than 100 recipients: Usable by any
campus member through regular webmail (the system student use
to send emails to each other)
Institutional Spam
The first two channels, the President’s and the Vice President’s, do not
leave room for any type of spam email and are therefore great modes of
communication across campus. The second two channels, general campus mass
emailing and emails with fewer than 100 recipients, can both become clogged with
spam emails if left unwatched. Spam emails can range from being an annoyance
to complete system shutdown.
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The most common spam includes the following (from lowest threat level):
Chain letters
Advertisements for purchasing collected email lists or even the harvesting
program
Advertisements for everything from every day items and dating services to
pornographic sites
“Get Rich Quick” or “Make Money Fast” schemes
Spam disguised as legitimate email to get users to go to a site, give their
passwords, or expose personal data about themselves
Institutional Spam
Why is institutional spam beneficial to Illinois
State University?
• With students checking their
emails constantly, institutional
spam can be used to update
many students as quickly as
possible
• Information can get to students
who are not living on campus
• Urgent messages can reach all
students quickly
• Specific constituencies on
campus can receive
information most pertinent to
them
• Student groups around
campus can participate in
discussions with each other
across campus without
needing to meet on campus
Note: For further information on ISU’s computer usage, please refer to these websites:
ISU’s email helpdesk website: http://www.helpdesk.ilstu.edu/email/
ISU’s website explaining spam and why students need an email address:
http://www.helpdesk.ilstu.edu/kb/index.phtml?kbid=1206
ISU’s explanation of checking email in webmail http://www.helpdesk.ilstu.edu/kb/index.phtml?kbid=1132
Institutional Spam
What are some problems and issues with
institutional spam at Illinois State University?
• If left unrestricted, email spam
could flood all campus
members’ email inboxes
• Too many messages sent at
the same time will slow down
the entire campus network
• Important information can be
missed by students because
they receive too many
messages to check all of them
• If spam email is not deleted, it
will stay in a person’s inbox,
using up valuable university
stored memory, meaning
important documents may not
be saved
• Spam can contain viruses,
which would effect computer
usability
• Important information can be
missed by students because
they receive too many
messages to check all of them
Institutional Spam
How does this effect student development?
•
Kuh's Engagement Theory
• Institutional Spam can serve as an advertisement for campus programs
and events, thus encouraging student engagement in campus activities
•
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• The need for safety is met by using institutional spam as a warning
device
Online Education Web Services
Why is “Online Education” an important hot
topic to the Council and the University?
Online Education has become a trend in the United States and
around the world. Online education services are important to many
citizens wanting to pursue a higher education. Online education
services, such as the University of Phoenix and DeVry University,
have become our competition for some of the students we serve,
especially the nontraditional and commuter students.
Online education is defined as a method of teaching and
learning using a computer and the internet to distribute educational
knowledge. Students are thus allowed to work at their own pace
within the deadlines set by the professor. Students and teachers are
also able to communicate with each other.
Online Education Web Services
These are some of the major online education resources provide tools for
higher education institutions to assist professors in creating a online learning environment
for classes to be accessible to all students for all of the course or in addition to their inclass course.
Products include (but not limited to):
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Assessment capabilities
Assignment drop
Calendar
Chat/online conferencing
Email/bulk email
Gradebook
File storage
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Forums/discussion boards
Links to online reading
News
Personal website
Syllabus
Test Manager
Online Education Web Services
ipod
These are some other online education resources that can help Illinois State University
reach and teach students using the media sources that they are using. This will allow ISU to stay
competitive in higher education and to keep innovating new ways of teaching.
Elluminate can provide online video conferencing to reach a variety of students,
professors, and special guests from all over the globe. This provides innovate way to teach students
without the constraints of the classroom walls. Elluminate also has the capabilities for professors to
lecture online, provide visual learning materials, and allow students to listen to the lecture when it is
convenient for them.
Podcast is a new technological way to push audio through the internet to provide
information to people. Podcasts can be played on computers, mobile phones, and ipods. Students
have the ability to download podcasts when necessary and take the information to use at their
convenience. Professors can provide lectures, interviews, movie clips, and photos to educate
students in a new, interactive way with technology that relates to them.
Online Education Web Services
Why is online education beneficial to Illinois
State University?
• Provides continued learning
outside the allotted time in the
classroom
• Attraction for nontraditional
and commuter students to be
able to learn from home
• Allows students to work at their
own pace
• Allows for live online
discussions for students and
professors no matter the
location
• Ability to have discussion
boards to give students time to
reflect and answer questions
while responding to other
classmates’ work
• Online gradebook for professor
to easily keep track of
students’ grades
• Ability to provide links for
online reading
• Saves paper and money
Online Education Web Services
What are some problems and issues Illinois
State University could face by providing online
education opportunities?
