There is little doubt that mobile technology has had a significant impact on our work. Smart phones and tablets have asserted themselves into our workflows enabling us to increase our productivity. Yet, in an ever-growing, almost infinite space of apps and services, it can be difficult to find the right applications or services that can enhance our work. If you’re looking to get the most out of your mobile device, below are three apps/services I suggest to get started.

Evernote
Simply, Evernote allows you to capture everything, access it from anywhere, and helps you find things quickly. It’s likely the most feature complete, note-taking application. Whatever you want to remember, you simply make, or attach, as a “note.” You can do this with photos, presentations, documents, voice memos, or several other files. Notes are then synced across all of your mobile devices and to your computer allowing access to them from anywhere. You can even access your notes through a web browser. Furthermore, you can share notes with multiple colleagues for quick collaboration.

Most notably, Evernote comes with optical character recognition (OCR). Meaning, you can attach a PDF, photo, or other non-text document and Evernote will scan the file for words, telephone numbers, addresses, etc. that can all be searched. It’s fairly difficult to relate just how powerful this is until you use it. I’ve found the feature is especially convenient during conference season for managing business cards. Simply take a photo and Evernote is smart enough to make sense of the information. The feature is also great for archiving paper agendas from meetings.

Evernote offers a free service available for iOS, Andriod, Windows, and Blackberry.

Dropbox
By now, I would imagine most have heard of Dropbox. In many ways, Dropbox does for files what Evernote does for notes. Simply install the app and Dropbox places a folder on your device that remains synced with your other devices – on PCs this folder lives on your hard drive, on mobile devices it lives on the cloud. For example, if you place a document in your Dropbox folder on your computer, you can access the document on all of your other devices with the Dropbox app installed. If you save a document to Dropbox on your mobile device, it syncs to your computer. There’s nothing new about sync. But, what makes Dropbox unique is that it just seems to work the way you’d expect all the time. Best of all, you can access all your files securely from any computer using the web browser.

In addition, Dropbox allows users to share specific files or folders with multiple users. This is convenient when working with particularly large files that exceed email attachment limits or when multiple edits are expected to a document. When you’re done sharing, you can simply change the permissions or delete the folder or file. It’s like having a shared drive that isn’t limited to your work computer. Dropbox is great for accessing documents away from work (duty schedules, contact numbers, articles for an upcoming meeting, etc.).

Dropbox offers a free service available for iOS, Andriod, and Blackberry on mobile platforms and all major desktop platforms.

Fantastical
Fantastical might be the best calendar application ever created. Essentially, Fantastical allows you to schedule appointments by typing much like you’d speak. For example, type “Student Staff Selection Committee weekly in East Area Conference Room on Thursday from 1-2 beginning on June 6 and ending on December 19” and Fantastical creates the event as you’d expect. It eliminates the need to type in multiple fields, hit checkboxes, tab through to set beginning and end dates and times, etc. In fact, you can actually speak what you want and Fantastical makes the event. It’s likely the best way to schedule meetings on the go.

Fantastical syncs with Exchange, Outlook, Google, Yahoo, and iCloud calendars and has all the features you’d expect including scheduling assistant, calendar invites, and an incredibly powerful search.

Fanstastical is for iOS  and will cost you a venti mocha with a pump of hazelnut – which, understandably, could be a deal breaker.

What apps do you use to be productive? Share your suggestions in the comments below.

Photo via Ben Husman

I need process.  It was the first thing I did after arriving at South Carolina.  I developed a paper form that my advisee and I shared to chart the development of a campus program. I realize that the next step for me is a process for student development.  My 1-on-1 notes are underwhelming and don’t capture the complexities of college student development.  This leads me to this search for process.

The doctor’s office has a process.

From the moment you fill out new patient forms to the second she does her wrap up speech, there is a process.  Science and medicine have come far enough where they took what use to be a hit or miss guessing campaign against illness and turn it into a incredibly sophisticated set of pointed questions, medical testing, and If-Thens.

