Always Learning

CourseConnect for iPad: Learning on the Run

by Bill Zobrist
February 10th, 2012
Written by: Bill Zobrist on February 10, 2012.

Director, Online and Emerging Product Strategy

Early in 2010, I was thinking a lot about the forthcoming device that Apple was going to introduce that April later to become known as the iPad. There was a huge build-up of angst in the digerati on everything from rumored features to its use potential. No one even knew what to call it or how to classify the product with the three most popular potential categories being: slate, tablet and pad. Eventually, tablet won out. Everyone knew it was going to have a touch screen, but most were unsure of things like whether it would have a camera, or whether it was going to run iPhone’s iOS or big brother Mac OS. The build up was a marketer’s dream.

Since the world had been introduced to the phenomenally-successful iPhone (and iPod Touch) in June 2007, we had a lot to go on – or so we thought. Like so many other products, the iPhone was a thing of design beauty. Apple had once again made the killer consumer device that everyone had to have, or wished they could afford. The app world was off and running with Apple blazing the trail! For educators, the iPhone was the real beginning of mobile learning.

The iPhone put mobile learning on the map and in the palm of your hand. But the iPad was different. I remember thinking…it’s just going to be a big iPhone. How naïve I was. Yes, in some sense it is a big iPhone, but I failed to recognize how the form factor ultimately set in motion a paradigm shift in mobile learning. The screen size, the responsiveness, and the Apple ecosystem had just blown up online learning.

My colleague, Todd Hitchcock, and I wrote in the article Learning On The Run about this disruption. In summary, we believe tablets will transform learning across four key areas:

 Connectivity/Access While traditional online learning means being tethered to a computer, the mobile device truly provides for everywhere learning.

 Immediacy The speed at which the iPad and iPhone power on gives students the ability to jump into learning instantaneously.

 Learning Modality These devices are part of a new class and do bring a new array of tools that are effective for learning. Touch screens, location awareness, sensors, etc can all be utilized in challenge-based or experiential learning.

 Continuous Learning simply put, the rigid towers of education are tumbling down. Mobile devices foment the sea of change from traditional education to new forms of education that will take place largely outside of the ivory towers.

To those ends, we see the evolution of our CourseConnect™ e-learning product as an exercise in continuous innovation. Besides constantly improving the content and educational model, we need to make sure the learner using new and innovative device technologies can experience it.

CourseConnect™ had always only been accessible via a web browser on a traditional computer. Recently, the team enabled the ability for an iPad user to experience the Lesson Presentations at the heart of CourseConnect™ in an optimized presentation. Fully-interactive and beautifully-designed, it draws the learner into the personal learning experience for which we believe the iPad is so well-suited. Perhaps the most significant alignment to the four areas of change above is that of learning modality. The iPad, with its array of capabilities allows for learning in new ways using the GPS, the sensors, and the hundreds of thousands of apps. The iPad-optimized learning experience adds a new dimension to CourseConnect™ previously unavailable. The intense, personal experiences that the iPad allows for can only be viewed with dramatic positive outcomes for learners.

Join the conversation: What do you think about the iPad as a mobile learning tool?

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Navigating the Online Classroom

by Pearson Learning Solutions
January 27th, 2012
Written by: Pearson Learning Solutions on January 27, 2012.

Do you have a unique strategy or success story that you’d like to tell us about related to online learning? We’d love to hear what works, what doesn’t work, and what tools or methods you’re using to help your students be successful online students.  We may even invite you to submit a blog post about your idea!

Here, instructor Meredith Carpenter explores the idea that online learning can be an overwhelming experience for some students, and discusses a simple “checklist” approach that she uses in guiding her students through their online coursework, and in helping them navigate the various components of the online course.

“The Checklist”

Meredith Carpenter
Instructor, Business & Entrepreneurship; Haywood Community College

Often the opportunities and complexities of online learning have us asking ourselves if we are giving our students information overload. Many times it can feel like a catch-22 to try and present information in a variety of ways to reach a variety of learning styles to online students. This may leave you asking students to read a chapter (visual learners), listen to a video lecture (auditory learners) and work through a case study (kinesthetic learners), all before they take a quiz or test.

