In this chapter, the authors will expand upon the definition of learning communities, discussing the ways in which this concept has changed and adapted through the incorporation/infusion of web-based technologies. In addition, strategies on how to create and use online learning communities both with students and for professional practice will be…

Colorado State University (CSU) is located in Fort Collins, which is a midsize city of 134,000 situated in Northern Colorado at the western edge of the Great Plains and at the base of the Rocky Mountains. CSU's total enrollment is approximately 25,000 students. The Division of Student Affairs comprises 30 departments organized into programmatic…

College students are relying on the Internet to make connections with other people every day. As the Internet has developed and grown, so have the capabilities for interaction. Social networking sites, a group of Web sites that provide people with the opportunity to create an online profile and to share that profile with others, are a part of…

Today's college students, the Net generation, have woven technology into their everyday repertoire of communication and connection tools. They use the Internet, e-mail, instant messaging, blogs, and social networking Web sites like Facebook and MySpace at higher rates than individuals from any other generation. Student affairs professionals,…

The author reviews the evolution of Web services--from information sharing to transactional to relationship building--and the progression from first-generation to fourth-generation Web sites. (Contains 3 figures.)

In the 1900s, student affairs professionals were faced with decisions about how to incorporate new forms of technology into the college community. New technologies during the twentieth century that institutions had to plan and prepare for included the telephone (invented in 1870), television (invented in early 1900s), cable television (available…

This chapter provides an overview of e-portfolio concepts and designs. It describes a model that outlines an array of dimensions for the categorization of e-portfolio systems, reviews selected systems, and makes observations regarding the importance for student affairs units to understand, collaborate, and include e-portfolio systems within their…

Highlights innovative World Wide Web sites that enhance student services and promote student learning. Divides listings into five categories: resource information, service delivery, information dissemination, surveys and research, and student learning. The sites listed are just a sample of the thousands available on the World Wide Web. (RJM)

Discusses the fundamental learning principles that student affairs professionals should use to guide their applications of information technology. Looks at components of student-learning-centered information technology programs that use the World Wide Web; examines the use of information technology in student advising, instruction, and community…

Explores several salient technological trends with implications for student affairs practitioners. Claims that student affairs personnel must become experts at understanding how rapid changes in technology affect human development, relationships, and learning. Concludes with principles that might be used to guide the choices and decisions to be…

Explores ways in which Internet technology and the World Wide Web challenge student affairs administrators to contemplate and implement alternative forms of service. Examines factors influencing student affairs and technology--such as economic forces--and how service delivery will be increasingly in the form of distant and virtual contacts. (RJM)

Argues that, to plan for and to manage information technology, student affairs administrators must assume four roles: (1) architects who construct the vision, goals, and objectives of technology implementation; (2) facilitators of change who impart information; (3) educators who share information technology's importance; (4) and policymakers who…

This chapter focuses on the issues surrounding the growth of online gambling on college and university campuses.

Examines how information technology can be used in student services to acquire information, understand assessment and evaluation information, communicate the results of assessment and evaluation, and move others to action. Provides an example of an evaluation project. Highlights World Wide Web technology, longitudinal tracking, data visualization,…

Examines three main topics related to graduate preparation programs and technology: (1) technology's role in enhancing teaching, advising, and research activities; (2) the knowledge, skills, and competencies related to information technology that graduate students should acquire; and (3) the implications of introducing a systematic integration of…