Virtual Case Study Competition
Challenges and (Technical) Support
Telnet College
Karla Mae Ayres, Matt Burns,
Angie Cottrell, and Jayme Uden
Iowa State University
Challenges and
(Technical) Support


“A challenge for the future will be to balance ‘high tech’
with ‘high touch’ and to seek ways in which technology can
complement the services the profession provides rather
than replace them” (Komives, Woodard, & Associates,
1996, p. 482).
“The amount of challenge a person can tolerate is a
function of the amount of support available” (Sanford, 1966
as cited in Evans, Forney, Guido-Dibrito, 1998, p. 26).
Issues to Address
Technological Services
 Classroom Use
 Academic Concerns
 Building Community
 Technical Support
 Conclusion

Technological Services

Web-based Student Services



Accessed through the main web site, online
services to students will be used as an alternate or
supplemental form of delivering student services
For easy identification and navigation, student
service departments will be indexed on the web
site alphabetically and also located through a
single “Student Services” link
Technology coordinators from the college’s IT
department will integrate, develop, and maintain
online initiatives for each academic and student
services department
Technological Services

Web-based Student Service Opportunities

Advantages to utilizing these sites include: greater
efficiency, flexibility, and 24 hour resources
o
o
o
o
Prospective students access the site for virtual campus tours,
contact information, and online applications.
Current students access the site to complete as much
paperwork online as possible with access to a “real person” in
our institution.
Parents/Alumni access the site for information on coming
events and frequently asked questions.
Faculty/staff access the site for current information, events and
resources.
Technological Services

Web-based efficiency and effectiveness
 Efficiency
 Web-based student services do not replace actual
student service staff; technology is used as a tool to
improve and enhance efficiency.
 Online forms empower students to manage paperwork
efficiently and are also budget friendly.
 Paper forms are available as an alternative to technology.
 Effectiveness
 Reach a larger audience
 Offers a variety of communication methods
Technological Services

Tech Savvy Parents
 A rich technological
environment can provide
access to multiple ways a
learner can absorb
information.
 Staff will be available to
answer questions relating to
technology.
 Services offered to students
ensure technological support
on campus to ease parents’
concerns.
 Teens spend less than half
the time surfing the web
than adults do—303 minutes
a month compared to 656
(STAMATS, 2002).
Classroom Use
 Internet-Ready Student Work Stations (Use & Abuse)
 According to Geri Gay, professor at Cornell University, “if we think it
through, there could be terrific benefits” (Carlson, 2001, p. 2).
 “People aren’t as engaged in class when they’re surfing the Internet
. . . . There can be awkward moments when a professor asks a
question and no one’s paying attention” (Mangan, 2001, p. 2).
 Utilize lecture and recitation sessions to balance online classroom
time.
 Kolb’s Theory of Experiential Learning

“How one learns becomes a major determinant of the course of personal
development” (Kolb, 1984 as cited in Evans, Forney, Guito-DiBrito, 1998,
p. 212).
Classroom Use
 Kill Switches
 Four Options for Bentley University Professors (Mangan, 2001)




Access the Internet, but not the student’s own e-mail account
Shut off access to Internet and student e-mail
Give access to all areas
Shut off Internet access entirely
 ICN Classrooms and Distance Learning
 Allows students to interact with classrooms throughout the world
 Students studying Islamic history through an online course at University of
California at Berkley (Read, 2002)
 Technology to Teach-nology
 Training and Support for Faculty and Staff
 Online tutorials (www.teAch-nology.com)
 Mandatory training sessions
 Address student privacy concerns
Academic Concerns
 Academic Dishonesty
 “Internet Paper Mills” (Fain, 2002, p. 1)
 Over 225 websites available for students to download papers.
 “Have students look at a weak paper and analyze its failures”
(Leland, 2002, p. 1).
 Access to Internet Can Help, Harm Students’
Grades
 Internet use counted for 24 percent increase in grades for
communication students at Cornell University (Carlson, 2001).
 “The more time that computer-science students spent browsing
during class, the worse they performed” (Carlson, p. 1).
Academic Concerns
 Dropouts
 Instant Messaging, Chat Rooms, and
Online Gaming
 Students spending more time online and
less time socializing, learning.
 Need to develop intellectual as well as
interpersonal competence (Chickering and
Reisser, 1993).
 “Interpersonal competence includes skills
in communication, leadership, and working
effectively with others” (Evans, Forney,
Guito-DiBrito, 1998, p. 38).
Building Community Online

Take advantage of the listserves, e-mails, chat
rooms, and instant messaging (Sankin, 2002).



Require class reflection, discussions, and online research.
Encourage meeting reminders, minutes, and program evaluations
to be sent online.
Professors and advisors can facilitate and track online discussion
and communication.
Keep department, office, and student organization
websites updated with current information.
 Educate students on policies regarding on-line
harassment, confidentiality, and censorship.