The very components of online learning like flexibility in deadlines and the ability to self-pace are the very things that serve as pitfalls to some students as they juggle all of these assignments. This leaves instructors just as overwhelmed as the students as they wade through excuses and pleas for deadline extensions. However, there is hope!

Tried and true methodologies from the classroom can carry over into the distance learning environment, just in a different way. If you present multiple chapter or module assignments to students at one time with the same deadline, try giving them a checklist. Just as you would begin a class by informing students what they can expect for the next hour, begin each module by laying out the order students should complete their tasks and assignments. Provide boxes they can check (use the bullet option in Word and simply pick a square bullet) as they go down the list, and save the checklist as a PDF so they cannot accidently alter the document. Assure students that if they simply print off the check sheet before starting each module, they can’t go wrong! This will instill self-confidence in the students, help them get in the habit of taking accountability for their time management skills, and reduce the number of desperate emails in your inbox.

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Posted in Online Learning | 3 Comments »

Keeping Students Engaged over the “Ho Ho Hum” Holidays

by Pearson Learning Solutions
December 20th, 2011
Written by: Pearson Learning Solutions on December 20, 2011.

Jean Finley, Instructor, Business Computer Technologies Department Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

If anyone understands the need to stay focused during the Fall and Winter holidays, it’s me.

For the past 20+ years my husband and I have owned a holiday tree farm. When the season is jolly for others, I’m busy teaching a full schedule, advising students, shopping, attending parties, and helping with the retail/whole sale business.

A few tested methods for keeping online class motivation UP during the holidays (and few ideas still to be tested) are listed here for your enjoyment and for your sanity!

1) Students do notice simple gestures, so go ahead and change that background to a fall or wintery scene! Font colors are easy to work with and only take a few minutes to update.

2) Design the class environment to be an inviting space where students feel welcome. A place they want to be and will add to their “favorites” list.

3) Dress professionally and seasonally. You are the teacher, and your tone and mood can go a long way to determine the mood of your students!

4) ‘Tis the season to make a difference in a student’s life – Be attentive, schedule time to help students, answer all questions and make sure they understand your answers.

5) Build relationships – tell students in person or in writing that you appreciate the time and effort they are putting into learning the course material.

6) Keep students in the loop – share with students what you have read over the weekend. This lets students know you are interested in the material you are teaching.

7) Be excited about the season and subject. The goal here is to come across as an informed person, but also a well-rounded one! You’re not just a robot spitting out information from cyberspace—show them your human side and get festive for the holidays.

8) Be passionate about what you’re teaching. Your tone will tell students you genuinely enjoy teaching.

9) Smile!

10) Be energetic – enthusiasm is contagious. It is also a lot harder for students to lose interest if the instructor has energy.

11) ‘Tis the season of giving, so do give students a break. Discretely give students a bit more time to do assignments, but then make sure it is clear that you will not grant extensions again.

12) Stand out by doing more than the average teacher is expected to do. For example, e-mail the students that did not turn in their assignments.

13) Go out of your way to build camaraderie with your class by showing an interest in the well-being of the class, and the students as individuals. The students will repay you with like interest in the class material.

Nothing is better than taking on-line classes with an instructor you know really cares and wants you to learn and succeed in life.

14) Be realistic about your time – If you know you’re going to be busy, plan ahead. Complete assignments before things get too crazy so you don’t fall behind.

15) You may lose students who are not getting enough sleep during this season in particular. Demands are high during the holidays, and this can lead to stress (on your end and on theirs!) Encourage students to get enough rest and schedule down time.

16) Celebrate student successes!

A short non-offensive holiday joke is okay if you are fairly sure everyone will smile.

I’d love to hear from other teachers who have holiday teaching tips! Feel free to add to this list of ideas to help other instructors with “stayin’ alive” during the holidays! Submit your comments below.

