NEW DIRECTIONS FOR STUDENT SERVICES, no. 78, Summer 1997 © Jossey-Bass Publishers 1

EDITORS’ NOTES

Technology has begun to change the landscape of American higher educa-tion. “Information technology will change teaching and learning profoundly,no matter what the response of traditional higher education institutions. Justas the development of the printing press forever changed the teaching enter-prise, information technology represents a fundamental change in the basictechnology of teaching and learning” (Massy and Zemsky, 1995, p. 1). AsMassy and Zemsky discuss, computers and information technology are creat-ing fundamental changes in the roles of faculty, administrators, and students,and in the ways students learn.

As the wave of technology continues to advance, student affairs adminis-trators are challenged to focus their work to achieve definitive student learn-ing outcomes. The Student Learning Imperative calls for student affairsprofessionals to “intentionally create the conditions that enhance student learn-ing and personal development” (American College Personnel Association,1994, p. 1). Student affairs staff must provide leadership in helping studentsfind meaningful connections between the programs and activities they experi-ence in and outside the classroom (Kuh, 1996).

Radical changes in the ways student affairs professionals approach andimplement their work may be required for them to succeed in both promot-ing student learning and development and responding to external forces suchas budget constraints, changing demographics, and accountability demands(American College Personnel Association, 1994). The infusion of technologyto enhance student learning is an essential variable to consider when concep-tualizing new approaches to meet these expectations.

The changing face of higher education requires a deeper realization of thepotential of information technology to help develop more expansive, inte-grated, and collaborative learning activities for students, which will in turnresult in the emergence of more active, influential, and responsible studentswho manage their own learning. Consequently, the purpose of this volume ofNew Directions for Student Services is to explore ways in which current andemerging uses of technology can bring about qualitatively positive changes inthe delivery of student services and in the design of programs intended to pro-mote student learning. In addition, this volume examines several critical issuesthat have arisen with the increased use of technology, such as strategic plan-ning process needs, financial and infrastructure issues, policy implications, andethical considerations.

Needless to say, technology is changing so rapidly that by the time thisbook is published some of the ideas and practices shared may appear obsolete.However, we also present ideas about future possibilities and strategies foraddressing, rather than being overwhelmed by, the ever-changing information

2 USING TECHNOLOGY TO PROMOTE STUDENT LEARNING

technology landscape. An overriding premise of this volume is to considerinformation technology as a powerful pedagogical tool that student affairs pro-fessionals can influence and shape to affect how, when, and where studentlearning can occur. This book is concerned with how information technologycan be used to free student affairs professionals to engage in higher-quality, stu-dent learning–centered, intensive, “high touch” activities that respond to thelearning needs and preferences of an increasingly diverse group of students.

In Chapter One, Larry Moneta argues that significant changes in the formsand functions of student services are on the horizon due to consumer demandsand the current and emerging capabilities of information technology. He sharesexamples and implications of technological developments that clearly willresult in new roles and responsibilities for student affairs managers.

In Chapter Two, Paul Treuer and Linda Belote share some exciting appli-cations using the World Wide Web that are grounded in learning principlesdedicated to enhancing student involvement and learning. In Chapter Three,Gary R. Hanson discusses state-of-the-art assessment and evaluation proce-dures that allow the investigator to use technology to ask good questions,acquire information in a timely manner, analyze and interpret the data, andshare the data in meaningful ways. He does point out that the exemplaryassessment and evaluation practices of the mid-1990s will soon be obsolete.Therefore, it is imperative that the initiatives dedicated to conducting assess-ment and evaluation using information technology be occurring continually.

In Chapter Four, Rodney J. Petersen and Marjorie W. Hodges address thelegal, ethical, and policy development considerations that are constantly in fluxdue to the dynamic, evolving influence of information technology in highereducation.

Steven Gilbert (1996) argues that adoption of information technology intothe classroom may be a slow process, considering that over 75 percent of class-rooms still use the traditional lecture and textbook model. However, in Five,Catherine McHugh Engstrom provides tangible, realistic ways in which infor-mation technology can be integrated in college student affairs graduate prepa-ration programs to enhance teaching, advising, program administration, andresearch activities. She also provides an overview of the knowledge and skillsthat college student affairs graduate students should obtain in their graduateprogram.

In Chapter Six, Karley Ausiello and Barry Wells consider what manage-ment strategies are necessary to promote the infusion of information technol-ogy into divisions of student affairs. They address the appropriate roles of thesenior student affairs staff in helping institutions of higher education overcomeresistance, fear of change, and territoriality. In Chapter Seven, Susan R.Komives and Rodney J. Petersen provide you with ways to envision and makemeaning of an unpredictable, changing future in regards to the role of infor-mation technology in student affairs. In addition, they offer concrete tools tomeet the technology challenges of tomorrow and of the twenty-first century.

3EDITORS’ NOTES

Chapter Eight, by John R. Seabreeze, provides a comprehensive list of innov-ative World Wide Web sites useful to student affairs professionals in the areasof resource information, service delivery, information dissemination, surveysand research, and student learning.

In closing, we offer a word of caution. If you are looking for detailedaccounts of the technological advances in a number of specific student servicesareas, you are referred to the work of Baier and Strong (1994). This volumeattempts instead to capture critical, enduring principles, assumptions, andstrategies that practitioners can use to promote student involvement and learn-ing in a dynamic, ever-changing information technology landscape.

Catherine McHugh EngstromKevin W. KrugerEditors

References

American College Personnel Association. The Student Learning Imperative: Implications forStudent Affairs. Washington, D.C.: American College Personnel Association, 1994.

Baier, J. L., and Strong, T. S. (eds.). Technology in Student Affairs: Issues, Applications, andTrends. Lanham, Md.: University Press of America.

Gilbert, S. W. “Making the Most of a Slow Revolution.” Change, 1996, 28 (2), 10–23.Kuh, G. “Guiding Principles for Creating Seamless Learning Environments for Undergrad-

uates.” Journal of College Student Development, 1996, 37, 135–148.Massy, W.F., and Zemsky, R. Using Technology to Enhance Academic Productivity. Wash-

ington, D.C.: Educom, 1995.

CATHERINE MCHUGH ENGSTROM is assistant professor of higher education at Syra-cuse University. Previously, she was a faculty member and assistant dean of studentsat Virginia Tech.

KEVIN W. KRUGER is associate executive director of the National Association of Stu-dent Personnel Administrators. Previously he was assistant vice president for studentaffairs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.