Statement and Course Description:
George Kuh (1996) describes the creation of seamless learning
environments, in which “academic and non-academic, curricular
and cocurricular, or on-campus and off-campus are now one piece,
bound together so as to appear whole or continuous. In seamless
learning environments, students are encouraged to take advantage
of learning resources that exist both inside and outside the classroom” (Kuh,
1996, p. 136). Citing prior research (Pascarella and Terenzini,
1991; ACPA, 1994, p. 1), Kuh argues that student affairs professionals
have an opportunity to promote student learning through effective
partnerships and collaboration within the university. On other
words, student affairs professionals should be looking for innovative
avenues through which to connect a diverse study body to the academic,
cultural, and social life of the university. Whether technologies
can or should supplant the physical elements of higher education
is highly debatable, nevertheless it is imperative that student
affairs professionals acknowledge the potential of technology to
bridge otherwise discrete sectors of student life.
Although technology seems to be an inevitability on modern college
campuses, how well do new student affairs professionals really
understand the issues surrounding its development and application?
Understanding technology is not simply a matter of training new
professionals on E-mail or database applications. Those skills
are immediately useful for communication and information retrieval,
and the instructors, in conjunction with knowledgeable authorities,
will present exercises designed to enhance students’ practical
competencies. This course, however, is not vocational. The instructors’ goal
is to prevent a technological complacency: just because student
affairs professionals can use the latest E-mail application does
not necessarily imply their conceptual fluency with regard to the
management of new and existing technologies. Students will become
better aware of the larger issues surrounding the administration
and supervision of technology.
The course is organized around five themes.
1. What is technology? What is the history of technology on the
college campus?
2. What basic skills must new student affairs professionals master,
or at least understand? What types of hardware and software will
new professionals encounter during the first stages of their careers?
3. How does technology match the purpose higher education? How
does it support a seamless learning environment?
4. What challenges limit the introduction or effectiveness of
technology in higher education?
5. How can student affairs professionals evaluate the use of technology
at another institution, particularly with regard to its organizational
dynamics, budgets, and physical spaces?
Most topically, students will use these skills and insights to
launch a hypothetical job search. To be competitive in the student
affairs job market, students must be able to negotiate basic technological
competencies and to discern how well other institutions embrace
technology’s potential. This course is a combination of theory
and practice, both of which are necessary to effectively utilize
technology in this field.
Kuh suggests that faculty and student affairs professionals must
engage a holistic view of the institution. This course was developed
around the premise that technology is one element among a variety
of institutional priorities, all of which must be regarded as interrelated.
This endeavor requires systemic thinking. To that end, the course
references a range of functional areas and theoretical perspectives
throughout the institution. To achieve a holistic appreciation
for the potential of technology, new student affairs professionals
must help articulate a common language and collective vision about
the function of technology in higher education. This course will
facilitate the development of a shared understanding of technology
as an important trend in our discipline.
Sources:
American College Personnel Association (ACPA). (1994). The student
learning imperative: Implications for student affairs. Washington,
DC.
Kuh, G.D. (1996). Guiding principles for creating seamless learning
environments for undergraduates. Journal of College Student Development
37 (2), 135-148.
Pascarella, E.T. and Terenzini, P.T. (1991). How college affects
students: Findings and insights from twenty years of research.
San Fransisco: Jossey-Bass.