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IT Outreach. Jim Rizzo Helpdesk Manager Providence College. Overview. About Providence College History of Outreach PC Self Help – A Wiki Student Facilitation Other Methods The Future. About Providence College. Small Catholic liberal arts college Approx. 4000 undergrads
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IT Outreach Jim Rizzo Helpdesk Manager Providence College
Overview • About Providence College • History of Outreach • PC Self Help – A Wiki • Student Facilitation • Other Methods • The Future
About Providence College • Small Catholic liberal arts college • Approx. 4000 undergrads • Approx. 80% live on campus • Single IT Helpdesk • 2 full time employees • 2 graduate assistants • 61 student employees • Helpdesk, Lab Monitors, Technicians
Initial Methods • Family Day • Open House style event for accepted students • IT information table • Families most interested in computer purchases • CompUtopia has adjacent table • Orientation • Brief IT information speech • IT speech removed from orientation • IT information table
History of Outreach • ITEC • Instructional Technology Committee • Faculty technology interest group • Departmental self-assessment • Assess how well we meet student needs • Historically made choices ourselves • Decided to get more input from students
History of Outreach • ITEC sponsors student survey • Survey about 25% of students • Student forum • Result of survey • About 30 students attended from those surveyed • Wireless campus initiative resulted
History of Outreach • Student Info webpage • Students want one-stop page for all info • Started with IT, then to College Relations • Still searching for page… • Faculty One Stop webpage • Faculty want similar page • Want different look for page that exists • Still searching for page…
Summer 2008 • Helpdesk Improvement Session • Hand-picked staff and students • What can be done to provide more/better service • Self Help wiki resulted • Wiki Intro Sessions • Introduced Self Help to small group • Started adding content • Helpdesk Summer Training • Got more input on bettering Helpdesk • Doubled wiki content in 45 min. • Brainstormed ways to advertise Helpdesk • Students stationed in dorms during move-in weekend
Fall 2008 • Official launch of PC Self Help • Received requests for accounts • Content started to be created • Wiki Training/Working Sessions • 2 sessions • Faculty/staff • Students • Explained wiki • Created new content • Began student facilitation • One meeting to introduce facilitation • Brainstormed questions on topic • Cable TV service on campus
Spring 2009 • Wiki Training Sessions • 3 open “drop in” sessions • Offer assistance for those interested • Explain why/how to use the wiki • Student facilitation • Reporting of data • Brainstorm new topics/questions
PC Self Help – A Wiki • http://selfhelp.providence.edu • Initially intended for IT documentation. • Helpdesk Improvement session changed that. • Needed to break down “silos” on campus • Extended to include multiple departments • Wiki software: MindTouch (http://www.mindtouch.com) • Hosted MindTouch Express available at http://wik.is
PC Self Help – Growing the Wiki • Held training sessions for faculty/staff and students. • Student sessions added more “Life at PC” info. • Met with individuals and committees. • More accounts created. • Increased usage by individuals. • Will continue to hold more open training sessions.
PC Self Help – The Response • General Excitement • Student Congress and Library most excited • Unsure of why we chose a wiki • Questions on moderation/policing of content • Some fear for the worst • Slow uptake for editors • Many page views
Student Facilitation • Training • Brainstorm topics • IT guided brainstorming • First topic: Cable TV on campus • Second topic: Email communications on campus • Brainstorm questions • Hold sessions • Started with own circles
Student Facilitation – The ResponseFacilitators • Facilitation program worth continuing. • Facilitators learned invaluable skills. • Facilitation program a success. • Awareness raised. • Students more engaged. • Expand beyond IT.
Student Facilitation – The ResponseAttendees • Sessions should continue. • Involve as many students as possible. • Larger general info session breaks out into smaller groups. • Easier to be heard in smaller group. • Informal sessions are better without faculty/staff. • Faculty/staff present at some sessions, not all. • Faculty/staff presence intimidates some students. • Attendees generally enjoyed sessions. • Gives idea of what IT does and deals with.
Student Facilitation – The ResponseIT Thoughts • Will expand program with more facilitators. • Will possibly expand topics beyond IT issues. • Format better than students sitting on committees. • Difficult to get student input on committees. • Feedback has proven assumptions to be true. • We have learned things that we never imagined • Students want print management
Facebook • Joined PC Class of ___ groups • Introduce myself • Answer questions • Mainly IT-related questions • Also questions I could answer • Students came directly to me with questions • Don’t accept or initiate friend requests • Prevents me from being creepy
Satisfaction Survey • Linked in emails from ticket tracking system • New system doesn’t allow customization • No link to survey • Gave feedback on the Helpdesk experience • Allowed me to contact unsatisfied “customers”
Posters and Flyers • Advertise PC Self Help • Advertise capabilities of wiki • Advertise Helpdesk, eventually • What we do • Where we are • When we are there • Who we hire
The Future • Student IT Advisory Committee • Direct feedback from students • Prefer students not involved in other orgs • Guide future IT services • Use as more facilitators • Increase usage of surveys and forums • Survey all students • Involve more students in forums • Twitter?
Your Turn Questions Comments Discussion
Contact Me Jim RizzoHelpdesk ManagerProvidence College 401-865-1277jrizzo@providence.eduAIM: JRizzoPC More info at:http://itweb.providence.edu/helpdesk/resnet Evaluate this presentation:http://www.resnetsymposium.org/rspm/evaluation