Changing the Channel: Using Technology Effectively in Student Affairs

Nicole Boulais, Ph.D.
First Year Enrichment and Orientation
Rochester Institute of Technology
nabcst@rit.edu

Tina Sturgis, M.S.
B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences
Rochester Institute of Technology
tina@cs.rit.edu

Posted: October, 2003     Student Affairs Online, vol. 4 no. 4 - Fall 2003

As technological advances continue to impact society at an astounding rate, it is imperative that higher education develop systems to assess the usefulness and the appropriateness of incorporating these new technologies into our campus communities. These systems, if implemented correctly, will also assist us in making good developmental and educational decisions about the integration of these resources into our daily work. Wellness tools like the Omron body composition reader and pedometers; student “necessities” such as cell phones, personal digital assistants, and text pagers; and instructor resources such as web-based tutorials, smart classrooms, and online course support systems are but a few of the tools available to Student Affairs professionals. With all of these options, it becomes easy to give in to the pressure of having every new object and program on the market without considering the educational and developmental impact of these decisions.

As technology continues to evolve it is vital to maintain a focused perspective on its role in Student Affairs, continuously challenge our knowledge base, and expand current practice to embrace change as it occurs. As Student Affairs professionals continue to be faced with critical decisions about the use of technology they must follow the same sound practices used in other areas of their work. The selection process for adopting new technological options should be theory-based, student-centered, and well assessed in order to understand its effectiveness and impact.

In 1997, the American College Personnel Association (ACPA) and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) developed a joint document entitled the Seven Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs. The principles outlined in this theory and practice based work serve as a solid framework for examining the educational and developmental benefits of technology. The principles include:

· Engaging students in active learning,

· Helping students develop coherent values and ethical standards,

· Setting and communicating high expectations for student learning,

· Using systematic inquiry to improve student and institutional performance,

· Using resources effectively to achieve institutional missions and goals,

· Forging educational partnerships that advance student learning, and

· Building supportive and inclusive communities.

Before being able to fully understand how the Seven Principles of Good Practice for Student Affairs can, and should, impact individual decisions about technology, it is essential that individual practitioners understand their own knowledge and skill as well as the culture of the institution and department in which they work. One framework that can be used to better understand your campus' "technological culture" is the technology continuum assessment tool. This tool provides users with series of factors which can impact the decision-making process in a variety of ways. And, when taken into consideration as a whole, creates a snapshot of the organizations' culture around technology. Using this continuum as a tool, the user is able to identify where each individual, institution and/or department falls in terms of skills, resources, and willingness to adapt to new technological advances. With an increased awareness of these strengths and weaknesses, informed decisions about the types of technology chosen for use are likely to result.

Using the Seven Principles document as a base, a decision-making framework can be developed to examine how a new piece of software or hardware may impact student learning and enhance the effectiveness of Student Affairs’ work. This decision-making tool outlines each of the seven principles and provides a pro and con diagnostic type tool to assist with the analysis of the educational benefits and drawbacks of a new technology solution. This type of instrument can be used to assist with decision-making about a full range of technology options from the purchase of small equipment items such as pedometers to the implementation of instant messaging and discussion boards in an advising system. On a case-by-case basis, each of the seven-principles may play a role in the decisions Student Affairs professionals make in regard to technology. When reviewing the Seven Principles, the several items listed below should be considered.

Engage students in active learning

Does the technology reach students of all learning styles/types?

Does the technology reach students you don’t normally reach?

Have you considered using technology to initiate direct contact options with students such as online office hours or advising?

Helping students develop coherent values and ethical standards

Do institutional conduct policies include statements about appropriate use of technology?

Where/When/How are students introduced to these policies?

What happens when inappropriate use of chat rooms/bulletin boards occurs? Who deals with this and how? What is considered “inappropriate”?

What resources (time, staff, capital) are involved in monitoring these sites? Who is responsible?

Setting and communicating high expectations for student learning

Do institutional systems use technological advances such as online placement testing, online notetaking, or electronic portfolios?

Is there an electronic mechanism in place to alert students if their progress in a course is less than what is expected of them?

Are institutional expectations, policies, and procedures delivered to students in a way that they are familiar with?

Using systematic inquiry to improve student and institutional performance

Do student affairs systems/practices support academic affairs initiatives such as electronic early alert systems for performance tracking?

Do assessment and evaluation tools incorporate technology advances such as webforms, scan sheets, and card swipes?

Can communication among professionals and/or with students be enhanced with new technologies such as instant messenger systems, electronic tracking and shared documentation of student files?

Using resources effectively to achieve institutional missions and goals

Is technology and technological resource allocation a priority for the institution?

Is it part of the mission, vision, or goals to provide students with access to top of the line technological resources? If so, are you meeting that expectation/goal? Are your students satisfied?

Does technology provide a connection between students and the institution? Between students and faculty/staff?

Does technology affect/impact your institutional culture?

Forging educational partnerships that advance student learning

Do technological advances serve to build bridges with academic affairs?

Do tools provide students with opportunities to further their learning and reflect outside the classroom?

Do tools allow students to provide students a means to maintain or enhance their learning beyond the college experience?

Building supportive and inclusive communities

Do technological advances support the development of learning communities?

Is the development/enhancement of online communities designed to compliment/enhance real or "live" communities and relationships?

Do advances provide equal opportunities and support for students from all backgrounds, including ethnicities, religions, physical abilities, sexual preference?

In our attempts to strengthen our communities, share our leadership, and support student learning, while embracing and stimulating change, it is essential that we also remember the importance of assessment and planning in our decision-making process. Student knowledge in the area of technology is rapidly expanding often making us feel that we “must” jump at every opportunity to use these new devices. Do practitioners need to be one step ahead of students? Is the development of this new knowledge another way that, through personal and professional development opportunities, Student Affairs professionals can connect with students on their level? While this article has offered many things for you to consider, Student Affairs practitioners will be well served to ask difficult questions about the tools we use to do our work. Are we willing to take a risk and change the channel? Or even turn it off…

References

Principles of good practice for student affairs. (1997). Joint publication from ACPA and NASPA.

Astin, A.W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.

Chickering, A.W. & Ehrmann (1996, October, 3-6).  Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. AAHE Bulletin.