Ready for Prime Time? The Pros and Cons of Taking Online

Coursework Public

Tim McGee and Laticia Bailey

The Teaching and Learning Center at Rider University

April 2, 2009

•Fifty Rider faculty responded to our survey of online instructional activities.

•Six of the respondents had required students to post materials or engage in discussions/activities in public online spaces.

•The remaining 44 respondents had not yet done so.

Rider Faculty Who Do Ask Students to Post to Public Online Spaces

Two thirds of faculty reported that they use informed consent forms with students.

Two thirds of the faculty stated that they allow an alternative for those students who do not want to post online.

Alternatives to posting in public online spaces included email, CD scrapbook, and Blackboard digital drop box.

Rider Faculty Who Do Ask Students to Post to Public Online Spaces

Fifty percent offered guidance about concealing or protecting identity when posting in public online spaces.

Students from all four years were asked to post in public online spaces, with juniors being the group most frequently asked.

Subjects included math education, literacy education, communications, composition, and science courses.

Rider Faculty Who Do Ask Students to Post to Public Online Spaces

Spaces used included blogs, wikis, YouTube, and Facebook.

Two-thirds of the faculty debriefed with students after they posted in public online spaces.

The only negative experiences reported by faculty were technical difficulties.

What Instructional Benefits Did Faculty Imagine Might Be Gained?

Out of 30 respondents Three stated they did not know. Eight stated that they could not see or imagine any benefits.

Twelve asserted various pedagogical, social, and experiential benefits.

Benefits Faculty Associated with Posting to Public Online Spaces

A real audience Pressure to write better Ease of sharing work widely Networking opportunities Broadened perspectives Opportunity to publish Freedom of expression Fosters responsible behavior Familiarity with new communication tools

Concerns Faculty Had about the Prospect of Having Students Engage in Course Activities in Public Online Space

Unfamiliar with online social networks

Don’t see the relevance to curriculum

Suspect the preparation burden outweighs the benefits

Beliefs about where discussion should take place

Some online resources believed to be cumbersome and costly

Concerns Faculty Had about the Prospect of Having Students Engage in Course Activities in Public Online Space (cont.)

Copyright, harassment, and unwanted intrusions

Student preference for threaded discussion forums over blogs

Discomfort with asking students to sign release forms

The learning curve for faculty Confidentiality of testing

Universities Make “Nonacademic” Uses of Online Social Networks

Rutgers-Advisement Kean-Counseling Utica College-Careers SUNY New Paltz-Careers Colorado State-Careers

“Advising Without Walls: An Introduction to Facebook as an Advising Tool”

Advisors at Rutgers “have begun to use Facebook and its features to inform, organize, educate and connect with students.”

Julie A. Traxler, Assistant Dean and Director of First-Year Advising Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences

Source: http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/AAT/NW30_1.htm#0

“How Can Counselors Connect With YouTube, Blogs, & Digital Native Clients?”

American Counseling Association Conference Honolulu, Hawaii - March 2008

J Barry Mascari, Ed.D., LPC(NJ), LCADC(NJ), Kean University

Recommends that counselors develop their digital literacies

Identifies positive and negative consequences of social networking technologies

Identifies related counseling students will need

Identifies related counseling parents, guardians, and counselors will need

http://www.kean.edu/~jmascari/docs/Dick-and-Jane-ACA-handout-copy.pdf

Absence of Policies at Rutgers and Kean

Rutgers as an institution hasn't really taken on these issues in terms of creating policies, particularly regarding classroom instruction.

It appears that Kean does not currently have any policies governing the academic use of online social networks.

Q. I already have an email address I use everyday, why should I use my UC email too?A.  You need to check your UC email because your professors as well as campus offices, like Financial Aid, will send important information to that email.  Notices about campus events and activities will also get sent to you over email.  One of the most popular reasons to use your UC email is to create an account onFaceBook, the social network site.  This site is not controlled or endorsed by Utica College.  Do not post personal information, such as phone numbers and screen names on FaceBook!

Mixed Messages about Student Use of Facebook

Roger Williams University Policy on Social Networking/Blogging

“Vetted by attorneys, Roger Williams University formally adopted a proactive social networking and blogging policy in summer 2007 for faculty and staff when using a university e-mail address” (Wandel 197).

http://www.rwu.edu/newsandevents/publicaffairs/policies/socialnetworking.htm

University of Michigan Student-Athlete Policy

University of Michigan Student-Athlete Policy Recommendations. Immediately review any internet websites you may

have posted on the internet to ensure that the postings are consistent with University, Department, and team rules and that they present you in a way you want to be portrayed. For your safety and privacy, you should refrain from posting and should promptly remove any personally identifiable information such as telephone number, address, class schedule and places frequented as well as any photos you may have posted. Alert the Compliance Services Office of any sites that falsely appear to be yours as this constitutes identity theft, and the University will assist your efforts to have the offensive site removed. Be cautious about which chat groups you join to be sure you want to be publicly associated with that group. Once you become a member, you are linked to the discussion that takes place within that group. Only the group’s administrator is able to delete your group membership or postings made to a group site.