Student Development (and human development in a wider lens) isn’t that clear cut. Student Development is a messy process of  growth and regression. Student Development is a moment to moment, unstable control over the situation, type of profession.  Practitioners use theories when available (and sometimes just when there is time) to direct the developmental work which seems to be the norm amongst most of Student Affairs (at least from my own perceptions).  I fall into that category but I’m ready for something more comprehensive and intentional.

I believe there is a systematic way to develop students.

Practitioners have their methods of advising, seemingly developed over years in the field.  I’m imagining something with a deep structure that would be applied not just to the students I advise but to all students that work with Student Affairs practitioners at the institution.  I believe some would call it “consistency of service.”  The way I imagine it practitioners evaluate student’s level of development (with whichever metrics they choose), chart an intentional growth plan, assess them through the journey, and finish it off with exit counseling and a roadmap for continued growth. Think of it as a guardrail system on the highway. There is a clear road forward but always space to on each side for students to veer (just never far enough where they drive off the cliff). On that same highway is an officer making sure everything is under control but only steps in when something goes wrong. Its a standardized system that still keeps in mind the uniqueness of each student.

I see this as a cross-campus tool.  I was meeting with a campus partner just the other day that oversees four-year advising in our College of Arts and Sciences.  They utilize a system that connects all advisors into one network that offers information on courses, services, and even an area to mark comments and keep track of each student academically. I fell in love. I see this system in my head being ported into student development.  Instead of looking at an advisees development just through my lens (either their leadership roles or just our interactions) I can layer in their four-year advisors, professors, coaches, etc… This provides a richness to development that I haven’t encountered.  Dare I even use a popular buzzword… Holistic development. Instead of using that term related to developing the whole student through my work, I use it as developing the whole student from all those that interact with them on campus. My mind begins to take these thoughts and runs way into the future with them (which I struggle and fight sometimes) but for now I am just focusing on creating my advising process so I can offer the best experience for my advisees.

My green is showing.

I wan’t to frame these beliefs since this is Part 1 of a who-knows-how-long string of posts in this who-knows-how-long search\development of my professional advising process. A student recently dropped into my office and asked if I could help one of their student groups with a constitution revision. I legitimately became giddy.  He mentioned that I was beginning to build a reputation as the Constitution King, which I think he meant as a half-hearted joke.  I wish I could put that on a business card. I’ll frame this using true colors (one of my personal favorites).  I am a strong Orange\Green. The most glaring connection to my green is that I love process. When I say I love process I mean I LOVE process. I would call it a philosophical love affair. It is the first thing I look at when I start working on a new project.  I want to make sure the process fits what I’m trying to accomplish and makes my effort as efficient as possible.  It also feels like the best way I can leave a place better then I found it.

Plain and simple: I want to be the best advisor I can be. For me that starts with being more intentional and consistent.  These posts serve as a record of that journey.

Have a process that works for you?  If you dont mind, share with me!

I spend a lot of time gathering and sharing information with others via Twitter. If I have a lull in my day, I like to scroll through the last hour of my tweet stream and see what new gems I can find. Usually, I end up opening several new tabs, which I then try and read during the rest of the day. (Current tab count for those who are interested is 12, divided among two windows. It’s been a slow news day.) Sometimes I wonder why individuals share the information they do — does it have personal significance? Is it a cause they are associated with? An issue or topic that they are currently researching and learning more about?

Recently, Niki Rudolph shared an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education discussing student organizations who offer micro loans to entrepreneurs in the surrounding community. Niki and I have shared some tweets back and forth over the past couple of years, and we have even worked at the same institution (Go Fighting Pickles!), but I have never met Niki. What I know about Niki is gleaned from her Twitter bio and her tweets. She is a great supporter of women in higher education, she works in the academic affairs side of the house, and loves diet coke. After reading the article she shared, my brain was churning. What a great idea this seems to be, and how empowering it must be for the students! However, my next thought was, why did Niki share this? Sure, anyone who works in higher education can see that it’s an innovative student practice, but I was curious about the heart behind the RT. Does it have personal significance? Does she donate through kiva.org? Is she currently involved in launching a similar project on her campus?

