Changing Students Perceptions of Facebook Orientation Program and Online Tutorial

Friday, April 21, 2023

Changing Students Perceptionsof Facebook.com

Orientation Program and Online Tutorial

Amanda DrosteJohn GravesJeffrey RuderHenry Wendel

Indiana University - Bloomington


Campus Needs

Immediate Issues• Students on campus have

recently experienced threats and hate messages as a result of the inappropriate usage of Facebook.com and other online communities.

• Diversity College (DC) must address these concerns and work diligently to promote a healthy and safe online community.

• DC needs to teach students how to utilize the positive aspects of Facebook.com instead of the negative.

Future Goals• Using concepts highlighted in

Chickering and Reisser’s Education and Identity, create technology education programs to aid in the development of students’ identity and mature interpersonal relationships.

• Decrease the number of campus judicial cases involving the Facebook.

• Develop effective strategies for incorporating technology into the both the classroom and social environments of the college.

• Continue research and evaluation of student technology uses and its impact on both cognitive and social student development.


Faculty and Staff ConcernsQuestions and Points For Discussion

• Should faculty and staff join these online communities?– Possible benefits to classroom learning– Ability to inform students about campus events– Possible loss of privacy for faculty and staff– Enhanced connection to and communication with

students• If so, what information should they present to other

members of these communities?– Blurring between personal and professional information

• How should faculty and staff respond to student misconduct within the context of online communities?– DC’s recently developed computer use policies– Desire to avoid “snooping” on students


DC’s Response to Campus Needs

• DC will devise an orientation program to make students aware of issues associated with internet and technology usage as well as to foster the growth of a positive and engaged online community on campus.

• By constructing an online tutorial and quiz, DC will test student knowledge about these issues and foster accountability about acts of computer-related misconduct.

• A permanent workgroup - the DC Facebook Committee - will be established to provide ongoing assessment and modification of these two programs.

• The DC Facebook Committee will also solicit faculty and staff input about online communities and be responsible for future training and development sessions.


Assessment and Revitalization

• In order to ensure the continued effectiveness of both the orientation program and online tutorial, active assessment of the programs must occur.

• The DC Facebook Committee will be charged with the responsibility of developing a timeline for assessment and reorganization. This team will also determine what type of changes should be made.

• Due to the constantly changing student constituency, the programs should be evaluated each year.


How will the DC Facebook Committee ensure that their efforts are worthwhile and

educational?

Orientation Program• Design and implement a survey for

students to take at the conclusion of the orientation program.

• Employ the use of student focus groups for the purposes of re-evaluation and revision.

• Track the number of judicial cases involving the misuse of technology and make adjustments and revisions based on judicial/student concerns.

• Consult with campus stakeholders, such as DCPD, DC IT Services, faculty, and student affairs professionals. Respond to their feedback about the orientation program to ensure that their concerns are adequately addressed.

Online Tutorial• At the conclusion of the tutorial,

there will be a short satisfaction survey.

• The data retrieved from the tutorial (i.e. number of correct/incorrect responses, length of time needed to take survey, demographic differences in results, etc.) will be analyzed by the DC Facebook Committee.

• The collected data will then be used to make any needed changes to the tutorial.

• Track the number of judicial cases involving the misuse of technology and make adjustments and revisions based on judicial/student concerns.


DC Orientation Program

• The following slides will be used as part of a program during DC’s new student orientation.

• The program begins with a darkened auditorium. Student orientation leaders in the audience will stand, be spotlighted, and shout provocative phrases that real students have included in their Facebook profiles. The purpose of this introduction is to grab attention and spark discussion.


Opening Discussion

• How did those statements make you feel?• Would you wear the quotes on your shirt?• What sort of impression do you think they create?• What sort of impact would they have on you and

your friends?