Happy Holidays, in advance!

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Do No Harm? No, Do Good!

by Pearson Learning Solutions
December 20th, 2011
Written by: Pearson Learning Solutions on December 20, 2011.

By Dr. Jeff Borden

Over the past decade, I have dedicated a significant portion of my life to “e”-vangelizing online education. As such, I obviously look for as many supportive, research based sources as I can to perpetuate the idea of web-based, distance education. So, I remember well when the “No Significant Difference” paper came out and even rejoiced as the “Beyond No Significant Difference” research was published, showing that online learning is indeed BETTER than on-ground in some contexts and for some students.

But I think everyone does that to some degree with their profession, no? It gets old simply defending the same old, tired arguments against people with hidden agendas or who are unequipped with credible points. For example, part of the Hippocratic Oath is, “Never Do Harm…” Wow, talk about focusing on the negative! I have a friend who is a physician. He often laments about how frustrated he gets that the only stories about the medical field involve solutions that don’t exist yet (like a bionic heart, for example), or – more often, about something really bad that has happened at the hands of a nurse or doctor.

But it got me thinking about education. I get constructive criticism…I’m a speech teacher after all. In fact, I think education, more than most other professions, is all about criticism. It’s what educators do.  So, as education has come under fairly heavy attack over the past few years, I guess it is to be expected that the critics become the criticized. From pundits to news anchors, the focus is on anything from unhappy students to unhappy parents to unhappy accreditors to unhappy government officials to lower test scores to underprepared / under-employable graduates, and on and on.

However, as we all get ready for a well-earned respite, I think it’s important to reflect on much more than what is so constantly attacked. We should take at least a small amount of time to reflect on successes, or heck, even to celebrate! I’d like to share 3 stories that (I feel) reflect the importance and value of what we do. Not one of these is “my” story – I have heard all of them from speakers at various conferences, on blogs, or news reports, but they are worth sharing:

– A woman, we’ll call her Mary, was interested in going back to school. Her kids were in school full time and they could use the extra income. Her husband however, a very controlling man, was not as “into” it as she was. But she signed up for nursing classes anyway. She made sacrifices, some of which really bothered her husband, but she made it to her final year. That was when the ultimatum came. “Drop out of school or else…” “Or else what?” she wondered. But she stayed enrolled and soon found out what he meant.

Her husband followed her to school and watched from his car. When she emerged from a night class, he got out, ran up to her, and attacked her and some of her fellow students. The police were called, but the husband fled and Mary didn’t know what to do. She and her kids found shelter in a halfway house, but she continued going to school. (The local sheriff even posted guards outside of her classrooms as the husband kept sending threatening notes telling her to quit school and make their family “whole” again.) One day, again after class, the husband apparently followed Mary to the halfway house, broke in that night, and again beat her. And again, he escaped the police. She would have to move with her kids, receive a new identity and hope her husband did not find her…

All seemed lost until one of Mary’s instructors had an idea. Why not move, do whatever was necessary with regard to an identity, but finish her degree online? Keep in mind, this was a few years ago and online nursing was fairly paradigm-shifting. But that is exactly what happened. The faculty started teaching online classes, Mary got her degree, she started a new life as a nurse and a single mom, she had a great-paying job, and she never looked back. Education changed everything for Mary and her kids.

– Or how about the Metzger kids? Arielle and Austin Metzger, whose story of homelessness and living in a van with their dad was chronicled on 60 Minutes (http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500188_162-57336132/homeless-teens-on-60-minutes-get-free-college/) were given full ride scholarships to Stetson University. Older sister Arielle (an honors student at a high school in Florida) and younger brother Austin’s lives will be changed forever. The statistics are well documented around education and income and these two kids, with an amazing outlook on life, are being given the gift of knowledge, critical thinking, networking, and higher wage employment.

