Tag: students

ELI07: U of Minnesota Survey Data

I’m sitting in a session being presented by Brad Cohen, Asst Director and Coordinator for Curriculum Development at University of Minnesota.

They’ve done a couple of intensive surveys regarding use of technology by a) students and b) faculty. Looking for the link, can’t find it but will post it later.

Some quick notes for now:
– Students are experienced but not sophicsticated users of technology.
– Students have strongly positive attitudes toward the use of technology in their eductation
– Students favor media rich and efficient uses of technology
– Students’ third most rquested use of funds is to pay for faculty development for tech
– Faculty: number one barrier to using tech is time.

ELI07: Defining “Net Savvy” as a Concept

I see now that while I’ve done a good job about educating our Division staff about technology in student affairs, I’ve fallen short in truly understanding students’ use of technology.

This event has truly defined “Net Savvy” for me. (And that seems a bit like a “fad” phrase, but it is being used in all sorts of formal EDUCAUSE publications and other pubs.)

I also assumed that since students knew so much about technology that they were using it well. Not so fast my friend! Students may know how to download photos or google like a champ, but the real question is: do they have a full set of skills that lets them use technology in efficient and appropriate ways? Do they engage in good decision making?

Diana Oblinger’s opening remarks on this topic were great. This isn’t word for word, but it captures the key phrases and ideas. Being “Net Savvy” is: knowing how to find information; being able to upgrade your knowledge, being able to collaborate; synthesize that info; good decision making and critical thinking; not a one-time affair (can’t get innoculated); becomes a habit; it’s developmental.

Some great EDUCAUSE links:

This is definitely the next thing we need to explore here at NC State, and of course in good ol’ Student Affairs.

ELI07: Interactive Theatre

Today we had the University of Colorado at Boulder Interactive Theatre Troop perform for us. It was amazing on a couple of levels. I should explain that interactive theatre is (as I understand it) an experience where the actors engage in a short play, then stay in character while audience members ask questions and interact with them.

First, in general, interactive theatre seems so powerful, and I could see us using it across the Division. Health Promotions used to have a small group that did something like this, but I think it’s been several years since they did this. I’m wondering if we could run something like this out of University Theatre. John McIlwee’s could recruit, train, supervise and otherwise manage the students in the troop, and then units in the Division could request their use on any number of topics. It could be run as a for-credit course. Imagine being able to portray student experiences and issues (like GLBT issues, race issues, rape and sexual assault, alcohol ab/use, talking to faculty….the list is endless) to other students to education them. Or to staff (Student Affairs, and other staff on campus).

Second, specifically, the troop performed a piece called “Facebook” and it was phenomenal! It’s one thing for DSA staff hear me blather on about online social networking, or to hear “experts” discuss the issues during our panel last January. It is a completely different thing to hear students talk about their experiences (quasi-) first hand. I say “quasi” because it is acting from a script, but the script is written by students and the director and it is acted by students. It was truly so life like. Key concept: students now have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. It’s a pain to keep up with, but they are addicted…and/or don’t want to seem lame to their “friends” and others. Students (both in character and out) described it as a procrastination activity…but they loved keeping up with people from different and past circles of their lives.

It was fabulous! I’m going to see if they will share their script. I’d love to have this performed somehow for our Division/campus.