Higher Education and the Evolution of Technology May 20, 2008 University of St. Thomas Catherine Lennox, Kathrine Russell, Gretchen Switalski & Jenny Tran
Mar 26, 2015
Higher Education and the Evolution of
TechnologyMay 20, 2008
University of St. Thomas
Catherine Lennox, Kathrine Russell, Gretchen Switalski & Jenny Tran
A Day in the LifeImagine the student of the future, waking up to a wireless alarm clock tuned to their favorite digital radio station. With the press of a button the student turns on a multimedia monitor which provides the morning news, E-mail, instant messenger, and daily calendar. Before leaving their residence hall room, the student picks up the latest model of a multimedia mobile phone and starts their walk to the student union with a video phone conversation with their mom.
Wait a second…Take a step back to present time. While these technologies may seem far-fetched, the rapid technological advances made over the past 20 years have significantly impacted college students and the student affairs professionals who support them.
Technology is an integral part of our daily lives. The television, the computer, the Internet, E-mail, and the cell phone can sometimes be taken for granted as normal and convenient; however, these technologies were each considered advanced and forward-thinking when they were first introduced…
…back to the present.
Television A 1957 Ford Foundation Report predicted
that the television would advance education and had the potential to eliminate literacy
Televisions have become common place on today’s campus: in most classrooms, campus centers, and nearly every residence hall room
Television: Benefits Quick access to news and media Enhanced visual learning An additional way to advertise campus events:
television sets in public areas of campus and campus television stations
Provides students with the opportunity to develop programming and deliver messages via the television
Broadcasting concerts and speakers via the campus television station for students who could not attend
Television: Challenges The media’s portrayal of what college will
be like Installation of television sets across
campus and the more recent occurrence of flat screen televisions on campus
Lack of student socialization as a result of individual television sets in each residence hall room
Television: Implications Cost: providing students with television access
and repair services The range of stations available: cable vs. network
television The emergence of flat screen, mountable
televisions will require accommodation in each residence hall room
Student Affairs is charged with counteracting inaccurate portrayals of college on television
The Computer In 1942, the digital computer was invented
by college professors to process difficult mathematical equations
The personal computer was introduced in the early 1980s and became commonplace in the early 1990s
The Computer: Benefits Greater access for students with disabilities Ease of creating professional documents and
presentations: advertising and marketing student programs, developing brochures and pamphlets to recruit future students
Creation of digital student records Storage of documents and older files for simple
retrieval
Computer: Challenges Access for staff and students
Cost placed on universities to provide and maintain computers for each staff member, and to develop computer labs, help desks, and/or laptop programs for students
Proficiency Keeping staff and students trained and current
with technological advances
Computer: Implications Campuses need to make computers
available and affordable Necessity of Information Technology
departments for updates and maintenance Funding and budgeting for a help desk Using students as a resource to staff a help
desk
The Internet During the 1960s-1980s, the computer evolved
to a form of communication with the Internet Then, in the 1990s the World Wide Web
became a conduit for mass Internet access Recent data suggests more than 85% of college
students use the Internet daily Individuals ages 18-24, the traditional-aged
college student, have the highest rate of Internet use
The Internet: Benefits Departmental Web Sites: Increased access to
general information Streamlined Services: Registration, Orientation,
Personal and Academic Counseling, Directories, Student Organizations: Event calendars,
recruitment, advertising, student leadership elections
Community Building: Blackboard, Facebook, My Space, Instant Messaging
Staff: Ability to target communication toward a greater number of students
The Internet: Challenges Unauthorized Activity
Illegal downloading and file sharing have led to lawsuits from the Recording Industry Association of America against college students
Hacking and privacy issues
Addiction Gambling, gaming, shopping Depression, isolation
The Internet: Implications Support for access to music with strict
policies regarding illegal activity Awareness of the warning symptoms of
internet addiction Structured support services such as
personal counseling for students and Internet resources available via the university web site
E-mail During the 1960s-1980s E-mail began developing
for intercampus use In the early 1990s, E-mail access and usage
increased with the development of the World Wide Web and institutions began assigning all students and staff with a personal E-mail address
In the mid to late 1990s E-mail became the official mode of communication on many college campuses
The first e-mails were text-only and grew to the E-mail available today with full graphic capability
E-mail: Benefits Increased speed of communication and
information dissemination Ease of obtaining contact information for students
and staff Electronic documentation of communication for
future reference The use of listservs for inter-campus messages to
students as well as for professional development and communication between institutions
E-mail: Challenges Ensuring computer access for all students Overwhelming volume of E-mails Increased anonymity resulting in greater potential
for harassment Students don’t always check E-mail: they prefer
newer and faster modes of communication including text and instant messaging.
E-mail can be perceived as informal, causing students and staff to disregard respectful language and punctuation
E-mail: Implications E-mail is becoming outdated as students
turn to other methods of communication Institutions are turning to other ways of
reaching students: web portals, text messaging, instant messaging
Increased and enhanced E-mail functionality: calendar, automated reminders, spam control, and more!
The Cell Phone Introduced in 1981, the Nordic Mobile Telephone (NMT
system) was the first fully automatic mobile phone Until the late 1980s mobile phones were used primarily as
car phones, however with the fast-paced advancement of electronic development, cell phones have quickly transformed into palm sized communication devices
In addition to higher quality, smaller size, and affordability, the cell phone is now capable of text messaging, e-mail, internet access, radio transmission, mp3 player, and photo and video messaging
Cell phones are no longer for the elite, users include everyone from school children to senior citizens
The Cell Phone: Benefits Emergency Notification System & Services Campus Safety: students can quickly call
for help instead of trying to find an emergency blue light or telephone
Advertising campus events More information at fingertips Podcasting events and speakers to reach
out to more students
The Cell Phone: Challenges Creation of new rules, policies, and guidelines surrounding
cell phones use Cell phones have facilitated the making of private matters
public and the improper dissemination of copyrighted data Text messaging is leading to poor interpersonal and written
communication Student in residence halls are not walking down the hall to
talk to friends, just text or call them Cost can create social divides The decreased importance and expense of residence hall
landlines
The Cell Phone: Implications The cell phone is quickly becoming the main
method of communication for and with students: allowing them to check e-mails, receive campus activities updates, emergency warnings, access to internet, podcasts of campus events, and sharing of information and documents
Campuses are beginning to offer university sponsored cell phone plans, as well as cell phone recycling programs to promote sustainability
Technology Common Themes Different levels of proficiency and access among
students and staff lead to a technological divide New technology allows students and staff to be
both producers and consumers of information Overuse of any form of technology can result in
social isolation and inhibit the development of interpersonal skills
Multimedia devices are increasingly becoming one, providing students and staff one device for all of their technological needs
“Instead of technology driving the innovation, we need to have more conversations about creating the best learning environments and the ways in which technology can enhance those environments.” (Kruger, 2005, p. 104)
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