– Finally, the last story I’d like to pass on is one of my favorite education stories from my education hero, Sir Ken Robinson. You can hear the story (and a LOT more great content) on the TED website: http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Gillian Lynne was a troubled student as a kid. She was quite fidgety, her homework was consistently late, and she had poor grades. This pattern followed her through elementary and middle school until finally a school counselor said to her mother that she likely had a learning disorder. Upon taking her to a specialist however, Gillian’s mother was told that it was not in fact a learning disorder, but that she was simply a kinesthetic learner. More specifically, the specialist told her mother to take Gillian to a dance school. And guess what? In that environment, Gillian thrived. She of course learned and practiced dance quite regularly, but all of a sudden, other subjects became significantly easier as well. As those educators took Gillian by the hand and developed a curriculum that allowed her to both move AND learn, she flourished. And what did that exceptional personalized environment do?

Gillian went on to perform for the Royal Ballet company, which led to introductions with people like Andrew Lloyd Weber. She later founded her own dance company and began choreographing work that almost everyone has heard of, if not seen. She choreographed Cats, Phantom of the Opera, and even won awards for her choreography of the television series, “The Muppet Show!” In other words, education not only changed her life, but has given pleasure to millions – both young and old alike.

These three stories are just examples. My hope is that they give some measure of inspiration, but my greater hope is that they help every educator out there remember their own, personal stories. I’m guessing you have a handful of students who you have helped get on with the business of living through education. How amazing, don’t you think? We are in the business of life – of getting others to live well, to live prosperously, and to live an enlightened existence. Not many people get to say that.

So as you take some time off over the holidays and before the next term starts, take a minute to reflect on the most wonderful gift I can think of. The gift of education. Good luck and good teaching.

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The EBook: To Infinity and Beyond

by Hunter McRae
December 15th, 2011
Written by: Hunter McRae on December 15, 2011.

Below, student blogger Hunter McRae discusses the value of the ebook from the end-user’s perspective. To see data that supports the efficacy of the e-book as a learning tool, click here.

Student Blogger, Hunter McRae


Regardless of the class a student has signed up for, there’s one thing that that student can be sure of:  they will need a textbook.  Since the dawn of our school days, we’ve used some form of textbook, and it seems that as our capacity, desire and drive to learn increases, so does the size of the textbook.  So it seems that as time progresses, the direct correlation between us and the book show that we’ll continually need a bigger book, or simply more of them to hold all that knowledge!

So what do we do? Evolve.  EBooks?  We’ve all heard of them, though not everybody has one… yet.  Many businesses have caught onto the need for this go-anywhere library-of-sorts, and technology has delivered the goods.  Between the Kindle, the Nook, iPad, or even the iPhone, chances are that many of your textbooks are available digitally.  As this expansion of technology continues to flood the market, more and more instructors give their students the option to use this kind of textbook.

Should you already possess one of these many readers, you’ve probably already jumped on the “ebandwagon”, but for others, it may not be within your realm of scholarly pursuits just yet.  That’s reasonable.  Many of you may enjoy the convenience of your bookstore, or an online discount, which is a very valid reason to stay traditional.  It’s true, the concept of an eBook is quite new, but consider your educational needs a little ways down the road (and the needs of your poor, book-lugging spine!) and try to imagine the long-term benefits of such an innovation.

It’s true that professors requiring only an electronic textbook may be a ways off, but I’d be willing to guess that in a semester or two,  it will become the preferred option among your classmates.  Technology has changed nearly every aspect of our lives…why should the manner in which we read be the exception?  Remember the end of each of your semesters, and your turn at the buyback counter at the bookstore?  If you’ve tried to sell back your book with no luck, then congratulations– you’ve joined the many others whose personal libraries of reference textbooks have reached the ceiling.  Luckily, just one eBook will easily hold that whole stack of books, and keep them at your fingertips no less.

When taking multiple classes at once, it goes without saying that this little device is a back saver. All those years of being burdened with book after book are over, and the convenience of the tablet that can house your books, be your calculator, take you to a search engine, or let you play angry birds when you’re bored, makes this the perfect student-centric device.

