Tuesday, January 11, 2011
A List Apart: A Simpler Page by Craig Mod
Want to design a book? There are mountains of beautifully designed examples to inspire you. But what about digital books? How do you create elegantly typeset, gloriously balanced reading experiences when tablets render type differently and support different fonts, text can extend in every direction, and type can change size? Craig Mod (Flipboard, Art Space Tokyo) addresses these questions and presents the initial release of Bibliotype, an HTML baseline typography library for tablet reading.
Tomorrow's Academia: Tips on Time Management and Writing E-mails
IN GRADUATE STUDY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY (Palgrave Macmillan, 2005), Gregory Colon Semenza notes that ?poor time management and inadequate organization skills? often create the major barrier to a successful graduate school experience. To help you manage your time and your work materials, we?ve summarized some of his suggestions.
DATE BOOKS may be out of date (or style) but...it?s important to have something that will help you keep track of your appointments and deadlines. Here?s a great tip: create a one- page weekly TO-DO listing of your deadlines, appointments and tasks, and post it somewhere that?s easily accessible.
USE YOUR COMPUTER AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL TOOL. Create a folder for each area of your work: research, teaching, coursework and your academic portfolio. In your research folder, begin developing your list of references and keep copies of any papers you?ve written for any seminar you?ve taken. Bookmark important websites and electronic databases like Academic Search Premier available on the UNL Libraries resources page. In your teaching folder, keep copies of your syllabi and lesson plans for every course you teach. Begin developing your teaching statement and save each draft (you never know when you?ll want to return to an earlier version). Save future job search materials like your CV and other documentation materials in your academic portfolio folder. The time you put into organizing these materials now will save you a great deal of time later.
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE. As much as possible try to follow a regular daily schedule so that by the time you are ready to write your dissertation your work habits will be well established. Doing so will allow you to coordinate your activities with those of your adviser, graduate colleagues, and family and friends, and will alleviate the feeling that someone is always demanding your time.
PRIORITIZE. PRIORITIZE. PRIORITIZE. In graduate school, you need to be very protective of your research and writing time. It doesn?t matter when you set aside time to write or plan your next teaching lecture. It DOES matter that you recognize that these tasks are more important than some of your other tasks, like checking e-mail. Save the more mundane tasks for low energy times. If you?re a doctoral or master?s student who is expected to complete a thesis, spend the bulk of your day on research-related activities. And learn to say ?no? ? to friends, family, maybe even your graduate adviserJ. Managing your time in one area of your professional life will help you do it in other areas, too.
Having said that, BE REASONABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHEN. If you have to work at night or on weekends, try to choose a time that minimizes disruptions of your personal and family time.
USE HOLIDAY BREAKS TO FOCUS ON RESEARCH. Stay near the university during the summer. If you stay on campus and spend time on your research and writing, you?ll have a much better chance of finishing in a timely manner.
MAINTAIN SOME SORT OF DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY during graduate school. Exercise can help you structure your day and release stress, contributes to greater confidence, keeps you healthy and clears a space in your mind for those ?aha? moments that help you break through barriers in your thinking. Hobbies are good, too. Go to a UNL basketball game. Attend a show at the Lied Center. Learn to knit (yes, there are health benefits to knitting). Like people who exercise regularly, people who take time to enjoy their favorite hobbies tend to experience less stress.
BEGIN WORKING ON YOUR CURRICULUM VITAE NOW. By building your vita early in your graduate career, you?ll be able to track your accomplishments while noting the gaps in your experience.
FIVE QUICK TIPS FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE E-MAILS
E-MAIL IS AN INCREASINGLY PREFERRED TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION between students and faculty. When communicating with your professors via e-mail, it?s important to remember that many faculty view an e-mail message as a letter that was delivered quickly rather than a quick conversation. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing e-mail messages to your professors.
USE APPROPRIATE SALUTATIONS AND TITLES.
Like letters, e-mails should begin with a proper salutation. If ?Dear Dr. Smith? seems too formal, begin your message with ?Hello Dr. Smith,? but avoid the kinds of casual greetings you would use with friends (e.g., ?Hey?) or no greeting at all. When in doubt about using Dr. or the professor?s first name, use Dr.; the faculty member will let you know when it?s okay to use his or her first name.
IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
Faculty interact with a large number of students every semester. At the beginning of your message, refer to the class you?re taking with the faculty member or how the faculty member knows you, especially when you?re contacting someone who doesn?t know you very well. Conclude your message with more than just your first name. Provide your full name and NUID number.
