EDUCAUSE | Communication

Standing Out in the Crowd: Getting Your Message Heard by the New Kids on the Block

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 23:28:14 +0000

We all know there are a limited number of opportunities to get messages in front of your incoming first-year students when they're visiting campus, attending a summer orientation, and during those first hazy, crazy days in August. So how do you make sure the evasive, too-cool-for-school teenage crowd hears your message? Join us in a conversation about the opportunities and challenges of marketing to the highly resistant college freshman.

IT Communications: Trends in Higher Ed

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 16:02:10 +0000

Hear from the newly renamed ACTI Communications Infrastructure and Applications (ACTI-CIA) Working Group about trends to watch for in communications technologies and what that might mean for your institution.

7 Things You Should Know About Group Texting

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:19:23 +0000

Group texting is an easy means of sending one brief missive to many people by means of cell phone text messaging. Instructors create a group, or “cell,” for each class or learning team. Each group has its own messaging channel, which students can access from any mobile device, by e-mail, or on the web. Group texting provides a surprisingly flexible platform for learning, and a number of colleges and universities are experimenting with group texting products as part of bring-your-own-device initiatives. In the future, these services might see greater integration with social media services and the campus LMS.

The 7 Things You Should Know About... series from the EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative (ELI) provides concise information on emerging learning technologies. Each brief focuses on a single technology and describes what it is, where it is going, and why it matters to teaching and learning. Use these briefs for a no-jargon, quick overview of a topic and share them with time-pressed colleagues.

In addition to the 7 Things briefs, you may find other ELI resources useful in addressing teaching, learning, and technology issues at your institution. To learn more, please visit the ELI Resources page.

Participatory Leadership: The Wisdom Is in the Room

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 20:02:19 +0000

In a rapidly changing environment characterized by increasing emphasis on efficiency, alignment, and strategic action, IT leaders in higher education need new skills that emphasize communication and relationship management. Conversational leadership takes root when we see our institutions as dynamic webs and consider meaningful conversations to be a core process for effecting positive systemic change. Workshop participants will (1) gain an understanding about patterns of conversation, (2) engage in meaningful dialogue about leadership, and (3) experience and learn a group dialogue process known as World Cafe that can be used as a participatory leadership tool.

Home buyers and mortgage lenders – The communication between them while taking out a home loan

Wed, 31 Oct 2012 05:34:38 +0000

Are you planning to buy a house? Do you know that it is important to search for a good lender while purchasing house? Not everyone can afford to arrange for the entire amount on their own and thus, the need to take out a home loan arises. With several lenders in the loan sector, it is not that easy to find a trust-worthy lender who will offer you the mortgage loan at a reasonable interest rate. You will have to shop around very carefully and talk with various lenders so as to choose the right lender for your situation. Before buying house, it is important that the home buyers and the mortgage lenders communicate with each other so that both of them can understand each other’s requirement properly and thus, the home buyer can take out the right home loan from the lender.

ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2012 Infographic

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:13:37 +0000

ECAR has surveyed undergraduate students annually since 2004 about technology in higher education. In 2012, ECAR collaborated with 195 institutions to collect responses from more than 100,000 students about their technology experiences. The findings are distilled into the broad thematic message for institutions and educators to balance strategic innovation with solid delivery of basic institutional services and pedagogical practices and to know students well enough to understand which innovations they value the most.

ACTI-CCM Working Group Status Report (1/10/12)

Thu, 11 Oct 2012 18:28:39 +0000

Presentation from the ACTI Communication, Collaboration, and Mobility (ACTI-CCM) Working Group at the ACTI 2012 Member Meeting on January 10, 2012. This presents on the group's main focus areas and future projects. It also includes a report of preliminary results from a November 2011 survey on the Unification of Telecommunications.

ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2012

Fri, 07 Sep 2012 19:56:59 +0000

REPORT AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

2012 Report

Infographic

Slide Presentation PPTX

Survey Instrument

Recorded Webinar

Because of this topic's importance to higher education, The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology is publicly accessible upon publication. Subscribe to receive access to all ECAR research and analysis about IT in higher education.

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ERO Podcast: Cable Green of Creative Commons Talks About Openness

Wed, 05 Sep 2012 18:49:44 +0000

In this podcast, Cable Green talks about Open Access, Open Resources, and Open Policies. Cable Green is director of global learning for Creative Commons.

Leading with Stories

Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:50:40 +0000

Higher education technology leadership is rewarding, dynamic, and challenging. During my twenty-five-year career, I have witnessed significant change. I cannot imagine a better period of time to have led technology transformation on a campus. One critical challenge I have addressed throughout my career is supporting my staff to embrace this change and to connect with campus colleagues. In my experience, this is best achieved through storytelling. In that spirit, I share some of my stories here.