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New to online teaching? Get to know your students’ “e-voices”.

by admin
December 15th, 2011
Written by: admin on December 15, 2011.

Jean Finley, Instructor, Business Computer Technologies Department Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College

Even if you are new to distance education, you are probably aware that student retention is now a crucial issue, since we all are experiencing budget cuts. Why are some instructors losing more online students than other instructors who teach the same course? These simple steps can improve engagement in online classes and ensure a more interesting online course experience for all!

• Get to know each other: Start the class with an assignment by asking questions or showing interest and asking who they are and what they care about. Share information with students about yourself. A little personal information goes a long way in building rapport…of course, don’t go overboard! When students have hardships, (and they will!) be understanding without crossing the professional boundaries.

Try providing an online area where students can write about any news in their life. This should be used to celebrate successes, encourage others or just to vent. This area can be a discussion board, web page template or even a class Facebook page.

• Face-to-face orientation: First time online students will come to see you and listen to what you have to say, given the opportunity. Schedule a couple of meeting times to accommodate different schedules. Make sure the first impression is a good first impression! Be prepared to answer common and detailed questions about online learning and plan on answering the more “obvious” questions as well. The meeting room should be inviting, and should radiate the message “I’m glad you’re here! You’ve made a good decision in taking an online course. I’m going to help you succeed because that’s my job, and I take my job seriously!”

• Communicate: Send a group text, weekly e-mail, phone call, detailed grading responses, reminder of upcoming assignments posted to the class calendar, offer appointments, always compliment students – there’s something good to say about everybody, laugh, be honest, and swap ideas. The occasional “How’s it going?” goes a long way!

• Become a student-success advocate: You may have heard that it’s good to smile when answering the phone. I say smile when answering student e-mail questions! The student will hear the tone in your “e-voice”. No matter what happens, don’t let your good attitude run out mid-semester. Brag and encourage your students on to the finish line. Care about each student’s achievements and failures, and they will in turn care about your class!

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A Pearson Tribute to Steve Jobs

by Pearson Learning Solutions
November 8th, 2011
Written by: Pearson Learning Solutions on November 8, 2011.

Education and technology are inextricably connected, and as such, it is with great sadness and respect that we at Pearson pay tribute to the man who made a “dent in the universe” in so many ways—Steve Jobs.

It is nearly impossible to find an area of modern life that hasn’t in some way been touched by the technology pioneered at Apple—from the ease with which we can turn vision into reality through a few simple clicks in an editing program, to the availability of so much inspiring music in tiny, downloadable bytes. And let’s not forget about education. Thanks to the genius of Jobs, who shunned a formal education and dropped out of college, the students of today’s world are more connected than ever before with their teachers and with each other—and the role of a teacher is evolving from someone who instructs in a classroom for a few hours a week on a specific subject, to a truly available and accessible mentor (in any form) whose wisdom and insights are accessible in countless forums and mediums. This is, perhaps the way it should be. Jobs’ own education was not one derived from within the confines of a school, and the knowledge he absorbed came from the world around him and from the diverse people he met on his life journey.

The technology of Jobs’ empire has opened the floodgates of education, providing access to the online world and beyond for many who are otherwise isolated. We’re reminded of this by an article published in Florida in which a parent thanks Jobs for the impact his technology had on her son, an autistic child who, although he does not talk, uses Apple’s iPad to communicate. “You have given us hope we thought we would never have.” said the grateful parent.

It was Jobs’ ability to legitimately challenge convention and dogmatic thinking that has made him an icon, and a legend. Apple has come to symbolize freedom of expression, the constant generation of ideas, and the awesome power of uninhibited learning. Jobs solidified the notion that we are all perpetually students and teachers in life. He gave us Apple and showed that we all have something very valuable to give each other…the proverbial apple.

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If Technology is Making Us Stupid, How Can We Get Smart?

by Sarah Timmins
November 4th, 2011
Written by: Sarah Timmins on November 4, 2011.

