CSP 476 Technology and Student Affairs

1. CSP 476 Technology and Student Affairs Fall 2005Wednesdays, 5:30 PM-8:20 PM321 Macintosh Hall A course designed by Beth Evans,Teryn J. Robinson, Marci Hogan, and Linda Ellerman of Illinois State University

2. Justification • In an age of technology, when students use Microsoft Office, email, and instant messaging daily, young student affairs professionals have a broad understanding of complex technology, but they often don’t have the in depth knowledge a job will require. For example, Microsoft Access provides valuable database technology that students aren’t normally trained on. Many student affairs offices make the assumption that students have the skills on programs like Access that generally are underdeveloped in a college student personnel graduate program. Taking a technology course on the software that is vital for student affairs professionals will save both new employees and their employers valuable training time. • As wonderful and as important as technology has become in our daily lives, we often take technology for granted. We haven’t always conducted the important aspects of our work with students with the aid of technology. It’s important for students, who have grown up using the Internet as a resource to understand the history and development of relevant technology.

3. Justification Con’t • In addition to understanding the history and importance of technology, it is important to have a working understanding of the legal issues that surround the use of technology. What is appropriate use? What constitutes “free speech” with University websites and email? These are a few of the important issues to consider. • Finally, in order to work effectively with diverse student populations, it is important to have a working understanding of adaptive technology. Certain technologies make it possible for students who struggle with various disabilities to achieve at the same level as other students.

4. Involvement of the Course--Week 1 • History of Technology • Look at the “new student” (Generation X, Boomers, Millennials) and how each generation learns differently and what importance technology plays on these individuals • Assigned reading:Read “Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials:: Understanding the “New Students.” Source: Educause Review • Look at how technology has impacted community colleges • Information provided from article, “ Challenges, Advantages of Instructional Technology in the Community College.” Source: Community College Journal of Research and Practice.

5. Course Con’t--Week 1 • Portfolios • Electronic Portfolios: History, types, and how electronic portfolios will help student affairs professionals • Read: “Making a Commitment to Professional Growth: Realizing the Potential of Professional Portfolios” Source: NASPA Journal

6. Course Con’t--Week 2 • Legal and ethical issues • Class Discussion will include:-Four questions to ask when creating a campus computer policy-American Civil Liberties Union v. Reno-Communications Decency Act of 1996Group Activity:After discussion the class will divide into groups of four students to create a campus computer policy.  Each group will have twenty minutes for discussion and then present what they have to the rest of the class. • Class Readings will include (to be completed before coming to class):Hodges, M. W., & Worona, S. L. (1996). Legal underpinnings for creatingcampus computer policy. Cause/Effect, 19(4), 5-9.Sources consulted:Kaplin, W. A., & Lee, B. A. (1997). A legal guide for student affairsprofessionals. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass

7. Course Con’t--Week 3 • Advanced Microsoft Word features and introduction to Microsoft Excel • Case study assignment • Microsoft Excel assignment • While the majority of graduate students in college student personnel are familiar with Microsoft Word, the more advanced features that could make your work more effective are often overlooked and underappreciated. • Microsoft Excel is an important application for tracking and analyzing multiple pieces of data about various constituents. It is invaluable for tracking data on students and student organizations.

8. Course Con’t--Week 4 • Conclude Microsoft Excel and Begin Microsoft Access • Built on the spreadsheet technology of Excel, Microsoft Access is an effective database program that allows you to design tables, forms, queries, and reports to accurately track your data and information. Access databases can provide you with endless capabilities for managing data on student programs, student organizations, and even budgets.

9. Course Con’t--Week 4-6 • Microsoft Access • Microsoft Access assignment

10. Course Con’t--Week 7-8 • Microsoft Publisher and introduction to Adobe PageMaker • Newsletter assignment • Newsletters and other desktop publishing projects are part of promoting your office and programs, so learning Microsoft Publisher and Adobe PageMaker can make your publishing projects more effective.

11. Course Con’t--Week 9 • Microsoft FrontPage • The web is arguably the most used resource we have today. Learning how to get your information onto the web to reach students and other units at your university makes you a more marketable student affairs professional. Microsoft FrontPage offers web technology for those familiar with other Microsoft Office products, and Macromedia Dreamweaver takes your web development skills to the next level.

12. Course Con’t--Week 10-12 • Macromedia Dreamweaver • web page assignment

13. Course Con’t--Week 13 • PeopleSoft and Banner data entry systems • Products like PeopleSoft and Banner make the tracking and sharing of information seamless and numerous universities, allowing registration offices, among others, to ensure students have met their requirements. You will likely encounter this software or similar software for managing data.

14. Course Con’t--Week 14 • Adaptive technologies • portfolio assignment • We often take for granted the ease with which the average person can access materials, so learning about adaptive technologies will give you valuable exposure to the range of services available to students with disabilities. We will explore technology that helps students with visual, hearing, and learning disabilities gain equal access to educational opportunities.

15. Course Assignments • Case Study: • After discussing legal and ethical issues during the second week of class, please respond in 4-5 pages to the attached case study. Your response should be well written in 10 or 12 point font on 8.5 X 11 paper with one inch margins. Responses will be graded upon completeness, comprehensiveness, and use of the materials discussed in class. Grammar will be a small portion of your grade as well. Due during Week 3. (15 points). • Excel Diskette: • After discussing Microsoft Excel, manipulate the diskette that is given to you create a mail merge document using Microsoft Word. This assignment will be graded upon whether or not you are able to create a mail merge document. Print the mail merge as a set of labels and turn this in as the portion to be graded. Due during Week 5. (5 points). • Access Diskette: • After discussing Microsoft Access, manipulate the diskette that is given to you to create a query from the main table. The main table will include information about first names, last names, e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, phone numbers, student group participation, year in school, major, and T-shirt size. Create a query that will elicit first names, last names, e-mail addresses, and T-shirt size. Make the query able to sort the T-shirt size lists into small, medium, large, and extra large. Generate a report based upon this query. This assignment will be graded upon the ease of reading for the reports and ease of use for the queries. For the query portion, return the diskettes, and for the report portion, turn in a printout. Due during Week 7. (10 points).

16. Course Assignments Con’t • Newsletter: • Create a newsletter for the student organization of your choice following discussion of Microsoft Publisher and PageMaker. The newsletter must be one 8.5 X 11 page front and back in length. Newsletters will be graded upon conciseness of information conveyed, use of graphics, grammar, and content. Students will turn in a printed copy of their newsletter. Due during Week 9. (15 points) • Webpage: • Create the home page of a student affairs office of your choice utilizing Microsoft FrontPage or Dreamweaver. Include links to other pages in the site, but you do not have to develop those pages. The choice of which program to use is yours depending upon which one you feel more comfortable using. Web pages will be graded upon appearance, use of graphics, layout, and completeness. Students will turn in the diskette of their web page or e-mail an attachment of it to the instructor. These web sites do not need to be live or viewable on the Web. Due during Week 13. (15 points). • Portfolio: • Students are to create a portfolio utilizing the blackboard technology provided by Illinois University. Once assignments are returned to the students, the students are than expected to incorporate the feedback and improve their assignments for submission onto the blackboard. Due during Week 14. (30 points).

17. What questions do have?