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Leads to less face-to-face interactions
Hard to properly explain and expand on learning topics
Discussions can be slow due to the times that students are online
Discussions are not open and flowing
Points or questions may not be understood or clarified easily
May be hard to get point across in discussions by typing
Students may wait to the last minute to post their response on
discussion boards leading to inadequate time to discuss topics
• Programs are costly to the university
Online Education Web Services
How does this effect student development?
• Contact between students and professors are important
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Online web services provide accessibility to professors and students no matter the location
May be easier for some students to approach the professor online rather than in person
The professor can suggest resources and provide links
• Creates cooperation and allows the exchange of ideas among
students
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Team effort, collaborative learning, and facilitates discussion for assignments
• Active learning techniques
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Students must talk, reflect, relate to past experiences, and apply to daily life
Use of tools and resources that are online, participate in discussion boards, and real-time conversations
• Provide prompt feedback, emphasize time on task, and communicate
high expectations
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Make studying more efficient by allowing students to study at home
• Brings together diverse talents and ways of thinking
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Allows students to learn in ways that work for them and in new ways that may be difficult
new ways may include: through powerful visuals and well-organized print; through direct, vicarious, and virtual
experiences; and through tasks requiring analysis, synthesis, and evaluation, with applications to real-life
situations; self-reflection and self-evaluation; collaboration and group problem solving
Blogs
Why are “blogs” an important hot topic to the
Council and the University?
College students write in blogs for a variety of reasons; a student studying
abroad in Ireland can use a blog to communicate with friends back home about the
new and exciting places she is visiting, a student highly involved in politics writes in a
blog to chronicle events during an election year and his role in one of the campaigns,
and another student struggling to fit in on campus writes in a blog as a venue to
share her inner feelings because she is unable to express them vocally but still wants
others to know.
Although blogs are thought of as being personal and private, they are public
domain and others are able to read them. Some students want their friends and
family to read their blog, while some students do not always remember that people
they do not know can be reading their blog as well. Students may end up regretting
posting something on their blog. Administrators can encourage healthy uses of blogs
and challenge students who may be using blogs as an alternative to resolving a
problem.
Blogs
In its most common form, a blog is an online journal. The initial blogs were
websites manually updated, highlighting what was new, but now in a more
advanced form, users are able to create and manage their personal blog.
Below are common blogging websites. A few are strictly for journaling, but
others combine traditional blogging features with social networking. Social
networking allows people to develop a virtual community, meet and interact
with people who share similar interests.
Blogs
Why are blogs beneficial to Illinois State University?
• Communicate with friends who are in another location
• Share feeling and/or record how felt after participating in
experiential learning trip/retreat
• Explain to others what it was like to be on campus when a natural
disaster hits
• Create a collaborative group blog in a class, reflecting on class
assignments and readings
• Marketing for university programs
• Outlet for visual and written creativity
Blogs
What are some problems and issues surrounding blogs?
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Large time commitment to upkeep a blog
Public fights/harassment
Always available, archived on public domain
May lead to stalking, knowing where an individual is at any given
time
• Gossip/rumors
• Little control over audience who reads the blog
Blogs
How does this effect student development?
•
Chickering Theory of Identity Development
• Blogging allows students to manage their emotions in a responsible
manner by writing them down and then letting them be analyzed by
themselves and others
• By keeping in contact with others through blogging, students are able to
develop mature interpersonal relationships with people from all over the
globe
Cell Phone Use
Why are “cell phones” an important hot topic
to the Council and the University?
More and more students are going to college already having a cell
phone. Long distance phone calls from a residence hall landline phone are
becoming less common. Some campuses will provide students with codes
enabling them to make long distance phone calls at a cheaper rate; however,
with cell phones becoming more prevalent some institutions have decided to
no longer provide landlines phone in residence hall rooms.
Before cell phones became commonplace, one might see students
walking out of class in groups still discussing a topic from class. It is
becoming more of the norm to see students leave class, immediately pull out
their cell phone and call someone.
Students always seem to have their cell phones with them, allowing for
easier and faster communication. Millennial students like things to happen
quickly, which is one of the reasons new cell phone technology is popular.
Cell Phone Use
Rave Wireless
“Rave Wireless provides a growing set of applications designed to allow you to
mobile-enable your college or university campus”1
This program is fairly new but has already being put into practice at other institutions.