AVOID TEXT ACRONYMS.
If you?re responding to e-mails on a Blackberry or smart phone, it?s tempting to abbreviate or shorten words and phrases (e.g., u instead of you). However, abbreviations are easy to misinterpret or may be completely misunderstood.
BEWARE OF YOUR TONE.
Perhaps the most difficult part of writing an e-mail is achieving the right tone. If you?re writing an especially sensitive e-mail, let your final draft sit overnight and reread it before sending to make sure the message is appropriate. You also can ask a colleague or friend to read your message and offer feedback about how the message might be perceived. Remember, e-mail creates a permanent record of your communication that you have no control over after you click the send button. So if you?re worried about the tone of your e-mail, you might want to skip the message altogether and ask for a meeting with the faculty member.
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Long e-mails with too many questions can get confusing. If your message is more than one or two paragraphs, rethink the purpose of the message. You may want to start with the most important question or topic. A lengthy e-mail may be a signal that the subject warrants a meeting rather than a written communication.
E-mail communication is an important part of building positive relationships with your professors. It?s always worthwhile to take the time to make sure your messages are clear and appropriate.
RESOURCES
Jerz, D. & Bauer, J. (2000, December 12). Writing effective e- mail: Top 10 tips. Retrieved October 7, 2010 from http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/etext/e-mail.htm#message.
Toth, E. (2009, April 28). Don?t e-mail me this way. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from http://chronicle.com/article/Dont-E-Mail-Me-This- Way/44818/.
DATE BOOKS may be out of date (or style) but...it?s important to have something that will help you keep track of your appointments and deadlines. Here?s a great tip: create a one- page weekly TO-DO listing of your deadlines, appointments and tasks, and post it somewhere that?s easily accessible.
USE YOUR COMPUTER AS AN ORGANIZATIONAL TOOL. Create a folder for each area of your work: research, teaching, coursework and your academic portfolio. In your research folder, begin developing your list of references and keep copies of any papers you?ve written for any seminar you?ve taken. Bookmark important websites and electronic databases like Academic Search Premier available on the UNL Libraries resources page. In your teaching folder, keep copies of your syllabi and lesson plans for every course you teach. Begin developing your teaching statement and save each draft (you never know when you?ll want to return to an earlier version). Save future job search materials like your CV and other documentation materials in your academic portfolio folder. The time you put into organizing these materials now will save you a great deal of time later.
ESTABLISH A ROUTINE. As much as possible try to follow a regular daily schedule so that by the time you are ready to write your dissertation your work habits will be well established. Doing so will allow you to coordinate your activities with those of your adviser, graduate colleagues, and family and friends, and will alleviate the feeling that someone is always demanding your time.
PRIORITIZE. PRIORITIZE. PRIORITIZE. In graduate school, you need to be very protective of your research and writing time. It doesn?t matter when you set aside time to write or plan your next teaching lecture. It DOES matter that you recognize that these tasks are more important than some of your other tasks, like checking e-mail. Save the more mundane tasks for low energy times. If you?re a doctoral or master?s student who is expected to complete a thesis, spend the bulk of your day on research-related activities. And learn to say ?no? ? to friends, family, maybe even your graduate adviserJ. Managing your time in one area of your professional life will help you do it in other areas, too.
Having said that, BE REASONABLE ABOUT WHAT YOU CAN DO AND WHEN. If you have to work at night or on weekends, try to choose a time that minimizes disruptions of your personal and family time.
USE HOLIDAY BREAKS TO FOCUS ON RESEARCH. Stay near the university during the summer. If you stay on campus and spend time on your research and writing, you?ll have a much better chance of finishing in a timely manner.
MAINTAIN SOME SORT OF DAILY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY during graduate school. Exercise can help you structure your day and release stress, contributes to greater confidence, keeps you healthy and clears a space in your mind for those ?aha? moments that help you break through barriers in your thinking. Hobbies are good, too. Go to a UNL basketball game. Attend a show at the Lied Center. Learn to knit (yes, there are health benefits to knitting). Like people who exercise regularly, people who take time to enjoy their favorite hobbies tend to experience less stress.
BEGIN WORKING ON YOUR CURRICULUM VITAE NOW. By building your vita early in your graduate career, you?ll be able to track your accomplishments while noting the gaps in your experience.
