TECHNOLOGY IN ADVISING

Nikki Lemmon

October 2013

nic.lemmon@gmail.comhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/nikkilemmon

About me

Veteran Academic Advisor

9 years professional experience

Web Content Contributorwrite copy, organize content

Web Developer technical stuff

On-the-Cusp Gen X’er digital native?

Technology can be frustrating…

How do we know which technologies to use and keep up

with the latest trends?

Models for learning communitiesstarter league | 1871 | Chicago

Starting with “why”

What is our challenge and can we use technology to help solve it?

Starting with “why”

Starting with “why”

• Outreach : quantity

• Communication: quality

• Student Learning Outcomes

• Operations / Efficiency

• Professional Development

What has workeddigital records

Challenge: Sharing information across five campuses

Solution:• Create digital student files on a secure, network

drive

• Electronic forms

• Electronic notes in SIMS

What has workeddigital records

Outcomes:• Communication: Files are easily accessed by

any advisor or authorized student services unit

• Efficiency: reduces instances of lost files

What has workeddigital records

What has workeddigital records

What has workedelectronic degree audit

Challenge: • manually updating degree evaluations time-

consuming

• lack of consistency between Advising Office and Registrar’s Office

Solution: electronic degree audits housed in student management information system

What has workedelectronic degree audit

Outcomes:• Communication: eliminated inconsistencies

with advising / degree audit

• Efficiency: eliminated manual updates to degree audits

• Student Learning: increase student responsibility by providing online, real-time tools

What has worked webpage restructuring

What has workedwebpage restructuring

Challenge: lack of webpage use, information

Solution: webpage redesign & promotion

• Increased readability

• Increased updates made to page

• Added frequently distributed information

What has workedwebpage restructuring

Outcomes:• Communication: Created current, informative,

and readable webpage for students, advisors, and other University stakeholders

• Outreach: increased information distribution

• Student Learning: increased student access to information

What has worked#social media

What has worked#social media

Challenge: connecting regularly with national academic advising community

Solution: social media: #acadv Twitter chat, NACADA LinkedIn group

Outcomes: • Professional Development: Real-time

conversation on universal issues in advising at no cost

What has worked#social media

Challenge: building community, getting the word out for commuter campus

Solution: social media

Outcomes: • Student Learning: student engagement

• Communication / Outreach

Mixed resultsadvising chat

Pros:• Added modality for student contact

• Students received live help during specified hours

Cons:• Thoroughness of interactions

• Lack of student use / lack of promotion

• Advisor preference

Ideas for moving forwardonline advising course

Challenge: • information flow / outreach / communications

• advisor caseload / scalability

• student responsibility

• student engagement in academic planning process

Solution: online advising course, through University LMS or open-source site (e.g. Moodle)

Ideas for moving forwardonline advising course

Possible features:• Advising syllabus

• Resources : major selection, career development tools

• FAQ’s

• Video tutorials : degree audit, course selection

• Advising chat

Ideas for moving forwardonline advising course

Outcomes:• Outreach: each student receives complete information

• Communication: advising sessions can address developmental issues rather than prescriptive ones

• Student learning: Provide opportunity for student responsibility

• Efficiency: information can get delivered repeatedly without manpower and advisors can answer more specific questions

Ideas for moving forwardonline advising course

Promotion:• Tell your students!

• Encourage prior to appointments

• Collaborate with willing stakeholders

• Social media

Ideas for moving forwardvirtual advising sessions

Challenge: students may have difficulty attending in-person advising sessions

Solution: video-conferencing tools : e.g. Go To Meeting , Google Hangouts, Blackboard Collaborate

Ideas for moving forwardvirtual advising sessions

Google Hangout

Ideas for moving forwardvirtual advising sessions

Features:• Video conference, voice, screen sharing

Outcomes:• Outreach: modality for connecting with

students where they are

• Communication: advising sessions can be completely personalized

Thank you!

Questions?

Comments?

Image Attributions (Flikr Creative Commons)

SpongeBob technology gif http://gifsoup.com/view/1686301/we-have-technology.html

1871 (CC) John Tolva http://www.flickr.com/photos/ascentstage/Golden Circle Infographic• adapted by research by Simon Sinek

http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html• used in the One Too Many Mornings blog post 'The Golden Circle: a formula for

inspiring action' -http://www.onetoomanymornings.co.uk/the-golden-circle-a-formula-for-inspiring-action/

• recreated by Sally King at SK Graphic Design www.skgraphicdesign.co.uk/• (CC) Gavin Llewellyn. www.onetoomanymornings.co.ukMessy Desk: (CC) Jeffrey Beall http://www.flickr.com/photos/denverjeffrey/University Website (CC)xkcd http://xkcd.com/773/Twitter logo: (CC) photologue_np http://www.flickr.com/photos/44313045@N08/