Have procedures and judicial codes in place.
Require students to read or test about such issues.
Building Community Offline
Astin defined involvement as “the amount of physical and psychological
energy that the student devotes to the academic experience” (Evans,
Forney, Guido-Dibrito, 1998, p. 26).

Plan more programming that encourages physical exercise,
face-to-face communication, and social interaction.

Bring the “internet vampires” out into the light (DeLoughry, 1996).
Develop living and learning communities
 Encourage more structured class attendance policies


Class meetings, in-class assignments, class participation
Evaluate learning strategies and the use of technology in
the classes.
 Differentiate between those students who enjoy the internet
and those who have a possible addiction.

Technology and
Technical Support
As with anything on a college campus when a challenge is
issued, the support needs to be available for the student,
or faculty, to succeed.
 The wave of the future - Technology on Campus.


Wireless Campuses, the Bandwidth of the Future



Technological advances on campus will allow instructors to
utilize outside sources in the classroom.
Corporate sponsorships, such as the one between Morris Brown
College and Toshiba, can aid institutions in going to a wireless
network (Roach, 2002).
Personal Data Assistants (PDAs) are becoming
important information technology tools on campus
for both students and professors (Roach, 2001).
Technology and
Technical Support

Training staff and offering technical support will be the
largest hurdle of utilizing technology on campus.



Through a program of faculty and staff empowerment, the institution will be
able to better utilize and understand the available technology (Byers, Byers,
Hoadley, & Pike, 2000).
Support services will need to be continually evaluated and updated in order
to maintain the advantages gained through its use.
Technological security has become a high priority on
college campuses, especially in light of current world
events (Roach, 2001).

Institutions will need to be more aware of the students and faculty
utilizing their resources and develop methods of dealing with these
students.
Technology and
Technical Support
 The Development, Training, and Support
Division
 Responsible for research and development of new ideas and
technologies
 Create and implement a training program for new and current staff.
 Establish and maintain a campus wide support network.
Conclusion

Karen Kitchener’s (1985) Five Ethical Principles
 Respect Autonomy
 Do No Harm
 Benefit Others
 Be Just
 Be Faithful
References






Byers, C., Byers, W. A., Hoadley, M. R., & Pike, J. M. (2000).
Empowering faculty with technology. T H E Journal
(Technological Horizons in Education), 27, 106.
Chickering, A. W. & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity (2nd
ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-bass.
Carlson, S. (2001, April 20). “Wireless Technology Is a Double-Edged
Sword, Researchers Conclude.” [Electronic Version]. Chronicle of
Higher Education, A55.
DeLoughry, T. J. (1996, March 1). Do students spend too much time
on line? Chronicle of Higher Education. p. A25. (Downloaded text
from Academe Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Inc.)
Evans, N. J., Forney, D. S., & Guido-DiBrito, F. (1998). Student
development in college: Theory, research, and practice. San
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Fain, M. (2002, April 5). “Internet Paper Mills.” Kimball Library.
Retrieved from http://www.coastal.edu/library/mills2.htm
References
Komives, S. R., Woodward, D. B. Jr., & Associates. (1996). Student
services: A handbook for the profession. San Francisco: JosseyBass.
 Leland, B. (2002, Jan 29). “Plagiarism and the Web.” Western Illinois
University. Retrieved from
http://www.wiu.edu/users/mfbhl/wiu/plagiarism.htm
 Mangan, K. S. (2001, September 7). “Business Schools, Fed Up With
Internet Use During Classes, Force Students to Log Off.”
[Electronic Version]. Chronicle of Higher Education, A55.
 Read, B. (2002, April 5). “An Online Course Teaches Students About
Islam’s History and Its Tumultuous Present.” [Electronic Version].
Chronicle of Higher Education, Daily News.
 Roach, R. (2001). Public displays of affection for PDAs on campus.
Community College Week, 14, 18.
 Roach, R. (2001). Sounding the alarm on campus computer
security. Community College Week, 14, 16.

References







Roach, R. (2002). Morris Brown College wins MOBY award. Black
Issues in Higher Education, 18, 36.
Sanford, N. (1966). Self and society. New York: Atherton Press.
Sankin, G. (2002, April 5). Many students depend on instant
messaging for nonstop communication. U-Wire Today. Retrieved
from http://www.uwiretoday.com/computing040502003.html
Sharp, W. (2001). Becoming a wireless campus. T H E Journal
(Technological Horizons in Education), 28, 60.
STAMATS. (2002). Technology as a Tool: How do we know what
we [think we] know. Paper presented at the ACT Regional
Conference, Ames, IA.
Tolly, K. (2001, November 26). A few words on campus wireless.
Network World, 12.
Western Cooperative of Educational Telecommunications (2002,
April 7). Guide to developing online student services. Retrieved
from http://www.wiche.edu/Telecom/resources/publications/
guide/guide.htm