It's Their Life: Applying New Media and the Social Web to Engage Students Beyond the Course

August 9, 2011 - 8:05pm | by amievmelissal
Presenter(s)
Melissa Loble (GoingOn, US)
Nick Martin (TechChange, US)
Session Information
November 10, 2011 - 3:50pm
Track: 
Technology and Emerging Learning Environments
Areas of Special Interest: 
Practical Application
Institutional Level: 
Universities and Four Year Institutions
Audience Level: 
All
Session Type: 
Information Session
Location: 
America's Seminar
Session Duration: 
35 Minutes
Concurrent Session: 
10
Abstract

Today's students expect more from an institution of higher learning, yet institutions struggle to thoughtfully incorporate the latest tools. Join educational technology experts from TechChange and GoingOn as they share best practices in student engagement beyond the course, including a case study of their work building an academic life platform.

Extended Abstract

It has become profoundly evident that technology has and will continue to change the face of higher education. Additionally, more students are studying online each year. Institutions of higher learning must stay ahead of these changes to continue to capture their student’s attention and interests. As educational technologists, we see an opportunity to deliver a new kind of academic experience that is not bounded by the course or the campus. A proactive, informed, student-focused technology strategy can make a world of difference when it comes to retention, enrollment, and satisfaction. In this session, we will discuss how institutions of higher learning can leverage the latest technologies to support academic life beyond the course.

Today’s student exists in a highly mobile, dispersed and technology-centric environment that has spawned new communication paradigms such as social networking, mobile connectivity, and casual gaming. These have become the de facto preferred methods by which students routinely receive, share and store information outside of their interactions with their institutions of higher learning. Unfortunately these are largely absent within a student’s academic activities which can result in disinterest and disengagement.

TechChange and GoingOn recognize these challenges and see them as opportunities to deliver highly engaging learning experiences.

Presenters Nick Martin, Co-founder of TechChange, and Melissa Loble, VP of Client Strategy at GoingOn Networks, will use a case study of their work together to outline best practices. Leaders in educational technology, Martin and Loble together have built an interactive educational platform to support TechChange’s courses including “Applications of Technology on Peacebuilding” at American University’s School of International Service. The platform is a private, secure, highly-featured, interactive communication environment. It delivers course resources and activities as well as creating a vibrant community for dialog and collaboration.

Attendees of this session will learn:
· What changes in higher education and technology mean for your campus
· Why and how you can move beyond the course to provide a more robust platform for academic life
· What are the most important technologies and modalities for education
· How to apply the latest and greatest technology to engage students in and out of the classroom
· How to build a thriving online community

The goals of this session are:
· Present the case study of TechChange and GoingOn’s work together as well as a sample online community on the GoingOn platform
· Arm attendees with ideas for how they can employ cutting edge technology in their institutions to best reach their students
· Share best practices in online community management
· Infuse attendees with practical new ideas for student engagement

Final Presentation: 
application/pdf iconSLOAN International_Hansen_Presentation.pdf
Supplemental File 1: 
application/pdf iconGO Overview 10-2011.pdf
Supplemental File 2: 
application/pdf iconVSU Case Study 1.pdf
Supplemental File 3: 
application/pdf iconTech Change Case Study 1.pdf
Lead Presenter

Melissa Loble, VP of Client Strategy, GoingOn Networks, Inc.

Melissa Loble works closely with higher education institutions to leverage the most effective collaborative learning technologies to implement successful, engaging learning communities. Her passion for this work has evolved over the last fifteen years through her work in higher education, K12 and corporate environments focused on improving the quality of education for students of all ages. As a frequent speaker at national and international industry conferences, Loble presents the pedagogical advantages to using educational technologies within higher education & K12 institutions.

Prior to joining GoingOn, Loble was the Senior Director for Solutions Engineering at Blackboard, Inc. In this role, she lead a team of individuals focused on helping higher education institutions & K12 districts manage and deploy highly effective learning technologies in order to maximize academic performance and minimize institutional costs. Loble has also served as the Director of Instructional Technology at the Graduate School of Education and Psychology at Pepperdine University and previously as the Director of Educational Technology at the Stern School of Business at New York University.

In addition to her role at GoingOn, Loble teaches in the Masters Program in Learning Technologies (MALT) for Pepperdine University. Over the past seven years, she has designed and taught a variety of courses for this program, including Managing Technology for Change, Curriculum & Technology, Leadership and the Practicing Professional.

Nick Martin, Co-Founder and President, TechChange

Nick Martin oversees all strategy and programming TechChange Nick is an educator, technologist, and social entrepreneur with significant international peacebuilding and development expertise. He is an adjunct faculty member at American University, George Mason University, George Washington University and the United Nations University for Peace (UPEACE), and has given a number of guest lectures and speeches on the role of technology in peacebuilding, development and humanitarian work. Nick is the founder of two innovative and award-winning digital media and conflict transformation programs: DCPEACE and PeaceRooms. In 2009, Nick was selected as a Global Fellow by the International Youth Foundation and as a Washington DC Humanities Council Scholar for his leadership in launching the programs and his track record as a young social entrepreneur. Nick received his BA with honors from Swarthmore College and an MA in Peace Education from the United Nations mandated University for Peace (UPEACE).

Presenter 1 Email: 
amiev+melissal@goingon.com