1. Online Services That Truly Serve Students
Jim Gaston, Interim IT Director
South Orange County CCD
Tech Ed 2006

2. Shameless Plug
Please visit my blog at: digitaledu.blogspot.com

3. Overview Background Students Today Guidelines for Innovation
Demonstration
Q/A

4. Background – Our District
Two College District (Saddleback and Irvine Valley)
35,000 Headcount, 21,000 FTES
Relatively small District IT staff
Passion for delivering direct services to students
Award-winning online services

5. Background – Major Systems
MySite Web Portal
Implemented in August 2000
140,000 unique users
SmartSchedule (online class schedule)
Implemented in July 2002
6.5 million estimated visits
KnowledgeBase & MySite Agent
Implemented in October 2003
200,000 queries

6. Students Today Great Resources:
Educating the Net Generation Diana G Oblinger and James L. Oblinger, Editors
Growing up Digital by Don Tapscott
marcprensky.com
Pew Internet and American Life Project

7. Students Today
Among children ages 8 to 18:
96% have gone online.
74% have access at home
61% use it every day
13 to 17 year olds average:
3.1 hours a day with television
3.5 with digital media
70% of teenagers use IM to stay in touch
56% prefer to use the Internet instead of the phone
students in grades 7-12 know more screen names than home phone numbers
12 to 15 year old California students:
Spend 90 minutes a day online
40 minutes with IM
31.4 minutes downloading music
22 minutes with
By the time a student is 21, he will have spent twice as many hours playing video games as reading!
Show PSP
High end video games
Full stereo sound
Amazing graphics
Wireless network access
Ability to show full length movies
Kevin figured it all out without once reading a manual

8. Students Today Digital Natives Always Connected Immediate Access
Multitasking
Engagement and Experience
Social – Enjoy teamwork
Visual – Remember 10% of what they read, 30% of what they see
We are digital immigrants
Multitasking – this is a huge difference between us
Using innovative technology to increase customization, convenience and collaboration is well received

9. Innovation: Definition
The introduction of something new
A new idea, method or device
Our Definition:
A new system, or a new approach, that improves the quality or quantity of service to our students

10. Innovation Guidelines
Own your architecture
Focus on function, not technology
Develop a passion for delivering direct service
Implement a real Portal
Do something – pick the low hanging fruit
Build in feedback
Evaluate services based on actual usage

11. Keep An Eye On Emerging Technologies
Source: Gartner Group

12. Course Management System
Leverage Third Party Solutions
Course Management System
(Blackboard)
MySite
eServices Suite
Student Information System
Library Services
(SIRSI)
This diagram is a representation of our architecture for integrating what we see a our core institutional functions……with a student focus
I feel very fortunate to in my career I have been able to combine two things I Love … the first is education… I think we are in a virtuous profession… the second is technology ……full of excitement change …vitality with the power to quickly improve things…. I have the added enjoyment of being able to work work with some truly talented people… you….

13. Demonstration These services available at my blog:
digitaledu.blogspot.com
Click on “MySite eServices”
Contact Information:
Jim Gaston
Interim Director of Information Technology
South Orange County CCD