1. Landon K. Pirius, Ph.D. Inver Hills Community College
Connecting with Students Online to Create a Better Sense of Community Conference on Information Technology October 19-22, 2008
Landon K. Pirius, Ph.D.
Inver Hills Community College

2. Introduction Developed from multiple perspectives Generation X
25 years of technology experience
U of M graduate
Dissertation work
10 years in online education

3. Digital Native
According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project (2005), “The number of teenagers using the internet has grown 24% in the past four years and 87% of those between the ages of 12 and 17 are online.”
and television are for “old people.”

4. Digital Native
“Internet users ages 12 to 28 years old have embraced the online applications that enable communicative, creative, and social uses” (Pew, 2006).
Internet is about choice
Interaction is essential

5. Presentation Layout Six Sections Sense of Community (SoC)
Basics: Connecting with Students
Prospective Students: Enticement
Orientation: Starting it Off Right
Tools: Keeping Students Connected
Accessibility

6. Section 1: Sense of Community (SoC)
Schools spend thousands or millions a year: on-campus
Schools spend little to nothing: online
Invest in online community=success in recruitment and retention
No investment in online community=loss of students to competitors
“The institution recognizes that a sense of community is important to the success of many students, and that an ongoing, long-term relationship is beneficial to both student and institution.” (WCET)

7. Section 1: Sense of Community (SoC)
Minimize isolation=increased retention and satisfaction
In an online environment:
There is no sight (body language),
sound (words), touch, and taste
There are fewer opportunities
to interact
Everything is virtual.

8. Section 2: Basics: Connecting with Students
Building Momentum
Who to involve on campus
Taskforce or committee
Students, faculty, and staff
Short and long term goal development
Incremental progress with communication to campus community
Building hype

9. Section 2: Basics: Connecting with Students
Strategies
Provide informational materials and newsletters online
Provide all on-campus services online
Pictures and biographies of faculty and staff
Student government/online elections
Clubs and support groups

10. Section 2: Basics: Connecting with Students
Communicating Tools
Discussion boards
Virtual chat rooms
RSS feeds
Text messaging
Instant messaging
VoIP
Mobile technology

11. Section 3: Prospective Students: Enticement
Interactive Web Presence
The average person spends 6 seconds on a webpage
Create a page that keeps them there longer and keeps them coming back
Interaction
Fresh content
Multimedia

12. Section 3: Prospective Students: Enticement
Examples of engaging sites:
University of St. Thomas
Georgia Southern University

13. Section 4: Orientation: Starting it Off Right
It all begins here
Relevant, meaningful information
Practical information
List all services available
Testimonials
Virtual tour of institution
Tips for success
Readiness tools
Academic
Technical

14. Section 4: Getting Started: Online Orientation
Orientation that is ongoing and relevant
Similar to a class
Cohort discussions
Question and answer sessions
Online mentors and concierge
Follow-up

15. Section 4: Getting Started: Online Orientation
Orientation Types Summary
Type
Online vs. Face to Face
Type of Interaction
Type I
No online
Face to Face
Type II
Some Online
Text-based
Type III
Limited
Type IV
Online
High Context
Type V
Online-virtual
Virtual

16. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
“There is a subset of teens who are super communicators -- teens who have a host of technology options for dealing with family and friends, including traditional landline phones, cell phones, texting, social network sites, instant messaging, and . They represent about 28% of the entire teen population and they are more likely to be older girls.” (Pew, 2007)

17. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Social Networking
Facebook
9 million users in 2006; 110 million today
14 million photos uploaded EACH day
Inver Hills Community College
College of Wooster
Open University
MySpace
100 million in 2006; 300 million today
Champlain College

18. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Social Networking
Professional Portfolio
Career Connections
Educating students to use social networking to their advantage
LinkedIn

19. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Online Student Unions and Portals
Student run, administrator oversight
Include:
Discussion boards, chat rooms, and blogs
Online elections
Events, weather, news, sports
Pictures, videos
Podcasts
Items for sale (including textbooks)

20. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Online Student Unions and Portals
Southampton University
University of Minnesota
University of Portsmouth

21. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Content Creation
64% of teens (12-17) create content on the web.
35% of online girls create blogs; 20% of online boys.
54% of online girls post photos; 40% of online boys.
19% of online girls post videos; 10% of online boys.
The survey found that content creation is not just about sharing creative output; it is also about participating in conversations fueled by that content.
Source: Pew, 2007

22. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Blogs and vlogs
35% of online girls create blogs; 20% of online boys (Pew, 2007)
St. Thomas University (blog)
Pace University (blog)
Inver Hills Community College (blog)
Kansas State University (vlog)

23. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Podcasts
“Some 12% of internet users say they have downloaded a podcast so they can listen to it or view it at a later time.” (Pew, 2006).
Education Podcast Network

24. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
RSS Feeds
News and content sent to you instead of you finding it on your own:
Google News
Juice

25. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Wikis
“36% of online American adults consult Wikipedia” (Pew, 2007).
Collaboratively defined
Sample wikis

26. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
YouTube
“57% percent of online adults have used the internet to watch or download video” (Pew, 2007).
Sait Polytechnic
UC-Berkeley
Inver Hills Community College

27. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Virtual World
A virtual world is a world that exists entirely online
Virtual avatar (user) interactions
An educational virtual world allows students to connect with one another, the campus, faculty, and service centers. This helps students to feel part of the college/university.

28. Section 5: Tools: Keeping Student Connected
Virtual World
Second Life
Active Worlds
There
Kaneva

29. Section 6: Accessibility
Insuring access so everyone can benefit from this learning opportunity.
Who is responsible?
College or university
Community
Individual

30. Section 6: Accessibility
Hardware
Software
Internet
WiMax, Ultrawideband (uwb)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

31. Resources Used Distance Education and Training Council
Council for Higher Education Accreditation

32. Resources Used National Center for Education Statistics
Pew Internet and American Life Project
Sloan-C

33. Questions???
Landon K. Pirius