So, I decided to ask. The result? I feel like I know Niki a bit better now. I’ve also adjusted where she sits in my mental rolodex, and know that I can bounce ideas by her that may relate to service learning and student leadership. By taking that step further to ask “why?”, I strengthened my connection with this twitter based colleague.  You can read Niki’s response question below.

When I was a hall director, one of my RAs decided to spend a semester in Bangladesh. I cannot say that Bangladesh was a popular destination for study abroad students, but off Robin went. He went to see the impacts of micro-loans, or micro-credit, first hand. It was the first I had heard of such financing, and I was amazed to hear that many of the loans were directed to women, who often reinvested in their communities and were more likely to repay. The repayment of these loans was up in the area of 98%. So, when I saw the article, I began thinking of what amazing potential such programming could have on college campuses, the surrounding communities, and the students involved.

1. Service Learning. Many service learning efforts are day-long efforts, or drives on campus, or having students spending a few hours putting together care packages. I am not discounting those programs, since for many of the students, that may be all the time they have to commit, and those efforts help people. However, what amazing learning could occur when the effort is long term. An investment in the people of the surrounding community, with an end result of long term connections and students wanting to see those people succeed.

2. Leadership. Truthfully, when I first read the article, I thought, “Hey, Cindy and Chris might be interested in this.” What a great way to show students not just leadership in terms of creating nice programs, but leadership in terms of seeing the impacts of service and coordinating group efforts for a tangible end. Can you just imagine what kinds of experience these student leaders can talk about in their future interviews?

3. Skill Building. I would be remiss, as an academic affairs professional, to not discuss the wonderful application of academic learning this kind of programming can provide. Not just the business majors, but the communication majors and social work majors and engineer majors, getting a better understanding of community needs, economics, budgeting, planning, and client service is a learning opportunity that few classrooms can provide.

This is what education should be. Not just learning, but doing something with that learning that has real value, real impact on people and communities, and not just a means to a job. Employment at the end of two or four years is important, but employment with strong citizenship is even better.

Part of the intense facilitation/speaking training that I acquired through my three years working with QLN, was a deeper understand of their core tenets. Two tenets that still stick heavily with me today in the work I do with training staff, faculty, and administration on leveraging social media for increased student engagement are called, “The Prime Directive” and “Rapport vs Influence.”

Let me step back before moving on with the QLN tenets.

Rejection to “this generation’s technology” is a common reaction that comes up during almost every faculty training I’ve attended . The frequency has dropped over the past seven years, but it still exists. Through the rejection, comes anger and frustration that spills over to cover a plethora of topics. Now is a good time to introduce the “Reaction to Technological Change” chart to help put the anger in perspective.

Sometimes in these trainings, I go on a mini rant to say how it doesn’t work to stay angry or frustrated at Facebook, Twitter, Texting, or Google+ because it’s the world this generation is living in. By rejecting their world, you are rejecting them, and they need you. They need you to show them your morals. They need you to show them your values. They need you to show them your traditions. They need you to help them be better people in this world. After all, that is your job as an educator. And you won’t be allowed to influence them unless you have rapport with them, which brings me back to the two QLN tenets.

• The Prime Directive
• Rapport vs Influence

The end goal of an educator is to influence an individual in such a way that they become better citizens of the world. Influence is like currency that you spend on someone that they gave to you, and the way to increase your “Influence Currency” is by building a relationship with the individual. As you build the relationship, they will give you more “Influence Currency” that you can turn around and hand back to them in the form of influence. So the question then becomes, how do you build rapport with someone?

