Learning About Technology and Student Affairs: Outcomes of an Online Immersion

Journal of College Student Development, Sep/Oct 2005 by Renn, Kristen A, Zeligman, Dawn M

What I enjoyed about [the online discussion] was that I could get all of my thoughts out and make sure they sounded okay before I submitted. I also like the fact that I could read and reread the thoughts of others. Sometimes in class when you should be listening to others and processing their words, we are too busy thinking of what we are going to say. With this online forum, we can not only be heard, but we can really let some things sink in, before we choose to respond.

For others, it was less effective:

As an extrovert and someone who can't sit still long enough to read all of [the posts], I had to come back a couple of times to keep reading. I have come to the conclusion that I am one of those types of students that can't handle online discussions unless they are live chats.

These sentiments-the ability to participate more fully in an online environment and frustration at the process of interacting with peers only through the online medium-were common among the group and revealed a degree of self-knowledge among students about their learning and interaction styles in both online and face-to-face learning settings. It is not clear whether or not these students knew these learning styles and preferences prior to the online immersion, but it is clear that the online course context made these tendencies salient to the students.

Attitudes

Four survey items asked for students' opinions regarding the use of technology in student affairs and the practice of student affairs in online environments. Additional data regarding student attitudes came from archived transcripts of course communication, including answers to the discussion question: "What do we mean by Online student services?"' The general theme of student attitudes about the use of technology in student affairs is that attitudes were mixed before, during, and after the course. However, some student responses at the end of the course indicate a more considered response based on increased experience and knowledge, rather than a response based solely in preconceptions about technology and student affairs practice.

At the start of the course, students greeted the survey question "Can student affairs be practiced in an online environment?" with a resounding "Maybe" (15 of 19). Free response answers to the follow up, "Why?" clustered around two main themes: (a) the perceived necessity for student affairs to be practiced in a face-to-face setting, and (b) an understanding that increasing use of technology is both inevitable and potentially efficient. Many students were vehement in their philosophical opposition ("Student interaction/student services is what student affairs is all about!!!").

After the online portion of the course, which focused on technology and student affairs, the consensus remained "Maybe," but the explanations for this response had changed. Key themes at midsemester were the complexity of the field of student affairs, the increasingly tech-savvy student population, a fear of being replaced by software that could perform student affairs functions, and a persistent belief that many student affairs areas require face-to-face interaction. A typical response: "After our online experiment I am still unsure if student affairs can be practiced online. I saw some ways that it could be enhanced, but I am not totally convinced that it can work totally online."