Presented by the Dean’s Council Committee for Technological Advancement:

1. Proficio UniversityAdvancing Through Education Presented by the Dean’s Council Committee for Technological Advancement: Sarah Decker, Steve Lerer, Laurel Peffer & Renee Piquette February 18, 2007

2. Hot Topics in Technology The Committee for Technological Advancement at Proficio University has examined many current and relevant technology issues currently facing our students and higher education. The following are five hot topics the committee felt were most crucial to the future of our campus and the lives of our students: • Institutional Spam • Blogs • Internet Video-Casts • Distance Learning • Social Networking Sites

3. Hot Topic: Institutional Spam

4. What is Institutional Spam? • First, it is important for the institution to note there are two types of bulk Electronic Mail (E-mail) students, faculty and staff can receive: • Spam • Institution-sponsored Mass E-mail • Spam is defined as unsolicited, mass E-mail received without expressed permission from the recipient. • Mass E-mail: Received per the recipient's request or as understood through their E-mail user contract http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/secureweb/glossary.asp

5. Why Spam/Mass E-mail Effects Proficio University • Due to the large number of requests universities receive, from both internal and external organizations and businesses, universities must be clear on what information is worth filling institution E-mails with. • Proficio University needs to evaluate who will determine what E-mails are appropriate and under what conditions mass E-mail will be sent. • In addition, having a procedure in place for students, faculty and staff to report spam to university accounts, E-mails that are unsolicited and not sent by the University. • Continual Spam uses large amounts of bandwith, the rate and speed by which information travels through the Internet • Large amounts of uncontrolled Spam can also fill university E-mail inboxes, preventing recipients from receiving all of their messages. http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/secureweb/glossary.asp

6. Benefits of Mass E-mail • Mass E-mails can allow students to receive up-to-date information more quickly than regular mail and are more likely receive individual attention than other campus advertisements • Campuses, such as Roger Williams University, have clarified in their institutional policies what information can qualify for mass E-mails as follows: • Crisis communication and emergency closings • Parking bans • Information from the Office of the University President, Vice President of Student Affairs, and Dean of Students • Campus volunteer opportunities • As reaching students via E-mail becomes increasingly popular, it is important to have guidelines and policies in place both for messages from the institution and how unwanted messages are handled. http://www.rwu.edu/Administration/Public+Affairs/University+Mass+E-mail+Policy.htm

7. Current Mass E-mail & Spam Issues • As reported on February 2, 2007, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill accidentally sent over 2700 applicants an e-mail stating their acceptance for the Fall • The intended E-mail was to actually request semester grades from those who were already accepted – not the remaining applicants • This is a clear demonstration of the issue mass E-mail technology brings when information is only a mouse click away. • As reaching students via E-mail becomes increasingly popular, it is important to have guidelines and policies in place both for messages from the institution and how unwanted messages are handled. http://chronicle.com/weekly/v53/i22/22a03004.htm

8. Hot Topic: Blogs

9. What are Blogs? • The most common type of Blog is an online database that is used by bloggers (writers) for the purpose of journaling. • Some colleges and universities have blogs set up as instruction tools. This is often used for online discussion or reflection. • Blogging sites include: • Xanga • Live Journal • Blogger O’Keffe, K. (2007). http://kevin.lexblog.com/blog-tools/

10. Why Students Choose to Use Blogs • Students use blogs as a way to express their own feelings and emotions. • They often feel that it is an important outlet to the outside world. • Blogs are often in a journal format and are used by students to vent about the issues they are facing. • Blogs can also be used to reflect on an assignment or classroom discussion. O’Keffe, K. (2007). http://kevin.lexblog.com/blog-tools/

11. Some Benefits of Blogs on Campus • Used as instructional tools for all different types of classrooms and in all different areas of education. • They are used for: • Distance learning • Online reflections • Social Networking

12. More Benefits of Blogs on Campus • Foreign Language teachers are finding blogs especially helpful in their classroom setting. • Communication with other students in the class • Reflections • Journaling • Communication with students around the world • Practice language skills with native speakers Ducate, L., & Lomicka, L. (2005). Exploring the blogosphere: Use of web logs in the foreign language classroom [Electronic version]. Foreign Language Annals, 38, 410-421.

13. Challenges Blogs Bring to Campus • Blogs are often used as a venue for students to vent their negative emotions and feelings which can create conflict between students and also between administrators • Duke University President • Students wrote blogs on how they disagreed with the president's handling of the men’s lacrosse team lawsuit • Duke students called on the president to resign through their personal blogs Mangan, K. (2007). Duke U. president in hot seat as prosecutor drops key charges against athletes [Electronic version]. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53, A32.

14. More Challenges Blogs Bring to Campus • Blogs, as with other information found about students on the internet, can be used against students (Wagner, 2006). • Students need to be careful of the personal information they put on the internet as they may be putting themselves in danger • Information found on blogs may be held against them in the court of law • The information that students put in their blogs may stand in the way of their ability to obtain a job upon graduation Wagner, C. (2006). Blabbing your blog [Electronic version]. Futurist, 40, 7.

