Overview
About Providence College
History of Outreach
PC Self Help – A Wiki
Student Facilitation
Other Methods
The Future
About Providence College
Small Catholic liberal arts college
Approx. 4000 undergrads Approx. 80% live on campus
Single IT Helpdesk 2 full time employees 2 graduate assistants 61 student employees
Helpdesk, Lab Monitors, Technicians
Initial Methods
Family Day Open House style event for accepted students IT information table Families most interested in computer purchases
CompUtopia has adjacent table
Orientation Brief IT information speech
IT speech removed from orientation IT information table
History of Outreach
ITEC Instructional Technology Committee Faculty technology interest group
Departmental self-assessment Assess how well we meet student needs Historically made choices ourselves Decided to get more input from students
History of Outreach
ITEC sponsors student survey Survey about 25% of students
Student forum Result of survey About 30 students attended from those surveyed Wireless campus initiative resulted
History of Outreach
Student Info webpage Students want one-stop page for all info Started with IT, then to College Relations Still searching for page…
Faculty One Stop webpage Faculty want similar page Want different look for page that exists Still searching for page…
Summer 2008
Helpdesk Improvement Session Hand-picked staff and students What can be done to provide more/better service Self Help wiki resulted
Wiki Intro Sessions Introduced Self Help to small group Started adding content
Helpdesk Summer Training Got more input on bettering Helpdesk Doubled wiki content in 45 min. Brainstormed ways to advertise Helpdesk Students stationed in dorms during move-in weekend
Fall 2008
Official launch of PC Self Help Received requests for accounts Content started to be created
Wiki Training/Working Sessions 2 sessions
Faculty/staff Students
Explained wiki Created new content
Began student facilitation One meeting to introduce facilitation Brainstormed questions on topic
Cable TV service on campus
Spring 2009
Wiki Training Sessions 3 open “drop in” sessions Offer assistance for those interested Explain why/how to use the wiki
Student facilitation Reporting of data Brainstorm new topics/questions
PC Self Help – A Wiki
http://selfhelp.providence.edu
Initially intended for IT documentation.
Helpdesk Improvement session changed that. Needed to break down “silos” on campus Extended to include multiple departments
Wiki software: MindTouch (http://www.mindtouch.com) Hosted MindTouch Express available at http://wik.is
PC Self Help – Growing the Wiki
Held training sessions for faculty/staff and students.
Student sessions added more “Life at PC” info.
Met with individuals and committees. More accounts created. Increased usage by individuals.
Will continue to hold more open training sessions.
PC Self Help – The Response
General Excitement Student Congress and Library most excited
Unsure of why we chose a wiki
Questions on moderation/policing of content
Some fear for the worst
Slow uptake for editors
Many page views
Student Facilitation
Training
Brainstorm topics IT guided brainstorming First topic: Cable TV on campus Second topic: Email communications on campus
Brainstorm questions
Hold sessions Started with own circles
Student Facilitation – The ResponseFacilitators
Facilitation program worth continuing.
Facilitators learned invaluable skills.
Facilitation program a success. Awareness raised. Students more engaged.
Expand beyond IT.
Student Facilitation – The ResponseAttendees
Sessions should continue. Involve as many students as possible.
Larger general info session breaks out into smaller groups. Easier to be heard in smaller group.
Informal sessions are better without faculty/staff. Faculty/staff present at some sessions, not all. Faculty/staff presence intimidates some students.
Attendees generally enjoyed sessions. Gives idea of what IT does and deals with.
Student Facilitation – The Response
IT Thoughts
Will expand program with more facilitators.
Will possibly expand topics beyond IT issues.
Format better than students sitting on committees. Difficult to get student input on committees.
Feedback has proven assumptions to be true.
We have learned things that we never imagined Students want print management
Joined PC Class of ___ groups
Introduce myself
Answer questions Mainly IT-related questions Also questions I could answer
Students came directly to me with questions
Don’t accept or initiate friend requests Prevents me from being creepy
Satisfaction Survey
Linked in emails from ticket tracking system New system doesn’t allow customization
No link to survey
Gave feedback on the Helpdesk experience
Allowed me to contact unsatisfied “customers”
Posters and Flyers
Advertise PC Self Help Advertise capabilities of wiki
Advertise Helpdesk, eventually What we do Where we are When we are there Who we hire
The Future
Student IT Advisory Committee Direct feedback from students Prefer students not involved in other orgs Guide future IT services Use as more facilitators
Increase usage of surveys and forums Survey all students Involve more students in forums
Twitter?
Contact Me
Jim RizzoHelpdesk ManagerProvidence College
AIM: JRizzoPC
More info at:http://itweb.providence.edu/helpdesk/resnet
Evaluate this presentation:http://www.resnetsymposium.org/rspm/evaluation