Features of Rave Wireless:
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Text message alerts for inclement
weather and safety announcements
Access to school e-mail on the phone
Get class announcements on-the-go
Opt-in service to access campus
security department
Access university bus route tracking
1 http://www.ravewireless.com/prod_overview.htm
Cell Phone Use
Why are cell phones beneficial to Illinois State
University?
• Students able to keep in better touch with each other
• Fewer long distance charges for University
• Enhanced campus safety if GPS enabled
• Send mass text messages to students regarding emergency alerts
Cell Phone Use
How does this effect student development?
•
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
• The need for safety is met by using cell phones as a means to warn of
inclement weather or other conditions
• Cell phones satisfy the needs for family and friends by providing a
communication tool
Online Academic Resources
What are some problems and issues involving cell
phones?
• Not engaging in as much face to face communication
• Cell phones can be a disturbance in class
• Utilize phones to cheat (text messaging)
• Keep in constant contact with parents/family, reduces students’
ability to make decisions on own, always consulting parents/family
Online Academic Resources
Why are “Online Academic Resources” an
important hot topic to the Council?
Using online resources has become commonplace in the classroom.
Libraries are only able to house a limited number of books, articles, and other
resources, and having databases online gives students the opportunity to research
more sources than ever. These databases provide students with resources from
around the world and hold decades of information. Recently, the most prominent
and largest reference site on the Internet is Wikipedia.
Because students are now basing a majority of their academic research on
online sources, it is important for faculty, staff, and administrators to understand
these databases and reference sites. By being informed, professionals can teach
students about the benefits and problems that are associated with these sites and
how to properly use them. Also, with the number of non-traditional and adult
learners entering the classroom, it is vital that they are aware of these resources so
that they have full access to as much information as possible.
Online Academic Resources
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An online database is a collection of data on an Internet site that is arranged
in a way that makes information easy to find and quick to retrieve. Many of
these databases can be found and used for free on higher education
institutes’ library websites. Others can be found on personal or company
websites and can be accessed for free or for a fee. These databases
provide articles, books, movies, music, and pictures, among others, to
students anywhere in the world. Students can search for information by
topic, author, magazine, newspaper, or keyword. The largest online
database and reference site found on the Internet today is Wikipedia.
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Started in 2001, Wikipedia is a free content encyclopedia project. Anyone
can contribute to Wikipedia’s database by editing existing topic web pages,
adding new information, citations, or references, and/or creating new ones
on topics not already found on the database. Each topic page also links to
related articles. As of February 2007, over 75,000 contributors from around
the world edit more than 5,300,000 articles and topics, with more topics and
information added daily. Wikipedia can be accessed in over 200 languages
and also includes a dictionary, quotations, books, manuals, scientific
reference sources, and sister projects such as a news source. Wikipedia
has become a one-stop source for multiple types of information.
Online Academic Resources
How is it used?
Using these online databases is simple. Depending on how a
person wants to search for information, he or she will choose whether
to search through an index, catalog, or keyword. After choosing, the
user will type in words or phrases that the site will use to filter though all
of the articles, books, etc. that are on the database. The database will
then list pertinent sources that are related to the searched topic. The
user can then click on a listed sources and find out more about that
specific source. These databases provide for a quick, extensive search
that only takes minutes instead of hours or days.
Online Academic Resources
Common Online Academic Resources
Databases found on college and university library websites
Academic Resources Online
Online Academic Resources
Why are online academic resources
beneficial to Illinois State University?
• More total information available
• Can gather information from around
the world quickly
• Information is easier to gather
• Information is easier to research
• With Wikipedia, people can share
information with more people in more
locations
• Information is available 24 hours and
has no due date, unlike library
resources
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Information is up-to-date
Access to a wide variety of
medias, such as books,
articles, and video
Greater sharing of resources
Enhance student learning
productivity
Students are using tools and
skills that are familiar
Students can conduct research
from anywhere
Online Academic Resources
What are some problems and issues Illinois
State University could face by providing
online academic resources?
• Plagiarism
• Incorrect citing or quoting of sources
• Incorrect information on Wikipedia because anyone can
contribute information
• Students only use online academic resources instead of
utilizing other sources
• Students do not develop good resource search
techniques
Online Academic Resources
How does this effect student development?
• Degree of Student Learning and Academic Honesty
• Students are likely to read and use the information but not absorb the
knowledge or take away any lasting learning
• Because plagiarism is easier to accomplish with online resources,
students must develop a sense of morality and academic honesty
• Perry’s Student Development Theory
• Students are dualistic in that they believe that the knowledge found on
the online academic resources is right without questions
• Students may see online researching as quantitative instead of
qualitative because of the number of resources available
• Students avoid multiplicity by only relying on one type of source instead
of looking for several viewpoints
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m
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