Building rapport with someone comes down to showing that you are interested and care about an individual and the world they live in. It doesn’t mean you have to live in their world, just be interested and curious. You go into their world to build the relationship, then you bring them back to your world to spend some of your “Influence Currency” to give them your values, morals, and traditions. Then you send them back into their world to be better citizens in THEIR world, not yours. Theirs to ours, ours to theirs.

I understand anger in terms of the “Reactions to Technological Change” chart above, but if your goal is to better connect with this generation, then staying angry or frustrated won’t work. It’s time to reach past the CNN headline and open up your curiosity door to see what their world is really like so you can increase your “Influence Currency.”

I just attended the EDUCAUSE Annual Conference here in Philadelphia. EDUCAUSE is the leading conference for higher education IT professionals. From teaching and learning, to new technology such as cloud and mobile applications, this conference has renewed and excited me for the potential technology has in enhancing learning. Some of it was way over my head and other sessions were right in tune with my philosophy and approach to education. The opening speaker was Seth Godin. He challenged us to think differently regarding our impact on the future and our profession. We are artists and must create and have the freedom to do so. I now have a long reading list with Seth’s books at the top. I enjoyed listening to Keith McIntosh, who talked about growing your staff, developing your staff and loving your staff. This theme came through other sessions as well such as one by Linda Cureton, the CIO of NASA. She spoke of failing. Not once, but over and over. The message? Take a risk and encourage your staff to do so.

Another great aspect of this conference was the exhibition hall. I have never seen a conference display like this one. 3D technology was everywhere, plus great food. Nearly every vendor had a drawing for an iPad. I didn’t win, but I think it says something about where we are headed as educators. It was great to learn about new technology and systems, but almost overwhelming for my mind. I spent most of the conference reflecting and mulling on the impact of technology, not only in my work but also in my life. EDUCAUSE has opened new doors and concepts to me and has shown me really what is necessary to truly impact learning.

I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to attend EDUCAUSE in the future, as it’s not the typical conference for student affairs professionals to attend, but I think everyone needs to attend a conference not directly related to their work. It allows you to be exposed to new thought processes and opens new ideas and possibilities. I surely got this and have new thoughts and methods on how to achieve my goals and aspirations.

This post is part of BSU’s BlogFest during the 2011 BSU Social Media Week festivities.   Today’s writing prompt: “What role does technology play to help or hinder relationships?”

Five years ago, Twitter was born, and I had no idea how much it would change my life, both professionally and personally. If you told me this two years ago when I first joined the Twitter community, I would have said you were crazy.  But as many of you know, Twitter as been a transformative force in my life and helped me build so many meaningful relationships I would have otherwise not been privileged to.

When I read the prompt, my answer depends on how you use “technology.”  It can hinder relationships if there is no balance with it in your life and I have certainly had my share of challenges in this area.  I rarely look at things as an “either / or”, I am more of a “both / and” type of thinker.  For a long time, I saw the use of technology, like Twitter, as either “on it” or “off it”, mainly because I did not fully understand it’s purpose in my life.  This caused a lot of unbalance and unnecessary stress, because like many things I do, I want to be the best at it so I can teach others with confidence (this comes from my parents.)  So I was on Twitter ALL THE TIME, to learn everything I could.  But recently, I have changed a bit, and embraced Twitter with a “both / and” approach.   Like my email and voicemail, I check in on Twitter when I have the chance and mainly to respond to mentions and DM’s, and to RT good content.  I no longer try to keep up with everything (because I simply can’t), knowing that my Twitter community will RT the good stuff anyway.  I have seen myself move further away from Facebook and frankly, would disconnect my account today, if it weren’t for the work I do in Higher Education to try and build learning communities.

