Tell the group about yourself here. What do you hope to learn?

Public

Discussion:

Susan,

Your purpose for using social media as a means to build a sense of community and support among alumni and current students is a great intervention strategy to overcome the challenge of isolation. This purpose will guide how you use social tools. For instance, it makes sense that you form a Facebook Group vs. a Facebook page if your idea is to build an active community where members feel connected through their alma mater affinity. You'll find that you will have to lead by example and instruct members on the purpose of the group. For example, when I would advise students, I might get a question like, "Where's a good site for tutorials on Graphic design?" I would provide some resources and then say, "you should join the alumni Facebook group and pose that question to your peers. I bet they have some ideas." I would also post the question on the student's behalf and then share the results with the student who asked it. This got them to see that their peers were a resource for their learning and development. They then saw value in being a member of the community and also saw a demonstration of how the community was to be used - to help one another. This is an example of a how student-by-student, we marketed our Facebook group as a source of community support. Of course, it takes consistent marketing and effort to build a community but it is worth it. The group can then be used to crowd-source information, job leads, and resources.

I encourage you to take your time during this course, really soak up the information and ask many questions. This is how you will maximize your online learning experience. I'm hear to help and look forward to our continued interaction.

Robert Starks Jr.

Susan, Your purpose for using social media as a means to build a sense of community and support among alumni and current students is a great intervention strategy to overcome the challenge of isolation. This purpose will guide how you use social tools. For instance, it makes sense that you form a Facebook Group vs. a Facebook page if your idea is to build an active community where members feel connected through their alma mater affinity. You'll find that you will have to lead by example and instruct members on the purpose of the group. For example, when I would advise students, I might get a question like, "Where's a good site for tutorials on Graphic design?" I would provide some resources and then say, "you should join the alumni Facebook group and pose that question to your peers. I bet they have some ideas." I would also post the question on the student's behalf and then share the results with the student who asked it. This got them to see that their peers were a resource for their learning and development. They then saw value in being a member of the community and also saw a demonstration of how the community was to be used - to help one another. This is an example of a how student-by-student, we marketed our Facebook group as a source of community support. Of course, it takes consistent marketing and effort to build a community but it is worth it. The group can then be used to crowd-source information, job leads, and resources. I encourage you to take your time during this course, really soak up the information and ask many questions. This is how you will maximize your online learning experience. I'm hear to help and look forward to our continued interaction. Robert Starks Jr.