The Value of Student Engagement in Digital Education

We often write off online students as wanting to be anti-social and avoid people. But the reasons why people pursue digital education often deal with anything but. It can stem from work/life balance, not wanting to uproot your life to get a degree, family obligations, convenience, cost, not having to deal with commutes, and simply wanting to get the best degree from the best institution you can since you aren't limited by geography. The value of digital education is immense, so we're definitely seeing a lot of growth because of that both in terms of offerings from schools and student interest. You can learn on your own time, in your own way, at a price point you feel comfortable with.

Working for the past year and a half in digital education has been eye opening. I've learned so much about supporting students from afar and making sure they have a positive student experience. While we still have a lot to learn with the pursuit of digital education being so new, there have been some trends I've seen of what works well.

Student engagement in the digital realm takes more work when you can’t sit them all down in front of the same classroom digital displays each lesson. These students still want connections to their peers, faculty, and the institution. We can help make those interactions easier, and we can help coach students to navigate everything they want and need while they're studying with us.

What I've seen be successful is proactive communication via email and other channels with relative information about deadlines, resources, and course offerings. Also, regular check ins to make sure students know you're there for them and willing to talk about whatever they need. Some students won't need you as much, or will prefer email over calls. Regardless, I've found that it goes a long way to know someone cares and is in touching base with you, even if any conversations are short. Students regardless of whether they're on-campus or online, are going to have a lot of competing priorities, so we shouldn't take it personally if they don't talk to us all the time. That doesn't mean though we should ignore them and wait for them to come to us. A lot of what I've written before about great student support and increasing access to student support efforts holds true here with students in the digital space.

My main takeaway for you here is to maintain the same values with students online that you would with those students who happen to be in-person. Don't be afraid of reaching out. Make them feel like they're a part of your community, no matter where they are. Create opportunities for these students to meet with each other in person or connect them with on-campus students, faculty, and staff. These students are typically strongly connected to your institution's brand, that's why they sought it out to get an education from there. If they maybe happened upon your offering another way, then take it as a challenge to build the affinity in them with great service and inclusive practices. Once it all comes together, these students will be proud ambassadors all over the country (and perhaps the world) who are able to get an awesome education from your institution without disrupting their lives. 

If anyone is interested in learning more specifics of the work I do, or have cool ideas from the work they do in digital education, please connect with me! I always love talking shop.

Thanks for stopping by!

Episode #2: Hing Potter

Welcome to this episode of the podcast!

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This episode is proudly supported by Swift Kick, an amazing leadership and team development organization that helps people all over the country learn how to build incredible communities. Check them out, and if you mention Higher Ed Geek, you'll get $500 off the speaking fee.

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Our guest this episode is Hing Potter, student affairs professional and civic engagement advocate!

Listen to the episode below, or subscribe and listen via iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Here's everything we mention in the episode:

• The Chronicle of Higher Education

• The West Wing

• Designated Survivor

• The West Wing Weekly

• Scandal

• NPR One

• Wonder Woman

• #SAGeeks - Geeking Out About Talking Politics

Thanks for listening!

Confronting Compassion Fatigue

The world we live in faces many tragedies and injustices. It can be hard to endure caring about everything that needs our care and attention. A true tragedy of all this is that those of us who care the most are beaten down more by all that is happening around us. As such, we need to figure out ways to endure this state of being (as it shows no signs of slowing down) and find strategies to still feel like we're making a positive impact in our lives.

Finding Balance

A common axiom nowadays, but it bears repeating; we must find a balance and harmony that works for our lives. Bringing together work, life, sleep, diet, exercise, fun, and committing to the causes we care about. The coalescing of all these things will be unique to each of us, and we can't base our lives on someone else's model. We can find inspiration from tips and tricks, but it will never work to always be comparing ourselves to those around us. When it comes to compassion fatigue, it may feel like we can never do as much as other people, and that can bring us down. 

Seeking Focus

There is a lot going in that we can now have insight into that we never had before. We can be witnessing, engaged, and assisting in a cause anywhere in the world. With this gift of access, may come an overwhelming feeling of there being too much for us to handle. It's important to find focus so that we can give more of ourselves and better help to the cause at hand. That can still mean working globally if you like, it may also mean working more locally and hands on. It could be working for environmental sustainability, or women's rights, or fighting homelessness. Spreading ourselves and our limited emotional energy too thin won't be for the best in the long run.

Determining Satisfaction

Many of us (myself included) tend to want immediate, major change on the issues we care about. But unfortunately, sustainable change often takes time, effort, and coalitions rather than just a radical shift because some people want it. So we need to find contentment in the small victories and milestones, and by making positive impacts in our daily lives. Helping one person, changing one person's mind, securing your first funding grant. It all matters and it all will help you towards your ultimate goal. 