FIVE QUICK TIPS FOR WRITING EFFECTIVE E-MAILS
E-MAIL IS AN INCREASINGLY PREFERRED TOOL FOR COMMUNICATION between students and faculty. When communicating with your professors via e-mail, it?s important to remember that many faculty view an e-mail message as a letter that was delivered quickly rather than a quick conversation. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing e-mail messages to your professors.
USE APPROPRIATE SALUTATIONS AND TITLES.
Like letters, e-mails should begin with a proper salutation. If ?Dear Dr. Smith? seems too formal, begin your message with ?Hello Dr. Smith,? but avoid the kinds of casual greetings you would use with friends (e.g., ?Hey?) or no greeting at all. When in doubt about using Dr. or the professor?s first name, use Dr.; the faculty member will let you know when it?s okay to use his or her first name.
IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
Faculty interact with a large number of students every semester. At the beginning of your message, refer to the class you?re taking with the faculty member or how the faculty member knows you, especially when you?re contacting someone who doesn?t know you very well. Conclude your message with more than just your first name. Provide your full name and NUID number.
AVOID TEXT ACRONYMS.
If you?re responding to e-mails on a Blackberry or smart phone, it?s tempting to abbreviate or shorten words and phrases (e.g., u instead of you). However, abbreviations are easy to misinterpret or may be completely misunderstood.
BEWARE OF YOUR TONE.
Perhaps the most difficult part of writing an e-mail is achieving the right tone. If you?re writing an especially sensitive e-mail, let your final draft sit overnight and reread it before sending to make sure the message is appropriate. You also can ask a colleague or friend to read your message and offer feedback about how the message might be perceived. Remember, e-mail creates a permanent record of your communication that you have no control over after you click the send button. So if you?re worried about the tone of your e-mail, you might want to skip the message altogether and ask for a meeting with the faculty member.
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Long e-mails with too many questions can get confusing. If your message is more than one or two paragraphs, rethink the purpose of the message. You may want to start with the most important question or topic. A lengthy e-mail may be a signal that the subject warrants a meeting rather than a written communication.
E-mail communication is an important part of building positive relationships with your professors. It?s always worthwhile to take the time to make sure your messages are clear and appropriate.
RESOURCES
Jerz, D. & Bauer, J. (2000, December 12). Writing effective e- mail: Top 10 tips. Retrieved October 7, 2010 from http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/etext/e-mail.htm#message.
Toth, E. (2009, April 28). Don?t e-mail me this way. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Retrieved October 8, 2010, from http://chronicle.com/article/Dont-E-Mail-Me-This- Way/44818/.
Inside Higher Ed: Strategic Displacement
January 11, 2011
One of the most novel ideas of college admissions in recent decades has been the “10 percent plan” in Texas. And research released Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that some students figured out how to game the system to get into a flagship -- and that the net result of this activity was to help white students at the expense of minority students.
In response to a federal appeals court’s order barring public colleges and universities from considering race in admissions, the state adopted a rule granting automatic admission to any university -- including the highly competitive flagships of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University -- to anyone who graduated in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class. The idea was that Texas has many high schools that are almost entirely black or Latino -- and so could be assured of enrolling a critical mass of black and Latino students at top universities without considering race.
While Texas in 2009 modified the plan, the basic concept remains in place -- and has been copied in several other states looking for race-neutral ways to diversify student bodies at competitive universities. From the start, one of the questions about these plans was whether they created the right incentives for schools, students and families. Students just below the top 10 percent at competitive high schools complained from the beginning that they were being displaced by students who were in the top 10 percent elsewhere but who may not have been as well-prepared for college.
The new NBER study shows that some of those students did something about it -- and moved to less competitive high schools where they could be in the top 10 percent. And generally, this movement displaced minority students from getting automatic admission under the 10 percent rule.
The study, conducted by Julie Berry Cullen of the University of California at San Diego, Mark C. Long of the University of Washington, and Randall Reback of Barnard College, analyzed cohorts of students who were approaching college admissions before and after the 10 percent plan took effect. It found significant shifts in patterns among students who stood to benefit from being in less competitive high schools. These patterns run counter to the usual tendency of families to try to get their children into the best high schools possible.
A variety of factors obviously influence the choices of students and families about which high schools to attend, and the authors acknowledge that it is possible that some of the school switches had other causes. But identifying those students with “motive and opportunity” -- those who were likely to fall below the 10 percent in competitive high schools but were strong enough students that they would be in the top 10 percent in weaker high schools in which they could enroll -- the scholars estimate that 25 percent or more of students moved to new high schools for "strategic" reasons.