Facing the Facebook:Put Your Best Face Forward

Julie Cockrell, OLEduardo Hernandez, OL

Hayley Anderson, Residence Life StaffRyan Covey, Residence Life Staff

Eric Crowley, DCPDCourtney Davis, DC IT Services


Enter the Facebook

• Facebook.com is an online community where students, faculty, staff, and alumni share information about themselves and communicate with others

• Individuals can create profiles and online identities to represent themselves within this community

• Originally developed as a way to connect with other students in one’s courses, it has developed into a powerful social networking tool

• Facebook shares many traits with other online communities, such as Friendster and My-Space


Finding Yourself on Facebook

• Meet students and staff with similar educational and social interests

• Building relationships with others aids in your process of self-discovery

• Gain exposure to diverse people and multicultural groups, experiences, and events on campus

• Stay connected with friends and family


Finding Yourself On FacebookWhat’s in Your Profile?

• Your profile identifies who you are. Facebook can often be a student’s first glimpse into your personal information, interests, “friends,” and class schedule.

• The groups you join and the personal information you post influences other’s perceptions of you. When people first meet you, how much information do you typically divulge? What do you want people to know about you?


Finding Yourself on FacebookMaking Connections

• You can learn about other students on campus both in and outside of your classes.

• You can become “friends” with students at campuses across the nation.

• Student groups can post advertisements for their organizations.


Finding Yourself on FacebookGetting to Know You

• Learn information about faculty and staff interests that you may not know initially

• Become “friends” with people you might not have regular interaction with such as the Dean of Students

• Faculty members can post information that is helpful to students, such as when they host virtual office hours


The Facebook Has Issues . . .Visibility

• Who can see what you post on the Facebook?– Anyone with a @dcohio.edu e-mail address

who registers with the Facebook– This includes current students, prospective

students, professors, staff (including DC police), and DC alumni in the workforce

– Anyone who steals the account information of a member of the previous groups



• Like almost all Internet use, information posted on the Facebook can be traced to a specific computer and specific time using IP address tracking

• It is DC policy to gather such information when necessary to protect the safety and welfare of the DC community

• Anecdotal evidence suggests that more employers are scanning the Facebook



• Facebook gives users security options that let you control how information is seen – to an extent

• Many students do not use these safety features because they want to be able to meet anyone


The Facebook Has Issues . . .Cyberstalking

• Cyberstalking is using the Internet to harass or dig up private information about people

• Several colleges and universities, including DC, have reported cases of cyberstalking involving the Facebook

• The case of Taylor Behl at Virginia Commonwealth University

• Think carefully about what contact information you post on the Facebook


The Facebook Has Issues . . .Identity Theft

• Criminals could misuse personal information posted on the Facebook or similar websites to assume a person’s identity

• As with all login information and passwords, if Facebook passwords are not kept secret someone could assume another person’s identity on the Facebook


The Facebook Has Issues . . .Perception

• People treat each other differently based on perceptions.

• Your profile on Facebook is a part of who you are. How will you be perceived based on your Facebook profile?

• Could someone be hurt if they read your profile?

• How would you perceive someone who had one of the statements from the beginning of our presentation in their profile?


The Facebook Has Issues…Real Life Situations

From The Chronicle of Higher Education:

• “Two members of Louisiana State University's swim team were dismissed from the squad and stripped of their scholarships after creating a Facebook group, called the ‘Fantastic Four Coaches,’ and complaining about poor coaching at last year's Southeastern Conference championships.”

• “Three students at the University of Mississippi were punished for creating a Facebook group whose name made it all too clear that they wanted to have sex with a professor at the university. The professor informed campus police officers, who ordered the students to shut down the page.”

• “The student-government president at Fisher College, in Boston, was expelled in October for using Facebook to try to rally students to take action against a campus police officer. The student, who accused the officer of ‘antagonizing students,’ wrote on the site that ‘either we get a petition going or we try and set him up.’”


Final ThoughtsThe Facebook is NOT…

• A place to discriminate against others.

• An environment where racial slurs or derogatory speech are accepted.

• Where you solve problems or disagreements with your peers.

• A venue in which you may threaten, stalk, or harass others.


Final ThoughtsOn the Facebook You CAN…

• Make connections with classmates, faculty, and staff.

• Explore your current interests and develop new ones.

• Become engaged with the campus community.

• Stay in touch with high school friends.


Next Session: Preparing to register for classes! Meet in Old Erie Hall 33A.

This is the final slide used in the proposed orientation program.