15. Hot Topic: YouTube & Internet Video-Casting

16. Hot Topic: YouTube and Internet Video-casting YouTube (www.youtube.com) is a video-sharing website, allowing anyone with video technology to share their media. To post a video on Youtube, participants do the following: • Take video of an event, time with friends, or other activity they would like to share • Load the video to a computer • Create an account on a video-sharing site such as YouTube or GoogleVideo • Post it for the world to see!

17. Why Students Choose to Use Video-Casts? • Students ages 18-24, as part of the Millennial generation, value self-expression and creating self-identity to large audience. Students are able to join networks through video-cast sites (such as YouTube), based on their university-affiliation, and share their college experience with others Helps students to build connections to one another and build support through a shared common experience

18. Benefits of YouTube on Campus • Means of self-expression • Can expose information to a variety of audiences – from campus lectures to student performances • As we know from Chickering & Riser’s theory of student development, as students move to developing self-identity, students look to express their changing view of the world and their lives, video being one means of doing so. • Can be used for mass-university marketing, becoming increasingly popular in the athletic circuit. http://xpress.sfsu.edu/archives/arts/006958.html

19. Challenges to Campus • YouTube also exposes many disciplinary issues • For example, several hazing incidents, stolen university property and other violations of the student code of conduct have been found via posted videos • Violations of intellectual property • Professors have had lectures recorded and posted without their permission and thus without any academic credit given to their work http://insidehighered.com/news/2006/09/06/youtube

20. Hot Topic:Distance Education

21. Why Distance Education? The age of technology has quickly infiltrated the walls of higher education. Every day, more students and faculty members are using the internet as a medium of communication. Additionally, an increasing percentage of community members expect access to education through alternative pathways. The combination of these two concepts has created the emergences of distance education through web-based instruction. In order to keep up with other higher ed institutions, Proficio University must learn about distance education and decided if we should implement distance education at our university The Higher Learning Commission. (nd). Best practices for electronically offered degree and certificate programs. Retrieved February 17, 2007, from http://www.ncahlc.org/download/Best_Pract_DEd.pdf The Higher Learning Commission. The Regional Accrediting Commissions for the Evaluation of Electronically Offered Degree and Certificate Programs. (nd). Statement of commitment. Retrieved February 17, 2007, http://www.ncahlc.org/download/CRAC_Statement_DEd.pdf

22. What is Distance Education? • An innovative approach to that uses technology to facilitate the learning process via the internet. • Can be a combination of classroom sessions and web-based instruction or 100 percent web-based courses. • Both faculty and students communicate electronically several times a week through the use of online discussion rooms, email, and message boards. • Courses incorporate web-based material, textbooks, videos files, audio files, and often online group projects. • Examinations and papers are taken and submitted online through the web based classroom. Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green Online. (nd). Retrieved February 18, 2007, from http://ideal.bgsu.edu/ONLINE Fortino, A., & Wolf, P. P. (2007). Going the distance. BizEd, 6(1), 30-35 University of Illinois, Illinois Online Network. (nd). An online course in a nutshell. Retrieved February 18, 2007, from http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/overview/nutshell.asp

23. Model of a Distance Learning Course University of Illinois, Illinois Online Network. (nd). An online course in a nutshell. Retrieved February 18, 2007, from http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/overview/nutshell.asp

24. The Positive Impact of Distance Education • Distance education is cost effective for both the students and the universities that they attend. • It allows for the inclusion of students with learning disorders and physically disabilities • Adult learners with part time jobs and children can access high education • Can connect students from different countries within a virtual classroom to create a powerful learning environment. • Students can access the course materials 24-hours a day and are less likely to fall behind in their work. Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green Online. (nd). Retrieved February 18, 2007, from http://ideal.bgsu.edu/ONLINE Fortino, A., & Wolf, P. P. (2007). Going the distance. BizEd, 6(1), 30-35 Medford, A. R. L. (2004). Online learning. Quality in Primary Care, 12(1), 87-90.

25. The Drawbacks of Distance Education • Limited Face to Face Communication – Expressions though speech and non-verbal communications are lost through the use of the internet. • Academic Dishonesty – It is often difficult to track the participants so the potential for academic dishonestly grows exponentially. • Difficulty Including all Learning Styles- Learning styles that focus on projects and class presentations are rarely emphasized in a web-based course. • Difficulty With Technology - The potential for technological problems may discourage use by less knowledgeable students and faculty. • Loss of Personal Interaction – Personal interaction with the aggregate environment of the campus community allows a student to learn, develop, and grow. Web-based courses do not account for this aspect of college life and students may graduate less developed than students who take classes on campus. Fortino, A., & Wolf, P. P. (2007). Going the distance. BizEd, 6(1), 30-35 Medford, A. R. L. (2004). Online learning. Quality in Primary Care, 12(1), 87-90.