Generally, the movement was from magnet schools to less competitive local schools, where the grade-point average to be in the top 10 percent was lower and/or the students moving could earn better grades.
The authors found that though both white and minority students engaged in “strategic” high school selection, white students benefited and minority students lost. The reason is that whether it is white or minority students transferred into the lesser high school, those at the high school who were pushed out of the top 10 percent were almost always minority students. Virtually no white students lost slots as a result of these choices.
The study does not suggest that its findings negate the positive impacts of the 10 percent plan on promoting racial diversity. But the authors write that those who create such plans need to consider all of the incentives they create -- including incentives that may favor some groups over others.
— Scott Jaschik
One of the most novel ideas of college admissions in recent decades has been the “10 percent plan” in Texas. And research released Monday by the National Bureau of Economic Research suggests that some students figured out how to game the system to get into a flagship -- and that the net result of this activity was to help white students at the expense of minority students.
In response to a federal appeals court’s order barring public colleges and universities from considering race in admissions, the state adopted a rule granting automatic admission to any university -- including the highly competitive flagships of the University of Texas and Texas A&M University -- to anyone who graduated in the top 10 percent of his or her high school class. The idea was that Texas has many high schools that are almost entirely black or Latino -- and so could be assured of enrolling a critical mass of black and Latino students at top universities without considering race.
While Texas in 2009 modified the plan, the basic concept remains in place -- and has been copied in several other states looking for race-neutral ways to diversify student bodies at competitive universities. From the start, one of the questions about these plans was whether they created the right incentives for schools, students and families. Students just below the top 10 percent at competitive high schools complained from the beginning that they were being displaced by students who were in the top 10 percent elsewhere but who may not have been as well-prepared for college.
The new NBER study shows that some of those students did something about it -- and moved to less competitive high schools where they could be in the top 10 percent. And generally, this movement displaced minority students from getting automatic admission under the 10 percent rule.
The study, conducted by Julie Berry Cullen of the University of California at San Diego, Mark C. Long of the University of Washington, and Randall Reback of Barnard College, analyzed cohorts of students who were approaching college admissions before and after the 10 percent plan took effect. It found significant shifts in patterns among students who stood to benefit from being in less competitive high schools. These patterns run counter to the usual tendency of families to try to get their children into the best high schools possible.
A variety of factors obviously influence the choices of students and families about which high schools to attend, and the authors acknowledge that it is possible that some of the school switches had other causes. But identifying those students with “motive and opportunity” -- those who were likely to fall below the 10 percent in competitive high schools but were strong enough students that they would be in the top 10 percent in weaker high schools in which they could enroll -- the scholars estimate that 25 percent or more of students moved to new high schools for "strategic" reasons.
Generally, the movement was from magnet schools to less competitive local schools, where the grade-point average to be in the top 10 percent was lower and/or the students moving could earn better grades.
The authors found that though both white and minority students engaged in “strategic” high school selection, white students benefited and minority students lost. The reason is that whether it is white or minority students transferred into the lesser high school, those at the high school who were pushed out of the top 10 percent were almost always minority students. Virtually no white students lost slots as a result of these choices.
The study does not suggest that its findings negate the positive impacts of the 10 percent plan on promoting racial diversity. But the authors write that those who create such plans need to consider all of the incentives they create -- including incentives that may favor some groups over others.
— Scott Jaschik
Inside Higher Ed: 'Sad Day For California'
January 11, 2011
A draconian budget plan laid out Monday by California Gov. Jerry Brown would slash higher education along with other already beleaguered state agencies.
In an effort to tackle an estimated $28 billion budget shortfall, the newly elected governor would strip $1.4 billion from public higher education institutions. The reductions would include $500 million each in cuts for the University of California and California State University. Additionally, $400 million would be carved from the budgets of the California Community Colleges.
The reductions constitute an 18 percent cut in state support for California State; 16.4 percent for the University of California; and 6.5 percent for community colleges, officials from the systems reported. [Updated from previous version].
While embracing the need for collective sacrifice, University of California President Mark Yudof said the reductions to the system constituted a “sad day for California.” The proposed reductions, he noted, would mean that collective student contributions to the cost of education would for the first time exceed contributions by the state.
“The crossing of this threshold transcends mere symbolism and should be profoundly disturbing to all Californians,” Yudof said in a released statement.