By my signature below, I hereby affirm that I have read and understand the Athletic Department’s Student-Athlete Conduct Policy Regarding Involvement in Internet Communities (e.g., Facebook.com, MySpace.com, etc.). Furthermore, I understand that failure to adhere to this policy could result in action up to and including termination from participation in intercollegiate athletics at the University of Michigan and loss of any athletic scholarships.

Canisius College Facebook Letter to Student AthletesDear Canisius Student-Athlete:Facebook.com and other similar websites have generated national concern about the safety and welfare of high school and college students. This concern has created intense discussions particularly on college campuses and more specifically, within athletic departments.The focus of these discussions has been on the posting of student-athlete profiles and photographs on these websites. Many student-athletes have elected to post pictures of themselves and teammates engaging in inappropriate activity. Examples of this activity includes: underage drinking, hazing rituals, drug use, smoking, and even questionable sexual behavior. In some instances, these photos have led to disciplinary action against student-athletes and against teams including forfeitures of contests at institutions across the country.The media has become aware of these sites and has gained access to some of this information posted. These outlets have been able to exploit student-athletes by simply copying what has been posted and allowing scrutiny of student-athlete behavior in a grander scheme. It also draws attention to the institution in a negative fashion. Opposing teams have even capitalized on the website by downloading pictures and using them as motivation for themselves or to taunt a specific student-athlete.All of our athletic teams have policies on underage drinking, hazing and inappropriate behavior. Your decision to post items on facebook.com or similar websites is a personal one; however, the Athletic Department and your individual team policies should serve as a filter for what you decide to put on line. Any public pictures or comments determined to be contrary to these departmental policies and/or the Student-Athlete Code of Conduct will be treated as violations of said policies and handled accordingly. Your coaching staff has explained the Department’s expectations in this area, so please ensure that you take the appropriate steps to avoid additional consequences. If this behavior continues, your coach will be in a position to suspend you from competition and potentially recommend a dismissal from the program and a non-renewal of your athletic scholarship.You must remember that you represent Canisius College at all times. Do not post pictures, comments or information on the websites that would/could embarrass you, your team, or Canisius College, or that are clearly contrary to the expectations for the student-athletes. It is a privilege to represent Canisius College in athletic competition, so your good personal judgment in this area is expected. Our competitive goals are clear – to win Championships within the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. For us to reach these goals, it takes a level of personal commitment from each student-athlete in our program. The personal decisions you make on a daily basis will determine our overall success. Do your part to help us win MAAC Championships. Sincerely,Bill MaherDirector of Athletics

Student Expectation and Current Usage Drive Technology Decisions

“Student demand is forcing administrators to play catch up and create novel ways and approaches for ‘informative provision and instruction’” (Sellers, 2005, qtd. in Wandel).

Online Connectivity Preferences of Prospective Students 72% have or would like to exchange instant messages with an admission counselor or student worker

64% have or would like to e-mail a faculty member

64% have or would like to read a blog written by a faculty member

63% have or would like to read a blog written by a current student

61% have or would like to e-mail current students from the site (Noel-Levitz, 2006, qtd. in Wandel).

Mitrano’s “Thoughts on Facebook”April, 2006

Invincibility Caching Freedom Responsibility Law http://www2.cit.cornell.edu/policy/memos/facebook.html

Mitrano’s “Thoughts on Facebook”(cont.)

Invincibility - Newness of a technology does not absolve responsibility for legal and appropriate use including consideration of the obligations of proper conduct as a citizen of the university. Remember that the domain of the posted information is a commercial ISP.

Caching - If you post something on Facebook for a few days, then take it down or change it, it remains accessible on the Internet anyway. You may have to go through policy processes with three to five search engine companies to remove cached material.

Mitrano’s “Thoughts on Facebook” (cont.) Freedom – There is a measure of responsibility that comes with freedom. There is no official monitoring of CU student posting. It is the responsibility of the poster to set limits and be responsible.

Responsibility – Oversight to restrict internet users from what CU students post does not exist. The internet is an open unlimited tool and the poster must be diligent about reputation and safety for today and the future.

Law – Be careful and considerate. When it comes to the privacy of others, your postings can result in liability for damages.

Mitrano’s “Facebook 2.0”April, 2008

“Social networking continues to be a ‘cool new tool,’ and we should stay connected to its emerging technologies, its social norms and psychological meanings, its advertising and market models, and its legal and policy queries on a global scale.”

http://www.educause.edu/ER/EDUCAUSEReviewMagazineVolume43/Facebook20/162687

Mitrano’s “Facebook 2.0”April, 2008 (cont.)

Challenges that remain: User education New features connecting higher education’s missions to the popular site

Legal and policy considerations on a global scale.

Mitrano’s “Facebook 2.0”April, 2008 (cont.)

The challenge isn't control and use of technology with higher education:

"Facebook has built the site, and students use it; we in higher education should come to recognize that this universal commercial site is here to stay. The race is on: may the first institution to forge this adventurous type of innovative collaboration win. The ‘course enroll’ sites might just mark the beginning of such connections, soon to be followed by facsimiles of course management and other content-delivery systems."

Mitrano’s “Facebook 2.0”April, 2008 (cont.)

Privacy is still an issue. Accommodating stricter international regulations may encourage stronger and more consistent privacy laws in the United States. “Privacy and free speech concerns will always be in tension with commercial interests that seek information about users and their preferences.”

Questions/Discussion