StudentAffairs.com Case Study
Jude Paul Dizon, Jilliene Johnson, Nicole PalmerUniversity of Vermont
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Widely used by students
◦ To acquire information
◦ Form connections with peers
◦ Communicate multi-directionally
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Integral component of many students’ lives
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Various nascent internet technologies
New forms of communication to promote
interaction and dialogue
Networking sites (ie Facebook)
Instant communication (ie Twitter)
Media technology (ie Youtube)
Communication platforms (ie discussion
boards, video conferencing, instant
messaging, etc.)
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We believe social media can advance the
goals of higher education institutions.
Through timely delivery of information,
providing a virtual forum for communication
and information storage, social media meets
the demands of students to connect to
resources and each other in a variety of ways.
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Mission: We are a community of staff and
students whose purpose is to foster academic
growth and equal access to education for all
students through
◦ Creating a welcoming, inclusive, comfortable
environment;
◦ Nurturing students’ identity development and
personal and academic growth;
◦ Being innovative and collaborative student
advocates.
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Services
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Learning skills
Subject area tutoring
Supplemental Instruction
Writing Center
Goals
◦ To incorporate universal design into Co-op
services.
◦ To foster independent learners.
◦ To promote collaborative learning.
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In accomplishing our goals, we will be guided
by the following core values:
◦ Service to the UVM community by advancing
student learning and success.
◦ Balance of autonomy and independence in learning.
◦ Diversity, social justice, and multiculturalism.
◦ Excellence and effectiveness in our quality of work.
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To advance the goals of the Learning Cooperative, we intend to utilize social media
to:
◦ Provide a structure to facilitate access to resources
and services.
◦ Provide resources to students.
◦ Provide a space for students to collaboratively
learn.
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Understanding and implementing social media in the Learning
Co-Operative’s initiatives around the Principles of UDL is critical
to its success. As educators one must understand . . .
◦ Multiple means of representation (there are several ways to present
information to students to maximize their learning)
 Discussion boards
 Collective documents
 YouTube videos
◦ Multiple means of expression (there are various ways to express
knowledge)
 Papers and exams
 Presentations
 Role Playing
◦ Multiple means of engagement ( there are numerous avenues to engage
and motivate students)
 Internal
 External
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Students have diverse challenges
◦ Lack of engagement
◦ Language barriers
◦ Learning disabilities
◦ Sensory and physical disabilities
◦ Psychiatric disabilities
◦ Time constraints
Students come from diverse backgrounds
◦ Race
◦ Language
◦ Socioeconomic status/ Class
◦ Sexual orientation
◦ Gender
Students have diverse strengths
◦ Learning through visuals
◦ Learning through auditory
◦ Learning through kinesthetics
Social
Media can be a great opportunity to encourage, provide accessibility, and offer
supplemental opportunities outside of the classroom.
Encouragement
◦ Social media has become a part of many student’s daily lives. Thus, they are very
knowledgeable and open to using it.
 YouTube tutorial videos
 Facebook Discussion Boards
 Google Docs
Accessibility
◦ Many students can access information quickly without little to no traveling
 Personal computers
 Cell phones
Supplemental Opportunities
◦ Offer other means to interact with the material
 Online discussions
 Instant feedback to inquires
 Video of class lectures
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Theoretical Rationale: developing students into
independent learners furthers academic success by
encouraging individual student initiative, selfreliance, and self-improvement.
Independent learning helps students manage their
learning by encouraging them to explore their own
learning styles/needs.
Media technology can develop strong independent
learners by providing students tools to access
academic support materials in ways that are
compatible with how students already communicate
with their peers.
Academic Assistance
through video-sharing
websites such as Youtube.
 Youtube can be used to
“broadcast” academic
support tools for
personal review as
frequently as the
student may need the
resource.
 In order to cater to an
array of learning styles
and the abilities, videos
are encouraged to have
caption options.
Test Taking Skills
http://www.youtube.com/uvmlearning
coop
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Skype and other VoIP ( voice over
Internet Protocol) services can
promote inclusion by connecting
students with physical disabilities
to the classroom from the comfort
of home or residence hall.
Services like Skype offer video
share, and the ability to play and
replay academic support tutorials
with video messaging tool.
*If professors become active participants in
video communication software, students will
be able to share and access class resources.
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Students could meet and work with
their advisors through Skype. For
example, Buffalo State College has
designated “Skype advisors”
offering academic assistance and
sharing resources through the
software.
http://www.buffalostate.edu/academicsupport/x522.xml
Stay Connected Through
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In the learning co-op, information should be distributed in a timely manner-where the
information is relevant for the students- such as during midterm and final exams.
Twitter helps students retrieve resources in a manner that is timely, easy, and accessible
through different mediums( eg. computer, mobile devices, etc.)
Students who “follow” UVM Learning Co-op will have access to useful web resources, video,
books, product or services that students would find useful.
◦ For example, this link about the SQ3R method can be customized and “tweeted” to help
increase students’ understanding and retention of textbook material.
◦ A way to remember all the stuff in your textbooks
◦ Students can also share the information by “retweeting” a post that they found helpful
http://twitter.com/#!/uvmlearningcoop
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Learning is enhanced when it is like a team
effort.
In working together, students may acquire
new strategies and knowledge.
Students may negotiate shared meanings
together and challenge subjective
understandings of what they know.
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Discussion forums
◦ Students in study groups or receiving supplemental
instruction for the same courses may benefit from
an online discussion forum.
◦ The ability to post questions, comments, and share
news with one another facilitates peer learning and
cooperation to be academically successful.
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Shared websites
◦ Group shared websites with the capability to be
self-edited (such as Wikipedia) provide another
avenue for students to share resources and
communicate collectively.
◦ An online space to upload documents, host a
calendar of meetings and exams, as well as other
materials allows students to instantly share
resources with one another.
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Social medial can be challenging to students
that . . .
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Only view it as a social avenue and do not want to
use it for educational opportunities.
Do not know how to navigate different websites.
Find it difficult to relate to the other people based
on their own identities
Have physical disabilities
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Camille, L. Z. & Blachowicz, C. B. (2008). Reading Comprehension, Second Edition:
Strategies for Independent Learners . New York,NY : The Guilford Press.
Instructional Approaches – A Framework for Professional Practice. (1991).
Saskatchewan Education, USA.
Kumpulainen, K. & Kaartinen, S. (2003). The Interpersonal Dynamics of Collaborative
Reasoning in Peer Interactive Dyads. The Journal of Experimental Education, Vol. 71,
No. 4, pp. 333-370.
McGraw-Hill Brings Together Social Media and Education Experts to Discuss the Future
of Social Media in Higher Education. (2010, February 11). Retrieved February 22, 2011,
from PR Newswire: United Business Media: http://www.prnewswire.com/newsreleases/mcgraw-hill-brings-together-social-media-and-education-experts-todiscuss-the-future-of-social-media-in-higher-education-84142182.html
Summer, J.J., Beretvas S.N., Svinicki, M.D. & Gorin, J.S. (2005) Evaluating Collaborative
Learning and Community. The Journal of Experimental Education, Vol. 73, No. 3
(Spring, 2005), pp. 165-188.
Teaching all students, reaching all learners, including students with disabilities as
diverse learners. Retrieved February 22, 2011, from LoveToKnow, Corp:
http://www.ist.hawaii.edu/training/design/01_definition.php
Rakoczy, C. (2011). Different learning styles. Retrieved February 22, 2011, from:
http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/for-teachers/different-learning-styles.html