The $500 million reduction would mean that the state’s annual per-student contribution would fall to $7,210, compared to the $7,930 students now pay at the University of California on average. The student contribution has risen steadily amid the throes of the economic crisis, which has prompted a series of hikes in tuition, dubbed “fees” in California. Yudof said his “sense” was that the university would not implement another tuition increase to deal with the proposed budget reduction, but that he “cannot fully commit” to that course.
The tuition increases have sparked massive student protests, and faculty have questioned whether the cuts will worsen the quality of what is often regarded as the nation’s premier public university.
Charles B. Reed, chancellor of California State University, suggested Monday that the cuts would limit access.
“We will work with the administration and the legislature to minimize, as much as possible, impact to students. However, the reality is that we will not be able to admit as many students as we had been planning for this fall,” Reed said in a statement.
Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott was similarly foreboding, saying in a statement that the budget reductions would mean “up to 350,000 students will be turned away next year.”
A last-minute budget deal in October was designed to restore funding to public higher education in the state, but Brown’s plan would reverse those gains.
In a statement issued Monday, California’s Legislative Analyst's Office pointed out that the cuts actually restore higher education funding to its traditional place within the state's budget. Brown's proposal would provide about $9.8 billion in general fund support for public colleges and universities in 2011-12, which is about 11.6 percent of the total general fund spending. That percentage is about the same as the average share higher education has received over the past decade, the LAO noted. Of course, that average includes several years of significant budget reductions.
In a joint statement Monday, the heads of the three impacted systems -- Yudof, Reed and Scott -- suggested cuts to the institutions were counterproductive to economic recovery.
"It is clear the governor wants to engage Californians in a full and open discussion about what size of government they are willing to support. As leaders of the state's three public higher education systems, we are eager to participate in that conversation," the statement reads. "Given the vast demographic shifts underway in California, now is not the time to shrink public higher education, but to grow it. The road to recovery from this recession and prosperity far beyond it runs straight through our many campuses. These universities are the economic engines of California."
— Jack Stripling
A draconian budget plan laid out Monday by California Gov. Jerry Brown would slash higher education along with other already beleaguered state agencies.
In an effort to tackle an estimated $28 billion budget shortfall, the newly elected governor would strip $1.4 billion from public higher education institutions. The reductions would include $500 million each in cuts for the University of California and California State University. Additionally, $400 million would be carved from the budgets of the California Community Colleges.
The reductions constitute an 18 percent cut in state support for California State; 16.4 percent for the University of California; and 6.5 percent for community colleges, officials from the systems reported. [Updated from previous version].
While embracing the need for collective sacrifice, University of California President Mark Yudof said the reductions to the system constituted a “sad day for California.” The proposed reductions, he noted, would mean that collective student contributions to the cost of education would for the first time exceed contributions by the state.
“The crossing of this threshold transcends mere symbolism and should be profoundly disturbing to all Californians,” Yudof said in a released statement.
The $500 million reduction would mean that the state’s annual per-student contribution would fall to $7,210, compared to the $7,930 students now pay at the University of California on average. The student contribution has risen steadily amid the throes of the economic crisis, which has prompted a series of hikes in tuition, dubbed “fees” in California. Yudof said his “sense” was that the university would not implement another tuition increase to deal with the proposed budget reduction, but that he “cannot fully commit” to that course.
The tuition increases have sparked massive student protests, and faculty have questioned whether the cuts will worsen the quality of what is often regarded as the nation’s premier public university.
Charles B. Reed, chancellor of California State University, suggested Monday that the cuts would limit access.
“We will work with the administration and the legislature to minimize, as much as possible, impact to students. However, the reality is that we will not be able to admit as many students as we had been planning for this fall,” Reed said in a statement.
Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott was similarly foreboding, saying in a statement that the budget reductions would mean “up to 350,000 students will be turned away next year.”
A last-minute budget deal in October was designed to restore funding to public higher education in the state, but Brown’s plan would reverse those gains.
In a statement issued Monday, California’s Legislative Analyst's Office pointed out that the cuts actually restore higher education funding to its traditional place within the state's budget. Brown's proposal would provide about $9.8 billion in general fund support for public colleges and universities in 2011-12, which is about 11.6 percent of the total general fund spending. That percentage is about the same as the average share higher education has received over the past decade, the LAO noted. Of course, that average includes several years of significant budget reductions.
In a joint statement Monday, the heads of the three impacted systems -- Yudof, Reed and Scott -- suggested cuts to the institutions were counterproductive to economic recovery.