26. Hot Topic: Social Networking Sites

27. What are Social Networking Sites? Internet sites where users can create personalized Web pages to distinguish themselves. They can ‘make friends’ with other site users as well as post videos, blogs, pictures and much more. • Popular sites with students are Facebook, MySpace, and Friendster. • In December 2005, Facebook reported having more than 17 million college students registered worldwide. According to TechCrunch, 85% of college students have a social networking account. • Social networking sites are pervasive in college cultures, including here at Proficio University. As responsible administrators it is imperative that we identify both the benefits and issues with social networking sites. (www.wikipedia.com)

28. History of Social Networking Sites • Friendster is the first social networking site that caught on with high school and college-aged students • Founded in 2002, the premise of the web site was to create circles of friends to illustrate ‘interconnectedness’ through the Internet • MySpace hit the social networking scene in 2004, when it quickly surpasses Friendster in popularity. • To this day, it is the third most popular website in the United State. • MySpace took social networking to the next level by allowing users to customize their page with art, music, graphics, pictures and more.

29. History Continued • In 2006 Facebook, originally founded as TheFacebook, took over the social networking college scene. • Created as a networking site for just college students with a registered e-mail address, Facebook seemed to provide greater privacy and a safer environment for students. • In 2005 Facebook opened its doors to high school students • In 2006 the network was made available to anyone with an e-mail address. (www.wikipedia.com)

30. Affect on Proficio University Proficio University currently has more than 15,000 students registered on Facebook.com, and innumerable others using MySpace and Friendster. According to Chris Hughes, co-founder of Facebook, the average students spends 17 minutes a day on Facebook. Read, B. (2006). Think before you share: Students’ online socializing can have unintended consequences. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 52(20), A38.

31. Benefits of Online Social Networking • Sites provide a place of expression for students • Sites allow students to share ideas • Sites can assist in law enforcement • Law enforcement and university officials have successfully apprehended students simply by looking at their Facebook pages • Pennsylvania State University utilized Facebook to identify students who started and participated in a riot after the football team beat Ohio State University. The site helped officials identify an additional 50 participants. “For us, it was just a matter of a couple of mouse clicks,” said Tyrone Parham, Pennsylvania State University’s assistant director of police.

32. Benefits Continued • Sites can assist in publicity of student groups and activities • Student groups can create groups on social networking sites to advertise their activities and can even invite students to attend through social networking sites. • Administrators at Uruline College found Facebook to be a useful tool in creating knowledge and an interest in the school’s office of counseling and career services. Unfortunately due to Facebook’s terms use, accounts cannot be registered on behalf of any group or entity. Ursuline had to remove the account, but could still utilize Facebook in other ways. The account coordinator, Megan Cox said there were at least 60 students who had used the account to look up career services information. Carnevale, D. (2006). College tries to be cool but runs afoul of Facebook. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 53(14) A39. Read, B. (2006). Think before you share: Students’ online socializing can have unintended consequences. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 52(20), A38.

33. Issues with Social Networking Sites • Online Stalking • Social networking sites offer students differing levels of privacy to allow others to view their profile. • But for many students, those features would seem to defeat the purpose of the Web site, says Ken Vance, director of public safety at Georgia College & State University. "There are safeguards built into the Facebook, but nobody uses them," he says. • For the first time, Facebook is directly tied online predators. • On January 31, 2007 Illinois authorities arrested a man who was posing as a teenage girl on Facebook to lure young boys to his home for sex. Read, B. (2006). Think before you share: Students’ online socializing can have unintended consequences. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 52(20), A38. Wischnowsky, D. (2007, February 7). Facebook.com is used in sex scam, cop say. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved Februrary 15, 2007, from http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnistswischlist/2007/02/ creepin_on_face.html

34. Issues with Social Networking Sites • Professional Consequences • Increasingly employers are utilizing social networking sites to check on potential employees prior to the hiring process. • In an interview with college administrators, Read and Young noted that there have been many instances of employees using social networking sites to ‘snoop’ on interviewees. “One of my students worked as a summer intern, and her job was to check on Facebook profiles of potential employees and rank them 1 to 10,” said Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students at Purdue University. • “At the American Society of Journalists and Authors conference, one attendee noted that a bunch of employers at their institutions’ job fair paid a student to print profiles of interviewees,” said Joseph Howard, assistant director of residence life at Mercyhurst College. Read, B. & Young, J. (2006). Facebook and other social-networking sites raise questions for administrators. The Chronicle of Higher Education. 52(48), A29.

35. Issues Continued • Distraction from academics • Universities have been fighting the issue of students using Facebook in classrooms with computers. • Some schools, such as the University of New Mexico have gone so far as to block the Facebook Web site on all university computers. We have not gone this far at Proficio University, but feel it is important for the faculty to lay specific ground rules in their syllabi to address the use of social networking sites during class time.

36. Concluding Recommendations The Committee for Technological Advancement believes there are many areas for technological growth at Proficio. Additionally, there are several challenges the use of such technology brings to how we serve our students and understanding their continued growth and development. The ever-changing advancements in technology greatly shape today’s college students. It is our goal that the education provided through today’s presentation will allow for further development in Proficio University’s approach to technology use.