Telling your Organization's Story

Sat, 11 Aug 2012 18:41:17 +0000

One of the most important responsibilities of a Chief Information Officer is to communicate the story of their organization, it's work, what drives its strategy, and most importantly - how it is succeeding. Over the past ten years I have found that a simple status and activity report, written for senior executives, can be an important and effective tool for doing just that. On a monthly basis, I compile this report and distribute it to the president, vice presidents, deans, and other campus leaders. Starting this August, this practice begins at the University of Georgia.

Here is a link to this month's report for Enterprise Information Technology Services (EITS) at the University of Georgia.

EITS Status and Activity Report for August 2012

Podcast: John Campbell and George Siemens on Using Analytics

Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:31:17 +0000

In this podcast, Executive Director of Administrative Information Services at Princeton University, Colin Currie, talks analytics with George Siemens and John Campbell. Siemens is associate director for the Technology Enhanced Knowledge Research Institute at Athabasca University and John Campbell is associate vice president of academic technologies for Purdue University.

Music: "New Pop Wave" by sebastian6

EDUCAUSE Podcast Sponsor

How USF Reform Might Affect Colleges and Universities: Some Early Appraisal

Thu, 03 May 2012 16:03:42 +0000

For many decades, telephone users served by commercial providers—including campuses—have paid surcharges on their interstate and international long-distance calls. The revenue collected by this “tax,” which was authorized by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), goes into the Universal Service Fund (USF), which has subsidized rural telephone service and certain other equity-enhancing or socially beneficial services, recently including rural broadband Internet. The FCC appears poised to change how USF contributions are collected. A revised USF formula might be very bad, very good, or perhaps inconsequential for colleges and universities. Effective advocacy requires that we understand how different metrics might affect higher education.

Developing Social Media Guidance

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 16:04:20 +0000

“Move fast and break things.” This saying, which hangs on the door in Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook office, exemplifies the challenge faced by institutions seeking to harness the power and opportunity of social media in a way that honors privacy and security concerns and general sound practices.

Social media developers innovate at a pace that defies version numbers. Communications may have greater permanence than an author originally planned. Messages may be rapidly forwarded or multiplied, often reaching individuals well beyond those intended or even known by the person posting.

The University of Pennsylvania is committed to the free exchange of ideas, and social media sites are exciting vehicles for facilitating open expression. To promote safe and responsible usage of social media, Pennsylvania has developed draft guidance aimed at addressing issues in teaching, research, administrative, and other functions.

This presentation will describe the process for developing social media guidance at the University of Pennsylvania, including strategies, pitfalls, and questions.

Communicating and Managing Up

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 15:47:54 +0000

Conquering the Communication Illusion with Practical Skills

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 18:48:36 +0000

Google "communication" and you'll get 1,230,000,000 hits. Search Amazon.com for books on "communication" and you'll get a list of 260,933 choices. We believe that we communicate every day, so why do we write, study, and talk about communication so much? In the words of George Bernard Shaw, "The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." How do we fall victim to this illusion, and how can we break free of it and know we have communicated effectively? Some basic tenets can help you improve communication, whether it's with your staff, your boss, the board of trustees, or your spouse. We'll offer practical advice for improving your communication skills, with a dash of theory thrown in for good measure.

Talking and Listening: Critical Communication Skills for IT Professionals

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:18:08 +0000

Inform, Engage and Educate: How to Communicate Major Service and System Updates and Changes to the Campus

Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:48:15 +0000

One major issue we face today is how to deliver pertinent information on major service or system changes in a timely and informative manner. How can you communicate the desired information while engaging and educating your end users? A fully developed communication strategy can mitigate challenges by enhancing how an organization positions itself to manage customer expectations through informed, constant, proactive updates using multiple channels. Learn what tools and people West Georgia and Georgia State University use to engage and educate. Key takeaways from this session will be repeatable methods to inform, engage, and educate your users.

Implementing an Effective Communication Plan

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:19:55 +0000

Formal communication plans can seem like an unnecessary luxury within an IT organization and an overwhelming proposition. Yet good communication is one of the critical success factors for an effective IT department. This session will describe the importance of a scalable and editable communications plan; the process of implementing that plan including the analysis of current communications and customers; and the available tools, tips, and tricks to help build and maintain that plan.

How Does Social Media Improve Learning Outcomes?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 20:19:35 +0000

Engaging students and facilitating two-way communication beyond the classroom is one of today's common challenges. Please join us to learn about ConnectYard, the premier social media platform designed specifically for higher education that helps faculty, staff, administrators, and students communicate in their preferred mode. We will interactively demonstrate and address questions around how the ConnectYard platform enables Elmhurst College to leverage popular communication channels like Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, the LMS, and more to promote safe and secure two-way communication and best practices.