"It is clear the governor wants to engage Californians in a full and open discussion about what size of government they are willing to support. As leaders of the state's three public higher education systems, we are eager to participate in that conversation," the statement reads. "Given the vast demographic shifts underway in California, now is not the time to shrink public higher education, but to grow it. The road to recovery from this recession and prosperity far beyond it runs straight through our many campuses. These universities are the economic engines of California."
— Jack Stripling
Learning Online Info: What Studies say about Social Media in Higher Education
This is a guest post from Brian Jenkins, who has been writing for BrainTrack.com since 2008. He contributes articles about a variety of college and career topics.
Are college professors using social media? Social Media in Higher Education, a study performed by Pearson, which includes a survey of 1000 college professors, showed that four out of five professors use social media. A little more than half use podcasts, video, wikis, and blogs for their classes. About 30% use social networks to communicate with their students, and almost 25% of the professors had four or more accounts on social networks.
However, just 10 to 12 percent of the professors ask students to use social media tools to create something or post comments. Jeff Seaman, co-director of the Babson Survey Research Group, which performed the study with Pearson and New Marketing Labs, stated “At the moment it’s used primarily as another information resource.”
Among the professors surveyed, the most widely used social media service is Facebook. However, YouTube was the most commonly used social media service to communicate with students. Also, 25% of the professors disagreed or strongly disagreed with the idea that social networks are valuable for communicating with students.
An objective of the Association for Social Media and Higher Education is to create a community for sharing information, tools, learning, and ideas by bringing together social media practitioners, higher education officials, and scholars. The organization recommends utilizing social media to create communities of learning and multidisciplinary collaboration in colleges and universities.
A study entitled “Social Media and College Admissions: Higher-Ed Beats Business in Adoption of New Tools for Third Year,” performed by Dr. Nora Gamin Barnes, Ph.D., found that 95% of colleges and universities utilized at least one form of social media to recruit prospective students. The study also indicated that colleges and universities are ahead of major businesses regarding the use of social media. The study showed that 51% of colleges and universities admissions offices have a blog for their school while just 22% of Fortune 500 companies have a corporate blog and 42% of the Inc. 500 companies have a corporate blog. The report also showed that 46% of colleges and universities use online videos to provide virtual tours of their campuses, virtual visits to dorms, and sample lectures from faculty members.
Social media has worked its way into higher education. However, in the classrooms it is primarily used as an information source and not in an active way (e.g. students tweeting in class). Perhaps things will change in the future as the younger generation, which has grown up with social media, return to college classrooms as professors.
image credits: © Maigi | Dreamstime.com
Are college professors using social media? Social Media in Higher Education, a study performed by Pearson, which includes a survey of 1000 college professors, showed that four out of five professors use social media. A little more than half use podcasts, video, wikis, and blogs for their classes. About 30% use social networks to communicate with their students, and almost 25% of the professors had four or more accounts on social networks.
However, just 10 to 12 percent of the professors ask students to use social media tools to create something or post comments. Jeff Seaman, co-director of the Babson Survey Research Group, which performed the study with Pearson and New Marketing Labs, stated “At the moment it’s used primarily as another information resource.”
Among the professors surveyed, the most widely used social media service is Facebook. However, YouTube was the most commonly used social media service to communicate with students. Also, 25% of the professors disagreed or strongly disagreed with the idea that social networks are valuable for communicating with students.
An objective of the Association for Social Media and Higher Education is to create a community for sharing information, tools, learning, and ideas by bringing together social media practitioners, higher education officials, and scholars. The organization recommends utilizing social media to create communities of learning and multidisciplinary collaboration in colleges and universities.
A study entitled “Social Media and College Admissions: Higher-Ed Beats Business in Adoption of New Tools for Third Year,” performed by Dr. Nora Gamin Barnes, Ph.D., found that 95% of colleges and universities utilized at least one form of social media to recruit prospective students. The study also indicated that colleges and universities are ahead of major businesses regarding the use of social media. The study showed that 51% of colleges and universities admissions offices have a blog for their school while just 22% of Fortune 500 companies have a corporate blog and 42% of the Inc. 500 companies have a corporate blog. The report also showed that 46% of colleges and universities use online videos to provide virtual tours of their campuses, virtual visits to dorms, and sample lectures from faculty members.
Social media has worked its way into higher education. However, in the classrooms it is primarily used as an information source and not in an active way (e.g. students tweeting in class). Perhaps things will change in the future as the younger generation, which has grown up with social media, return to college classrooms as professors.
image credits: © Maigi | Dreamstime.com
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