No one needs to be a paragon of a sole issue, but there is value in focus and balance. There is also value in our emotions, empathy, and having an open heart. It can help to compel us to do the right thing and persist even when the going gets tough.

I feel this quote is a good place to end on and captures the spirit of this post well:

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are" - Theodore Roosevelt

Episode #1: Tom Krieglstein

Welcome to this premiere episode of the podcast!

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This episode is proudly supported by Swift Kick, an amazing leadership and team development organization that helps people all over the country learn how to build incredible communities. Check them out, and if you mention Higher Ed Geek, you'll get $500 off the speaking fee.

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Our guest this episode is my good friend, former co-host, and Lead Facilitator at Swift Kick, Tom Krieglstein!

Listen to the episode below, or subscribe and listen via iTunes, Stitcher, or Google Play.

Here's everything we mention in the episode:

• The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast

• Service

• Trim

• graze

• Blue Apron

• Soylent

• The Defiant Ones

• Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru

• How I Built This Podcast

• "Money: Master the Game" by Tony Robbins

• "Unshakeable" by Tony Robbins

• WiseBanyan

Thinking of History as "Propaganda"

Following up on my previous post on history, this one is a tad more radical, so bear with me.

The story we tell ourselves about what happened in the past, due to human biases, can be construed and twisted to serve a distinct purpose. We see this most readily (and especially recently) in our monuments, but it is also very apparent in our museums. There is honest history out there, certainly when showcasing primary evidence from a time period. But when we curate anecdotes and try to weave a story from history based on achieving a goal, we steer what many will take at face value as history into something more like propaganda.

I say this mostly to encourage a healthy dose of skepticism in our lives. As we're seeing now with the removal of Confederate monuments and the renaming of landmarks, we can move past the biases of our predecessors, and make sure our society reflects our current values. Something like the symbols of the Confederacy are a bit more apparent, but something like an American History museum, can be more subtle.

History is told by the victors, so the struggles or valid motives of the other side can often be misrepresented. The plight of Native Americans comes to mind. We are slowly coming to terms with that aspect of our history, but obviously it is far too late to do us much good. The damage is done. When we tell the story of our country's founding, we often paint ourselves in a positive light, versus being more objective in the showcasing of the way we handled this unprecedented culture clash between our fore-bearers and the Native Americans. Sometimes the stories aren't told at all, which is the true tragedy.

All this being said, we need monuments, and we need museums. We need to preserve artifacts and honor our heroes. We just need to do it in a way that properly shows our past; the good, the bad, and the ugly. And we need to be open minded and independent thinkers who will be able to see a representation of the past, and know it may not be the full story.

Book Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***

I recently read this book at the behest of my manager. She felt it would be good for me to help me generally with confidence and figuring out my place in the world.

Written by Mark Manson, it is a sort of "anti self-help" book that disrupts norms of other literature in the genre. It curses, it criticizes, and explores life with a nihilistic sense of humor. It's a quick read with some good takeaways, my main one being:

"Don’t hope for a life without problems…There’s no such thing. Instead, hope for a life full of good problems."

As someone feeling like I'm always looking for a job, a company, a campus that is the right fit for me, the perfect position with no problems does not exist. I should find a role that lets me solve problems that I enjoy finding solutions for. Or at the very least don't mind dealing with. This makes my search that much easier.

I think this is a fine book for the modern young professional to help get out their own head and stop thinking they're the only person to suffer from their existential crisis. You can read this book, chuckle, calm down, and get some good advice to take with you into life, no matter where you come from. It will help you become more at peace, more open to learning, and allow yourself the space to discover your values.

I recommend this book and I'm glad I was able to check it out. I hope you enjoy it as well!

Thanks for stopping by!

Give Your Blog The Ol' Spit And Polish

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Every now and then, we could do with a bit of a makeover. You know the kind of thing I mean - hitting the shops to buy a new jacket, getting a new haircut, and buying some slick new shoes. It’s great for our self-confidence, but it also helps us keep up to date with all the current trends.

And this is the case with our online personas as well, specifically our blogs. Imagine if you had kept the same blog design that you had when you first launched it? It would certainly look very out of date by now! So, every few months, it’s time to go over your blog and make sure that it’s all up to date and is looking as good as it can. It’s what I like to call the good ol’ spit and polish! Here are some things to add to your blog checklist.

Update The Design

When was the last time you changed the design of your blog? As I’ve mentioned above, if you haven’t done so for a while, it might look decidedly outdated right now. And this could be putting off new readers - after all, no one wants to spend time on a blog that looks like it’s straight out of 2007! So, if you are using a hosting platform like Squarespace or WordPress, it’s a good idea to take a look at some of the other templates on offer. Don’t worry; changing the template shouldn’t lose any content, but it’s always a good idea to backup just in case!