Seminar 04P - IT Policy Development and Related Organizational Processes
PLEASE NOTE: Separate registration and fee is required to attend this seminar.

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:18:47 +0000

IT policies and procedures help communicate institutional expectations for student and employee behavior, establish operational practices, and address compliance obligations. This seminar will identify key IT policies and procedures that should be in place at your institution and will provide an overview of organizational processes for policy development, documentation of procedures and practices, communication and enforcement, and periodic reviews and updates.

Setting the Stage for Innovation: A Discussion of Insights from the MISO Survey

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 20:09:29 +0000

At a time when resources remain scarce, IT organizations and libraries must draw extensively upon evidence and analysis to guide us as we seek to support innovation in teaching, learning, and scholarship. Data collected from more than 35,000 faculty and staff responses between 2005 and 2011 offer important insights about millennial undergraduates and about a faculty population that is coming to be defined by emerging younger scholars. Join us for a discussion about the MISO Survey, its methodology, results, and how quantitative data can be a strong foundation of an overall assessment program.

Learning Objectives:
*Gain insights from our survey about what services and resources are valued by students and faculty
*Learn about the effect of faculty age on service perceptions; the effect of student class year on service perceptions; the impact of academic discipline on service perceptions; and customer service and its impact on service perceptions
*Understand the importance of quantitative assessment to an organization's overall assessment strategy
*Learn how a rigorous survey methodology can yield high-response rates and confidence in survey findings
*Understand that survey findings raise questions that additional evaluation can answer

Expert Discussion Session: Online Speaker Skills and Resources

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:27:41 +0000

Presenting in an online format can be challenging due to a disconnect between the speaker and the audience. In this 20-minute session, Carlyn Chatfield, manager for IT technical communications for Rice University, will give both strong and weak examples of online presentations and offer guidelines to help speakers make the most of their virtual conference sessions. Carlyn facilitates the monthly IT Communicators Virtual Coffee Shop for EDUCAUSE and has led 15 live EDUCAUSE conference presentations and workshops.

Talking and Listening: Critical Communication Skills for IT Professionals

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:23:53 +0000

Communication skills are critical for IT staff members and even more important for the managers and executives who manage IT teams. Improve your communication skills by learning when and how to listen, talk, ask questions, and confirm understandings. Bring your experiences and questions to this 90-minute workshop, which includes tips, resources, and practical activities that reinforce successful communication skills. Carlyn Chatfield brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this session. She has a degree in marketing and 30 years of communications experience, including 24 years in higher education, and she facilitates the monthly IT Communicators Virtual Coffee Shops for EDUCAUSE.

Higher Ed at the Margins

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 22:23:19 +0000

The Higher Education at the Margins Program is a partnership between the Jesuit Refugee Service, with its 29 years of supporting and educating refugee populations, and Jesuit Commons, a group of Jesuit colleges and universities (and others) committed to linking worldwide Jesuit educational resources. It does this primarily by mobilizing voluntary efforts from the global network of universities, schools, churches, and social service centers administered by Jesuits, using the communications and social network tools now available through the Internet. This presentation will offer lessons learned in delivering higher education to people at the margins.

EDUCAUSE | Communication

Standing Out in the Crowd: Getting Your Message Heard by the New Kids on the Block

IT Communications: Trends in Higher Ed

7 Things You Should Know About Group Texting

Participatory Leadership: The Wisdom Is in the Room

Home buyers and mortgage lenders – The communication between them while taking out a home loan

ECAR National Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2012 Infographic

ACTI-CCM Working Group Status Report (1/10/12)

ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2012

REPORT AND SUPPORTING MATERIALS

ERO Podcast: Cable Green of Creative Commons Talks About Openness

Leading with Stories

Telling your Organization's Story

Podcast: John Campbell and George Siemens on Using Analytics

How USF Reform Might Affect Colleges and Universities: Some Early Appraisal

Developing Social Media Guidance

Communicating and Managing Up

Conquering the Communication Illusion with Practical Skills

Talking and Listening: Critical Communication Skills for IT Professionals

Inform, Engage and Educate: How to Communicate Major Service and System Updates and Changes to the Campus

Implementing an Effective Communication Plan

How Does Social Media Improve Learning Outcomes?

Seminar 04P - IT Policy Development and Related Organizational ProcessesPLEASE NOTE: Separate registration and fee is required to attend this seminar.

Setting the Stage for Innovation: A Discussion of Insights from the MISO Survey

Expert Discussion Session: Online Speaker Skills and Resources

Talking and Listening: Critical Communication Skills for IT Professionals

Higher Ed at the Margins

Seminar 04P - IT Policy Development and Related Organizational Processes
PLEASE NOTE: Separate registration and fee is required to attend this seminar.