DC Online Tutorial

• Today’s presenters have created a working prototype of the proposed online tutorial

• Students will need to complete the tutorial and score a B or higher on the accompanying exam before receiving DC network access

• Students will have the ability to retake the exam should they not receive a B

• The working prototype can be accessed at http://www.iub.edu/~iuspa/case/index.htm

• Viewers: please click on the above link to access the prototype of the tutorial, which also includes the online exam and assessment survey


Selection of Orientation Content and Online Tutorial Questions

Orientation• We desired to improve DC’s online

campus culture. By introducing students to positive and negative aspects of online communities, we sought to empower them to create a welcoming and healthy online environment.

• In order to retain the interest of students and improve their learning outcomes, we sought to create an engaging presentation with several opportunities for discussion.

• By introducing students to the idea that online communication is an important part of their identity development, we hoped to enable students to think critically about this aspect of their college experience.

• The orientation program’s content is grounded in statistical information about student technology use.

Online Tutorial• Since student safety is our top

priority, we sought to ensure that students were aware of online safety issues and relevant campus resources.

• Questions included in the exam serve to remind students of DC’s policies related to discrimination, harassment, and hate speech.

• If students need to be held accountable for violations of DC policies, the exam questions can serve as points of conversation for DC judicial officers.


What did we learn?

• We gathered specific information about the ways students, faculty, and staff at higher education institutions utilize online communities.

• Current research focuses on the impacts of technology on students’ cognitive development. More research needs to be conducted on the impacts of technology use on other aspects of student learning and development.

• Like most technological tools, Facebook.com and similar websites have the potential to initiate positive contact between students, faculty, and staff.

• Colleges and universities must consider online communication when developing computer use and student conduct policies.

• By completing this project, the team was introduced to current campus policies and ideas regarding Facebook.com and similar web sites.

• The team learned about the requirements of making a presentation utilizing asynchronous computer-mediated communication.


References

• Chickering, A.W., & Ehrmann, S.C. (1996). Implementing the seven principles: Technology as lever. AAHE Bulletin [Electronic version]. Retrieved on February 11, 2006 from http://www.tltgroup.org/programs/seven.html

• Chickering, A.W., & Reisser, L. (1993). Education and identity. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.• Ehrmann, S.C. (1999). Technology's grand challenges. Academe, 85, 42-46.• Flowers, L., Pascarella, E., & Pierson, C. (2000). Information technology use and cognitive outcomes in the first year of college. Journal of Higher

Education, 71(6), 637-667.• Green, K. C. (2004). Campus computing 2004: The 15th national survey of computing and information technology in American higher education.

Encino, CA: Campus Computing.• Joinson, A.N., & Dietz-Uhler, B. (2002). Explanations for the perpetration of and reactions to deception in a virtual community.

Social Science Computer Review, 20(3), 275-289.• Jones, S. (2002). The internet goes to college: How students are living in the future with today's technology. Retrieved on February 11, 2006 from

http://www.usdla.org/html/journal/OCT02_Issue/article03.html.• Nelson Laird, T.F. (2004). Surfin’ with a purpose: Examining how spending time online is related to student engagement. Student Affairs Online, 5(3)

[Electronic version]. Retrieved on February 11, 2006 from http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Summer_2004/SurfinwithaPurpose.htm.• Nelson Laird, T.F., & Kuh, G.D. (2004). Student experiences with information technology and their relationship to other aspects of student engagement.

Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Institutional Research, May 30 - June 3, 2004.• Oblinger, D.G. (2003). Boomers, gen-xers, & millennials: Understanding the new students. Educause, 38, 37-47.• Oblinger, D.G. (2004). The next generation of educational engagement. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2004 (8), 1-18.• Read, B. (2006, January 20). Think before you share: Students’ online socializing can have unintended consequences. The Chronicle

of Higher Education [Electronic version]. Retrieved on February 11, 2006 from http://chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i20/20a03801.htm.• Treuer, P. & Belote, L. (1997). Current and emerging applications of technology to promote student involvement and learning. New Directions for

Student Services, 78 (Summer). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.• Turkle, S. (1995) Life on the screen: Identity in the age of the internet. New York: Touchstone.

Changing Students Perceptions of Facebook Orientation Program and Online Tutorial

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