The document discusses innovation in learner support services through social media for a Master of Distance Education & E-Learning program. It analyzes the program's social media support suite, which includes blogs, wikis, videos, social networking, and other initiatives. Key lessons learned are that there needs to be active leadership, outreach to students, integrating tools creates synergy, and students want involvement if given support and direction. The social media suite enabled unstructured interaction, information sharing, and the creation of ongoing professional and personal relationships to support distance learners.

1. Innovation in Learner
Support Services
Through Social Media
Dr. Stella Porto
Master of Distance Education & E-Learning
The Graduate School
University of Maryland University College

2. Focus
“Our goal was to create an integrated program-wide
community and set of initiatives, which would enable
unstructured interaction, sharing of information, and
creation of an ongoing and long-lasting common
knowledge base, as well as professional and personal
e-relationships.”

3. Agenda
• Introduction
– Background & context
• Analysis of the Social Media Support Suite
– All the MDE program-wide support initiatives
• Lessons Learned
• Final remarks

4. Introduction: Background
• Student support at a distance…
– Shift from a campus based perspective
– Needs go beyond those addressed in individual
courses
– Focus on the needs of this specific target audience
• Part-time
• Full-time employment
• Family duties
• Long time away from school
• Diverse academic and professional background

5. Introduction: Background
Institutional Student support
• Enrollment management /
Registrar
 Admissions
 Financial aid
 Registration
 Advising
 Graduation
• Portal with self-services
• Academic specialists,
coordinators, program directors
• Library
• Office of disabilities, etc.

6. Introduction: Background
Social media: what it is

7. Support with Social media @ UMUC

8. Introduction: Context
The MDE program
The MDE focus on developing
managers and leaders in the areas of e-
Corporate
learning & distance education within Training &
different settings, including: K-12, Learning
higher-education, corporate, non- Faculty Media &
Support technology
profits, government and military.
Distance
Education
• Potential managers of the
DE enterprise Instruction
Design &
Higher
• Entirely online for part-time Support
Education
working adults Leaders &
• International Managers
• Collaborative

9. Analysis of the Social Media Suite
BLOGS
WIKIS VIDEOS
SOCIAL NETWORKING
An Action Research approach

10. The MDE Hub
The MDE Hub
•The one-stop-shop for ALL
MDE related information
•Extremely flexible platform

11. The MDE Blog
The MDE Blog
•Initially was the one-stop-
shop for all MDE information
•Now, works exclusively as a
blog
•One-way communication - no
interaction

12. The MDE Lounge
The MDE-lounge
•Real interaction
•Privacy, listserv mode,
discussion board, simple
and not-invasive

13. The MDE Faculty Forum
The Faculty-forum
•Management effectiveness
•Privacy, listserv mode,
discussion board, simple and
not-invasive

14. Mainstream Social networks
Presence in social
networks
•Connections with
graduates and
prospective students
•Marketing

15. The MDE Peer Mentoring
The MDE peer-mentoring
program
•Peer-support
•Student initiative
•Action research project

16. The MDE capstone wiki
The MDE capstone wiki
•Support for final capstone: e-
portfolio & research project
•Information sharing
•Direct relationship with instruction
(permanent)

17. Using our unsual
MDE Orientation LMS…
The MDE orientation
•Workshop with direct
instructor-led support
•Information sharing
•Direct support to instruction

18. The MDE internship program
The MDE internship program
•Getting your feet wet as a
distance educator
•Supporting the program
•Engaging in action research

19. The MDE social bookmarking project

20. The MDE Writing Coach program
The MDE Writing Coach program
•Writing support (focused on learning)
•Support for WC’s using a wiki
•Growing interest for other programs

21. The MDE Virtual Conference
The MDE Writing Coach program
•Writing support (focused on
learning)
•Support for WC’s using a wiki
•Growing interest @ UMUC

22. The MDE wiki on new technologies
The MDE wiki on new
technologies
•Knowledge-base
•Information sharing
•Meta-learning

23. Learning lessons…
There is a need for an active leadership
Continuously invite community
Reach out to new students
Most participants are lurkers and that’s fine!
Integrating tools creates synergy
Students want to get involved, but they need a HAND
A few active members generate
significant impact
Being personal is key
Ongoing projects and activities
Focus on respond to the needs of
stakeholders

24. Final remarks
Action Research: an excellent
research practitioner approach
Thinking beyond the
classroom
Enthusiasm is contagious
Experiment, experiment and
experiment…
Count on your graduates and
students
Networking is essential to
everyone for different reasons

25. Thank you!
Questions?
Contact: sporto@umuc.edu