In the 2008 article, Google is Making us Stupid, Nicholas Carr explains how new technology is transforming our brains into fast-thinking, multi-tasking, computer-like machines taking bits of information from various media sources. According to Carr, those whose brains have been massacred by Google, Blackberry and iPhones lack the ability to concentrate on a deep level or to think critically. When was the last time you sat down and read a book for, lets say, an hour, without checking your cell phone? Many students (myself included) would say: not in the past five years!

So, if technology is in fact making us stupid, how can we “get smart”? Carr discusses how our recent inability to pay attention is the culprit of our demise. While new technology has provided us with various opportunities to connect and communicate, it should also be taken with caution. What steps must students and teachers take to revert back to an age of contemplation and reflection?

1. Require students to use HARD sources. Things like scholarly articles, literature reviews, or books (even just excerpts) force students to pay attention to the content of the reading and think critically about how that content may apply to class.

2. Be a Catalyst for Critical thinking. In one of my classes, we are assigned difficult readings followed by a “quiz” every class. The quizzes consist of questions that test our ability to understand the content and force us to apply the content to what we are discussing.

3. Encourage reflection time. Take some time in class to allow students to write freely. Free writing is a great exercise which clears the mind of useless clutter that our computers and phones create.

Innovations in technology will inevitably change the way we think and learn. It is important to recognize the changes occurring around us so that we may adapt accordingly and continue to teach and learn to our fullest potential.



Sarah Timmins is a Senior at James Madison University where she studies Public Relations and Writing. She is a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority where she participates in community service to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. This past summer, Sarah was a Human Resources intern at Pearson in Upper Saddle River, NJ.


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Hybrids: Not Just a Spiffy Car

by Hunter McRae
October 3rd, 2011
Written by: Hunter McRae on October 3, 2011.

Change is all around us on a daily basis.  Change is nature.  As we find ourselves in a new environment, we adapt, adjust, and adopt traits which help us and we do away with those things that hinder us.  In the world of education, students must learn and study however their information is made available, which doesn’t always mean from a textbook.  This is the information age! Facebook, YouTube and Google are all excellent ways for students to gather information from their peers, and the rest of the world, but what about teachers? Don’t you have a say in all this technology usage?

You bet you do!  Instructors from all across the college spectrum can access the internet for their use; not just for online-only classes, but for hybrid (online/in person) classes as well.  Even if your classes meet in person once or twice a week, use the internet to your advantage! There are so many resources are out there. Here are just a few of them:

Facebook: Your students spend far too much time on here anyway, right?  Why not create a Facebook group for each section? There, you can post questions which allow for organized comments, upload specific documents for them to review, maybe even post a picture about a concept that perhaps needs a little more illustration.

YouTube: As a student, I’ve seen YouTube implemented in my own courses by instructors who not only would have us look up specific clips, but would also have us upload our own videos!  Whether it be documenting a group project or uploading spoken answers to a worksheet or discussion, it’s a great resource for snagging your students’ attention before the next class period.

Learning Management Systems: Many colleges and universities use a learning management system (LMS), such as Blackboard or Pearson’s eCollege.  This is a highly useful tool, as online classes can’t live without it, and it heightens communication throughout the whole class.  Often times the LMS offered by the school has resources such as (but not limited to):

  • Discussion Posts: Students can post answers to debatable topics, help out a classmate, ask a question, and even develop a greater camaraderie among the other students.
  • Email: Communicate with your students in a place where you know your emails are received; also send an email out to the whole section simultaneously.
  • Web Links: Post links to the internet that your students can follow for more information and further study.

My Labs/Mastering: Pearson offers a wide range of specific labs tailored to fit the needs of each class, providing teachers with an easy to use interface that allows students to have access to all sorts of study aids, e-books, and multimedia to help them adapt to their learning environment.