As I think about Twitter as a relationship builder, it really matters how you spend your time there.  I love meeting new people, helping out where I can, and connecting them with others I know.  Those are big reason why I am on Twitter.  If you choose to be part of it, you may for a variety of reasons.  If you do, I have a few pieces of advice, especially for our Bridgewater State students:

1.  Have a purpose. Are you looking to network? Meet new people? Grow current relationships?  Whatever it is, understand that Twitter is an INFORMATION NETWORK that can be social at times… it is NOT a social network by definition.  Thus, you must have a clear purpose to joining Twitter or you simply won’t get it.
2.  Fill in all your information, please. I see so many people / brands who don’t fill in their information, including a current/accurate picture, website (use your LinkedIn or Facebook URL if you don’t have your own site), and who they are / what they do.  How can I trust your content when I can’t read ANY info on you.  The first step in getting me to follow you is to have this information complete and accurate.
3. It takes time to build relationships. Be patient as you develop your online identity.  Listen more than you tweet initially, but when you feel comfortable, get to know your community members one tweet a time.

Technology has certainly been a relationship builder and it can be for you if you want it to be.  If your main technology is a mobile phone, laptop, iPad, etc., be mindful of how you use it and know that its OK to unplug once in a while.  I will certainly be doing more that this summer.

Happy fifth birthday Twitter

What technology is your relationship builder or hinderer? What have been your habits and do you need to reevaluate how you use it?

Quick back story: Over the past 18 months, I have been part of Bridgewater State University’s pilot mentoring program called Portfolio’s of Excellence (POE), serving as one of its five faculty/staff mentors.  This program is being funded by a grant from the Nellie Mae Foundation and Project Compass.  Last year, I earned a small stipend for my work, but this year, the grant is supporting my travel for two conferences: ACPA in Baltimore and SXSW Interactive in Austin.  Both conferences feature educational sessions that support the work I do with the POE program and foster the development of educational technology tools and formal technology education for these student populations.

Armed with my Droid X, iPad, Laptop, various chargers, spare batteries, and a “Talk Nerdy to Me” T-Shirt (thanks Rey Junco), I am ready and excited to be headed to Austin on Friday for SXSW.  It’s rare that I get an opportunity to attend a conference outside of the Higher Education ones I’ve typically attended.  I will be surrounded by so many who share similar passions in all things technology and want to use this experience to provide new technology education for all of you.  I will take advantage of each meeting, formal educational session, and networking opportunity to its fullest and have a three goals (or visions) I wanted to share with you all:

1.  Share The Latest Technology and It’s Possible Higher Education Applications
SXSWi is where many new ideas, services, and products are shared and as I come across them, I will share them with you.  I will do this via blog posts, impromptu Live Video Interviews, and Twitter via the #saSXSW backchannel.  Since we know that Higher Education is slow to adopt some technology, let’s get a head start together on the new, emerging stuff.  Who knows, maybe I will meet someone whose idea may have Student Affairs or Higher Education applications?

2. Grow My Connections Within the SXSW Community
There are so many fantastic communities within SXSW and my hope is to meet as many of the folks as possible. One of particular interest is the Boston SXSW community who I will get a chance to meet with ahead of time on Wednesday night this week and then again in Austin.  From here, I plan on connecting them with all of you Also, as I meet more Higher Education folks at SXSW, I will add them to my SXSW list  Stay tuned!

3.  Have an BLAST
I’m glad that some members of the Student Affairs community will be there as SXSW participants (Rey Junco, Liz Gross) and locals (Jeff Jackson, Brad Popiolek, Laura Pasquini, Marlena Hensarling, Laura Lambeth, Steph Wintling) to meet and hang out with and have our own mini-tweetup.  I am also excited to reconnect with my old Whuffaoke friends Tara Hunt, Karen Hartline, and finally get to meet Liza Sperling in person  I plan on having lots of FUN while in Austin, a place I have never visited before!

For those who have been to SXSWi before: Best piece of advice? What to wear in Austin?

For those who will be following us online: What are you interested in finding out more about?

Earlier today I read this study conducted at the University of New Hampshire about college students’ cell phone usage in class. A shocking (to me, at least) 91% of college students acknowledged checking their cell phones in class between 1 and 5 times. The most common uses of the phones in class were a clock and texting. The study found cell phone usage in class negatively affected students’ concentration.

