Instructional Technology
Conference 2005
Proposal #11
Title: Welcoming Freshmen: Using Online Technology to Foster a Virtual Community
Name: Paula Laholt
Audience Level: All
Audience: Faculty, deans, instructional technology specialists, administrative, general
Length: 1 Hour
Abstract:
When students are integrated early into a campus community, the environment is conducive to enhanced learning. Online technology was used to establish a virtual community for incoming first year students to a college campus prior to their physical presence on campus. This presentation will demonstrate the features of Blackboard implemented, the nature of the interactions and communications, and the results of two years of feedback surveys.
Description:
The aim of this project was to bring students onto the campus environment 'virtually' prior to actually residing on campus for their first semester in the fall. Our overriding goal was to integrate these first year students into a campus community, therefore providing a nurturing and collegial environment that is conducive to enhanced learning. The sooner this begins, the more effective the community. By putting a social and academic support network in place early, students could draw upon this already created scaffolding when they arrive on campus. The secondary goals as stated were: to offer a friendly and inviting 'face' to this new class; to assist these students in communicating with one another; and, to disseminate administrative information.
The course management system on campus, Blackboard, was used to establish an online organization where all documents and forms were posted and communication took place. First year students were given access to this campus electronic resource and also to their college-assigned email address, prior to their physical presence on campus. After declaring intent to attend, students were assigned logon IDs and enrolled into the Blackboard organizational site. Within this site they performed the functions that foster communication between themselves, upper-class students, faculty and the college administration. Efforts were made to create a familiarity with the campus even if they had never visited. In this way, the adjustment when arriving on campus would be minimal.
The content on the web site included; Discussion Boards, email, administrative forms with deadlines and Q & A from upper-class students and staff.
This approach has been used for two years and success has been monitored with a set of questions included in the annual survey questionnaire submitted by all freshmen upon their arrival on campus. The first year demonstrated success along with proposals for improvement for the second year. In general, results showed 87% of those using the site found the site to be very helpful or somewhat helpful. For the second year, changes were made to increase frequency of use and address the reasons for infrequent use. The second year is currently being evaluated and results will be available for reporting by the time of this conference.
Session Type: Lecture/Presentation
Contact information/affiliation:
Paula Laholt
Instructional Technologist
plaholt@ursinus.edu
610-409-3000 x2678
Computing Services
Ursinus College, P.O. Box 1000, Collegeville, PA 19426
Equipment: 1. NEC Projector for electronic projection from my own laptop. (Assuming cable with 15-pin jack.) 2. Internet connection for access to one of our college websites. (with greater speed than dial-up)