Pexels.com

Watch Your Language

How is your language on the blog? If all of your blog posts are filled with spelling mistakes and other typos, your readers will be instantly turned off. It really is worth going through your most recent posts and making sure that all your writing is up to scratch. Got a few grammar questions that are bugging you? You can also check out this blog to see if it holds all the answers. It’s also worth getting a friend to proofread your posts before you publish them as they will probably find it easier to pick out your mistakes.

Review Photos

As well as regularly updating your website’s design, it’s a good idea to review photos on a semi-regular basis too. If you are using someone else’s photos and images, it’s important that you go back to check the license for them. Sometimes these can change and an image that was creative commons might not be any longer. If this is the case with a photo on your blog, you need to change it.

Pexels.com

Go Mobile

Is your blog mobile responsive? If not, it needs to be so that it can improve its SEO. Mobile responsive just means that it can be viewed on a smartphone or a tablet device easily. If you use WordPress or Squarespace, they will have guides that can help you create a mobile-responsive design for your blog.

Once you’ve given it the ol’ spit and polish, your blog will look great!

Looking Back on on The SAC Podcast

As the premiere of my new podcast approaches, I thought I would look back and reflect on a big part of my life; The Student Affairs Spectacular Podcast I co-hosted for about two and half years with Tom Krieglstein and The Student Affairs Collective (SAC).

My last episode was in December 2016, and the show achieved great success during my time. While I shared hosting duties with Tom, I also took care of most of the backend production for the podcast, which taught me a lot. I've since consulted several people helping to get their own shows off the ground.

The decision to leave the show was a hard one, but at the time, I needed to focus my energies else where and really needed a break. It's been months now, and I'm excited to get back in with a show that is mine and will continue in the spirit of its predecessor.

My journey as a content creator in higher ed has been what feels like a long, slow trek but an overall positive one. The consistency of my contributions has gone down, but my writing has vastly improved. I'm still figuring out what feels right, and I think I'm getting there now. I took a break from talking with people, but now feel like I'm starting off from a much stronger place in terms of my conversational skills then when I recorded my first episode of the SAC podcast. I remember feeling so nervous each time, and stumbling through episodes at times. I have now found my voice, and feel more in a rhythm each time I record.

I also now know my worth far more than I did before. I get paid for my writing, and am able to forge partnerships that help myself and my collaborators fairly. I understand my strengths and what I have to offer. I know so much more this time around, that I am really excited to see where everything goes.

I'm thankful for the experience, the connections, and the confidence I gained from doing the SAC podcast. All good things must come to an end, but with that, here's to the next chapter!

Episode #0: Sneak Preview!

Check out the preview episode here and subscribe now on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play!

Set Your Spidey Sense To Watch Out For These Online Scams

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The Internet is all fun and games, right? Wrong! On the surface, it may appear that way, but there are actually lots of scams and viruses hidden on a wide variety of websites and in email attachments that you need to be careful of. To help you safe next time you’re on the web, set your "Spidey sense" so that it always picks up on the following common online scams.

The Free-Trial Scam

There’s a rule of thumb you should stick to when you are online - if something sounds way too good to be true, then it probably is! And this is the case with the free-trial scam. You will see an offer online for a month’s free trial for a certain service or product. People who play online casino games and shop online a lot are frequently targeted by these scams. All you need to pay is the postage and packaging, if required. However, there will be some sentences in the very small print that detail all the extensive fees you will be made to pay once the trial ends. And it will be very difficult to try and get out of them. So, if you come across a deal that sounds like a dream, it’s best to pass up on it as it is probably too good to be true.

Hotspot Hackers

Over the past few years, hotspots have been popping up all over the place. Thanks to these, you can now use your laptop or tablet device to surf the web in all manner of public places, including cafes and libraries. This sounds fantastic on the surface, but it actually comes with one problem: hotspot hackers. When you are in a cafe and need to use the Internet, make sure that you log into a protected WiFi source with a password. Hackers can easily create hotspots that mimic trusted ones. If you log onto these, you will end up giving your personal data away.

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Fake Antivirus Materials

We all know that it is incredibly important to have the latest antivirus software on our laptops and tablet devices. But have you considered that some of these antivirus softwares and programs aren’t exactly what they seem? In fact, there is now an increasing trend for these kinds of safeguarding methods to actually be a scam themselves. For example, one common occurrence is a pop-up message appearing saying that your laptop is at risk. There will be a button to click to take you to some free software. However, once you click on the link, you will actually download some malware or virus data onto your machine. So, it’s a good idea to only trust the reputable antivirus software that you have to pay for.

It can be difficult trying to keep up with all of the new scams and hacking methods that keep on popping up online. But it is really important that you do so that you don’t lose any personal or banking information while you are online.