Pretend to be surprised by that news.

Back in my day, classrooms were outfitted with clocks. Of course, back in my day, I also walked to class uphill both directions. I’m only kind of kidding. If you’ve ever been to Athens, Ohio, you understand.

The study did give me pause. It’s been almost nine years since I graduated with my Bachelors degree. At the time I graduated, my classmates and I were just getting our first cell phones. My first cell phone did not have a camera or a keyboard.

Disclaimer: Not actually my first phone.

Texting was a luxury rather than a staple of a cell plan. My in-class distractions were pretty limited: making to do lists, updating my day planner, working discreetly on tasks for student organizations. I didn’t have technology readily accessible connecting me with friends on campus and afar. Even in my journalism classes, often held in computer labs, the Internet accessibility was limited with many non-essential sites being blocked.

I spend a lot of time talking with students about their academic performance and classroom experiences. The lesson that stands out? Over the course of (only!) nine years, my own classroom experience has become almost obsolete. Instead of trying to compare my undergraduate education with theirs, I need to understand the ways this readily accessible technology changes what they expect from the classroom and, ideally, help them find ways to integrate the technology into education rather than distraction.With a good push from the right people and use of the right technology, those cell phones can enhance learning and connect students with the course materials.

Do you teach classes? What are your policies on cell phone usage in the classroom? Have you found innovative ways to encourage appropriate use?

This article was written in collaboration with Jimmy Howard, a colleague of mine from the University of Delaware. It was originally posted in the July 2010 Interchange newsletter, a publication from the ACPA Commission for Student Involvement.

Technology: Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay. It would be hard to conceptualize our work without the daily intersection of technology in our practices. Emails between peers, employees, students, and parents are common place. The world of technology is daunting and overwhelming. There is no way to keep up with the newest technologies, web tools, or strategies; it may sound absolute, but technology is always evolving.  As a pair we have prepared trainings, done presentations, and even consulted for few institutions; and we can’t manage to stay abreast of all the current technologies. That’s the nature of the world we live in and the only world our students know. Our students are multi-takers, constantly navigating change, and creating a culture of connectivity that most outside of their generation will never understand. However, despite the pace of technology, technology concepts are easier to grasp in the long term.

We believe that student affairs divisions are behind in their application of educational technology to enhance college students’ experiences. Educational technology refers to the use of technology for educational practices. The use of educational technology to enhance learning within-the-classroom, is common practice in K-12 schools. The students transitioning from this educational culture will be the next generation arriving on our campuses. Though some may doubt the impact of educational technology, many proven advantages exist. One advantage has been the increase of student success’ rates through the offering of dynamic strategies for differential learning styles (Carr-Chellman, 2005). Technology has also led to a richer diversity of thought between groups of learners and researchers, who are now able to share, develop, and collaborate on new ideas through the use of connective technologies (Lederman, New dawn or the perfect storm?, 2005). We also acknowledge that there are some disadvantages to technology.  Rates of gaming, gambling, and online  social site addictions are on the rise (Carr-Chellman, 2005; Farrell, 2005). New technologies require extensive time and resources from faculty and staff members, which could be directed towards our students. However, we believe that technology, if purposefully initiated and utilized, can enhance students’ experiences on campus.

As student affairs professionals, we need to have an understanding of national standards in educational technology, as well as a theoretical foundation for how to utilize technology. Each year, The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) publishes The Book of Professional Standards for Higher Education, which currently has sets of standards for 34 functional areas within higher education (such as Residence Life, Academic Advising, and Recreational Programs). Educational technology standards are currently in development; these set of standards will provide a framework for student affairs professionals to experiment and develop innovative approaches. We also recommend utilizing the constructivist theory of learning as the foundation of educational technology efforts for student affairs work. Lave (1988) suggests that for optimal learning to occur, individuals must feel that they are an integral part of the learning process. The constructivist view of learning espouses that knowledge is adapted by individuals as they construct it. Techniques such as role-plays, case studies, story telling, multimedia, simulations, and games are examples of powerful tools that cause this transformative learning.