As you can see, there are so many options out there to make sure students get the most out of their hybrid class.  By preparing sufficiently throughout the week, they can feel more prepared for each class period, ready to ask the questions they need, and able to absorb as much as possible, giving you the dream students that you’ve always wanted.

Hunter McRae currently attends Mesa Community College in Mesa Arizona. While he works to earn his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, he also serves as Pearson Campus Ambassador at MCC and has been since the 2010-2011 school year.  Hunter wishes to graduate with his BA and further his studies at Arizona State University and complete his graduate studies in Marriage and Family Therapy. Conveniently enough, Hunter was just married over the summer to his best friend, Emilee.

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The Spark at Park

by Marc Phillips
September 29th, 2011
Written by: Marc Phillips on September 29, 2011.

Have you ever heard of a college professor encouraging students to Skype video chat during class? How about live tweeting with discussion-based hashtags? Let’s not also rule out mobile uploading photos to Facebook.

Blended learning courses serve as a way to bridge old school and new school learning techniques for the 21st century student. While some educators explicitly ban distracting technology from the classroom, others embrace the connectivity.

For today’s post, I interviewed Diane Gayeski, Ph.D., Dean of Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications. Under her tenure as Dean of the Park School, she oversaw the creation of this innovative blended learning course. Other co-organizers in s’Park include Andy Orgel, an alum and media executive who helped launch MTV, and Nancy Cornwell, chair of Park’s Television-Radio department. The title, “s’Park” is a portmanteau of “spark” and “Park.”

Marc Phillips: What prompted the creation of SPARK?

Dean Diane Gayeski Ph.D.: Several factors: The Park School has always been known for ‘hands-on, day one’.  And while this element of our curriculum is and always will be important and distinctive, we need new and powerful ways to make our students competitive in this changing media landscape.  We also presently have no common course that unites all Park freshmen.  Third, I’ve found in my 30+ years of teaching here that many students wish they had better advice related to careers and how best to prepare for them EARLY in their academic programs.

So s’Park is meant to be the course that ignites the intellectual curiosity, passion for communications, connection with professionals, and grasp of major factors that are impacting the communications landscape for our first-year students.

MP: Are you able to quantify the success rate of s’Park’s pilot year?

DG: We piloted the concept last spring with a small group of freshmen and sophomores and leaned that they gleaned many important ideas about elective courses, possible new career areas, and major trends. The students were very excited about being able to talk directly with professionals such as Diane Sawyer and David Muir.  We also learned a lot about how to structure the sessions and how to make the best use of technology—including Skyping in speakers and doing simultaneous tweeting in the class.

Photo Credit: Carly Sitzer

This is the first year during which we will be enrolling all incoming Park students — some in Block I and some in Block II.  We’ll assess the outcomes from their student evaluations of the class, as well as from the quality of their assignments.

MP: Do you have any suggestions for professors who might be afraid of integrating social media in classrooms?

DG: Actually, my Ph.D. is in educational technology and while I’m a proponent of clever and solid uses of new media, I also am aware that snazzy technology does not guarantee excellent educational outcomes.  Every class is different—and professors also need to develop their own personal styles.  Social media can be a wonderful way for students to collaborate and for professors to see what’s on their minds (this is what we can accomplish through the Twitter feed in class).  Skype allows us to connect with people who don’t have the time to come to Ithaca.  So technology does not have to be a distraction—it can be a great boost to learning if used wisely.

Interested in joining the discussion? Search for the hashtag “SparkAtPark” on Twitter to read what students and educators are saying!

Marc Phillips is a junior at Ithaca College’s Park School of Communications,  majoring in Integrated Marketing Communications and minoring in Journalism. On  campus, Phillips is co-chair of the Park School’s Dean’s Host program and serves  as president of Park Peer Advising–his brand new student mentoring initiative  in the Park School. Phillips is an Ithaca College Leadership Scholar recipient, was a 2011 summer marketing intern at Pearson Education in Upper Saddle  River, N.J., and is a contributing blogger for Pearson Learning Solutions. Learn more about him here.

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