Engaging Students and Fostering Community with Web 2.0 Northeast Connect Conference November 16, 2007 Mary Zedeck, Instructional Designer Hezal Patel, Freshman Studies Mentor Elizabeth Cappelluti, Freshman Studies Mentor

Seton Hall University Catholic diocesan university 5000 undergraduate, 10,000 students overall New York suburb/city is a train-ride away 150 years old Six undergraduate colleges: A&S, Education, Diplomacy, Nursing, Business, and Theology

Catholic diocesan university

5000 undergraduate, 10,000 students overall

New York suburb/city is a train-ride away

150 years old

Six undergraduate colleges: A&S, Education, Diplomacy, Nursing, Business, and Theology

Freshman Studies Academic department dedicated solely to freshmen Consists of Dean, Associate Dean, Six Full-time Faculty Mentors and Seven Part-Time Graduate Assistant Mentors Mentors serve as academic advisers and instruct University Life class

Academic department dedicated solely to freshmen

Consists of Dean, Associate Dean, Six Full-time Faculty Mentors and Seven Part-Time Graduate Assistant Mentors

Mentors serve as academic advisers and instruct University Life class

University Life One credit academic course mandatory for all freshmen that meets during their first semester Taught by Mentor with assistance from the Peer Adviser Students are put into a group based on their major at Orientation and all members of the group are assigned to the same University Life section

One credit academic course mandatory for all freshmen that meets during their first semester

Taught by Mentor with assistance from the Peer Adviser

Students are put into a group based on their major at Orientation and all members of the group are assigned to the same University Life section

Promoting Student Engagement Beginning in March Freshman Studies sends home brochures to engage the students and invite them to participate in the life of the university A Blackboard community is populated starting in March which allows students to explore the use of technology at Seton Hall University

Beginning in March

Freshman Studies sends home brochures to engage the students and invite them to participate in the life of the university

A Blackboard community is populated starting in March which allows students to explore the use of technology at Seton Hall University

Laptops: Integral Part of Program All new Seton Hall students receive a laptop when they come to “Pirate Adventure” orientation in June Seton Hall hosts three two-day mandatory overnight Orientations during a week and a half in June Helps students connect to the university and brings more students to the June orientation sessions

All new Seton Hall students receive a laptop when they come to “Pirate Adventure” orientation in June

Seton Hall hosts three two-day mandatory overnight Orientations during a week and a half in June

Helps students connect to the university and brings more students to the June orientation sessions

Laptops in June Deliberate program created to encourage students to engage in the Seton Hall community through technology during the summer Students were given assignments that required them to use their laptops

Deliberate program created to encourage students to engage in the Seton Hall community through technology during the summer

Students were given assignments that required them to use their laptops

Class of 2011 Portal in Blackboard Communication tool Placement testing Announcements Staff Information Access to Mentor ePortfolios Audio download of summer reading Blog Podcast episodes Let’s take a look at the Organization!

Communication tool

Placement testing

Announcements

Staff Information

Access to Mentor ePortfolios

Audio download of summer reading

Blog

Podcast episodes

Let’s take a look at the Organization!

Summer 2006 Freshman Studies Podcast: Students learned about the university through Freshman Studies podcast episodes We created 11 podcast episodes to introduce students to life at Seton Hall University Various administrators and faculty recorded episodes about their departments and student resources

Freshman Studies Podcast: Students learned about the university through Freshman Studies podcast episodes

We created 11 podcast episodes to introduce students to life at Seton Hall University

Various administrators and faculty recorded episodes about their departments and student resources

Summer 2007 Freshman Studies blog was created in order to provide freshmen with further detailed information about resources and events at Seton Hall Freshman Studies Mentors created the blog entries Throughout the summer and fall semester, Mentors created 37 blog entries Thirteen of the blog entries included a link to new and updated podcast episodes Podcast episodes were also available through the Blackboard community

Freshman Studies blog was created in order to provide freshmen with further detailed information about resources and events at Seton Hall

Freshman Studies Mentors created the blog entries

Throughout the summer and fall semester, Mentors created 37 blog entries

Thirteen of the blog entries included a link to new and updated podcast episodes

Podcast episodes were also available through the Blackboard community

Freshman Studies Blog Freshman Studies Blog Created in Movable Type Entries created and posted by Mentors Comments are not operational Includes subscription option, photos, web links, email links, podcast episode links

Freshman Studies Blog

Created in Movable Type

Entries created and posted by Mentors

Comments are not operational

Includes subscription option, photos, web links, email links, podcast episode links

Freshman Studies Podcast Podcast in Blackboard Subscription Episodes Dining Services podcast episode

Podcast in Blackboard

Subscription

Episodes

Dining Services podcast episode

Fall 2006 Assessment Freshman class was assessed after the Fall 2006 semester 84% of the class participated in the survey 33% said the podcast helped prepare them for their first year of college Fall 2007 Assessment will take place in December

Freshman class was assessed after the Fall 2006 semester

84% of the class participated in the survey

33% said the podcast helped prepare them for their first year of college

Fall 2007 Assessment will take place in December

The Future Continue with blog and podcast Informal and formal assessment will include questioning students as to what they felt they needed information about that was not included in the blog this year Possibly open up comments on the blog to students Give students opportunity to post to blog Digital Stories created by students in University Life class to be embedded in blog

Continue with blog and podcast

Informal and formal assessment will include questioning students as to what they felt they needed information about that was not included in the blog this year

Possibly open up comments on the blog to students

Give students opportunity to post to blog

Digital Stories created by students in University Life class to be embedded in blog

Questions?? Thank You!! Mary Zedeck, Instructional Designer Hezal Patel, Freshman Studies Mentor Elizabeth Cappelluti, Freshman Studies Mentor

Thank You!!

Mary Zedeck, Instructional Designer

Hezal Patel, Freshman Studies Mentor

Elizabeth Cappelluti, Freshman Studies Mentor