We believe there are three spheres for the use of technology: administrative/daily tasks, connective, and educational. Technology has mostly been used in the administrative sphere as a way to deliver knowledge to students, rather than to enter into a partnership with students. Technology, whether it is used for records and registration, course management and delivery, or access and digitization of materials, offers enticing interfaces. However, the “mass digitization” of information poses a risk to colleges and universities, if it minimizes human interaction to a point where they see themselves as providers of information rather than knowledge (Lederman, 2005, ¶2). Often, this is the position of student affairs divisions. This “administrative” approach to technology, while effective, is not the most conducive way to engage our millennial students, and does not take into account effective learning mechanisms. The two spheres of technology that we feel that student affairs professionals should focus on in order to make a larger impact on learning are connective and educational.

Connective sphere of technology, refers to the social aspect that today’s technology provides. Social medias, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, allow individuals to share and communicate their experiences instantaneously with others. This level of connectivity is not seen as a determent from our students’ perspective; they also don’t perceive a separation between their online and “real life” personas.  The space between the digital and real-world is enmeshed and not easily distinguished. It is important to understand how connective is used by your students on your campus if you plan to utilize it. Having a presence on Facebook is great,  but if you are simply posting information, you are underutilizing the potential of social networking. Post a contest for the most messiest room on campus, with pictures submitted on the Facebook page. Create events that ask students’ input on campus trends or a campus issue. Create an online student services domain that allows students to ask questions regarding health, wellness, or leadership opportunities. It is also important to utilize your institution’s or other free online learning management systems, such as Blackboard or Sakai to create forums and chat rooms to assist student leaders in developing new ideas or to help them transition into a new position. Management of this may be integrated into your daily operations, but should be done judiciously. Ultimately, decide as a department what your goal is, and understand how your students use technology. If Twitter is used by most of your students, explore the type of presence the department wants online and how it will be managed.

The third sphere, educational, is where we feel student affairs professionals may contribute the most. We already use experimental learning techniques in our programming, supervision, and training. Translating those techniques to an online forum and implementing them requires a few additional steps for implementation, but have a much longer impact. For example, you can create scenarios for RAs to experience real-life scenarios in Second Life, a virtual online world where RA avatars can walk through a residence hall and interact with the space in a safe and secure environment. Online training modules (such as fire safety, crisis management, and housing operations) are another example of creating impactful e-learning environments. Elements of interactivity, an online “expert”, and self-assessment tools may be developed to maximize students’ learning of the content. Implementing these technologies may require collaboration from your IT department or Center for Teaching and Learning centers on campus. If those offices don’t exist or if collaboration proves to be difficult, go online and look at what other institutions are doing. Review open-source software that can make your goals a reality. Again, you and your department need to reflect on your student culture and the goals you are trying to achieve. Developing online modules that are simply posted on your department’s website may not attract the type of attention you want. Get your student leaders involved and introduce modules at student leadership meetings. Just because the approach is online doesn’t mean we should sway away from engaging approaches in real-life. By putting technology in the forefront, students will respect and appreciate the value you as a department are making, regarding their educational experience.

We hope that we have presented a debate on how student affairs professionals should shy away from their focus on administrative technology practices to utilizing technology as a connective and educational component of their practice.  In doing so, student affairs divisions will achieve several outcomes, including transparent alignment with the learning enterprise of their institution. It is our hope that readers feel empowered to take this information and develop strategies to enhance their work with students and discover new ways to maximize learning outside the classroom.

References

Carr-Chellman, A. A. (Ed.). (2005). Global Perspectives on E-learning: Rhetoric and Reality. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Farrell, E. F. (2005a, September 2). Logging on, tuning out: When students lose themselves in online worlds, it can be hard to bring them back to reality. The Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A46.

Lederman, D. (2005, October 20). Beyond ‘toys, travel and food’. Retrieved from http://insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/20/technology.

Licinia “Lulu” Barrueco Kaliher, Ed.D., is a Ray Street Complex Director at the University of Delaware.

There are a plethora of discussion around student affairs and technology use. Some people struggle conceptualizing what this looks like. I want to highlight current and potential applications of technology for student affairs professionals to enhance learning. This list is not comprehensive, but hopefully by presenting examples and ideas this article will spark ideas that student affairs departments can develop.

Collaborative Applications

Collaborative applications focus on communicative knowledge building and idea exploration. These applications allow a group of individuals to develop knowledge by editing and evaluating material at their own pace. Examples of these applications are Wiki Spaces, Microsoft Groove (newly renamed Sharepoint), and Google Documents. A current student affairs application comes from Duke University staff members (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/ra/programs-services/wiki-instructions), who are using wiki-spaces to archive document development, as well as collaborate on job searches with campus-wide committees within the student affairs division. Another example for collaborative application would be developing a wiki-space for student leaders to respond to a case study. Students can re-evaluate their solution by applying the knowledge gained in the training session and reviewing others’ perspectives on the case.

Online Forums

Online forums serve as an effective means of sharing thoughts and opinions on different topics and issues. Users post their questions, ideas, or opinions, communicating their thoughts in a coherent and understandable form, allowing for transparency of mega-cognitive processes. Examples of online forums are blogs, vlogs, Blackboard, Sakai, Word Press, and Twitter. A wonderful online forum that is providing excellent professional development for student affairs professionals is our own Student Affairs Collaborative (http://thesabloggers.org/). There are several components of this online forum:  WordPress allows contributors to post on various topics, such as staff training and development, political discussions on higher education, and conference reactions; additionally, using the medium of Twitter, a weekly #sachat occurs to provide student affairs professionals an opportunity to share their knowledge and contribute to the online community of learners. Another example for online forums to engage students would be developing an online forum after inviting an engaging speaker on-campus. Reflective questions could be posted about the event, and students could in turn post their thoughts about the event and/or ask each other questions, continuing the learning process after the event has ended.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites offer an online environment that feels less “academic” and more open to students freely expressing themselves. Within this environment, students may feel more comfortable asking questions, sharing experiences, and generating new ideas. Examples of social network sites are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Second Life. Penn State World Campus (http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu) and Texas Woman’s University (http://www.twu.edu) are utilizing different online forums to develop a sense of community and belonging to online students. Delivered either through Facebook or a website, both institutions provide online academic advising sessions, chat rooms, and resources for students to explore at their own pace. Another possible use of a social network site would be to create a Twitter account for a Student Affairs division to not only promote campus events and resources, but also post questions, polls, or recruit students for focus groups or other leadership opportunities.

Pod/Video Casting

Pod- and Video-casting allows the facilitator to record information (in video or audio form) that can be shared and accessed at any time. This allows the student to review the information at their own pace and provides an opportunity for audio/visual learners to more fully engage in the learning process. ITunes, ITunesU, RSS Feeds, Blogs, and YouTube are excellent examples of pod/video-casting. The Ohio State University recently promoted the opening of their new student union through videos posted on YouTube. Not only did they highlight the beautiful LEED construction of this facility, but a flash mob was organized to promote excitement and interest from OSU students and other constituencies.  A possible student affairs application would be developing an i-pod quiz or videos using Snagit or Jing to train student employees on a routine task. Tags, or notes, can be added to the video to enhance the content.

Final Thoughts

I have provided some examples of current student affairs application of free open-source software available on the web.  If you have examples to share, please contact me at lulu@udel.edu , or follow me at twitter.com/lbarrueco. There are many great innovative and creative methods of using technology today to enhance students’ college experiences. Let us not be restrained by our old practices, but rather re-invent them in a manner that transforms our student affairs profession.