1. CREATING COMMUNITY THROUGH THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY: A LOOK AT VILLANOVA’S MPA PROGRAM THEODOROS ARAPIS, PH.D. RALPH GIGLIOTTI, MPA STEPHANIE NISSEN, MPA  VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY

2. INTRODUCTIONS

3. 1)Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie 2)Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph 3)Design Faculty Perspective – Theo 4)Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie 5)Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications 6)Q&A AGENDA

4. BACKGROUND

5. UNIVERSITY MISSION Villanova University is a Catholic Augustinian community of higher education, committed to excellence and distinction in the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge. Inspired by the life and teaching of Jesus Christ, the University is grounded in the wisdom of the Catholic intellectual tradition and advances a deeper understanding of the relationship between faith and reason.

6.  Public Administration is the organization and management of people and materials to achieve public purposes.  The program’s mission seeks to prepare “successful professionals capable of ethical, intelligent and creative leadership in the public service.” MPA PROGRAM

7. 1)Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie 2)Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph 3)Design Faculty Perspective – Theo 4)Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie 5)Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications 6)Q&A AGENDA

8.  Launched in Fall 2012  Fully online with no on-campus requirements- no hybrid courses  Video based e-learning modules  12 required courses/36 total credit hours  8-week courses  Weekly virtual class meeting requirement through use of Blackboard Collaborate initially, but now uses Adobe Connect  Synchronous chatroom during virtual class meeting  Asynchronous assignments & discussion board  First graduate in September 2013  Currently has over 250 active students NEW ONLINE PROGRAM

9.  Partnering with outside vendor- division of responsibilities  National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) accreditation standards  Transference of campus courses and curriculum to virtual environment  Measures of assessment and condensed classes  Adjunct Faculty  Use of new technology- faculty and students  Comprehensive Exam  Maintain strong presence on campus while growing online program  Creating a sense of community PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT: CHALLENGES AND CONSIDERATIONS

10.  Community  “a group of people who are willing and able to help each other. In this sense, community is more than a way a group of people defines itself: it is a capability that can be developed and improved over time” (Cothrell & Williams, 1999, p. 60).  The “community question” (Hampton & Wellman, 2003)  Internet’s impact on community: - severely weakening community - transforming community into an online ‘virtual community’ - enhance community and existing social relationships  Haythornthwaite (2001) – raises the question as to what impact the Internet may have on community and interactions with others CURRENT LITERATURE

11.  Virtual Learning Community  Overview of virtual community – Wellman, et al., 1996, Wellman & Gulia, 1997  Selznick (1996) identifies seven elements of community – history, identity, mutuality, plurality, autonomy, participation, and integration  Schwier (2001) – adds an orientation to the future, technology, and learning CURRENT LITERATURE

12.  Virtual Communication & Distance Education/Online Learning  Media multiplexity (Haythornthwaite, 2001)  “how group members engage in multiple types of interaction, using multiple media in support of multiple goals” (p. 222)  Importance of informal communication for creating bonds of community and group identity  Latent tie theory (Haythornthwaite, 2001)  “adding any network-based means of communication…lays the groundwork for connectivity between formerly unconnected others” (p. 136).  Supporting virtual distance learning communities (Haythornthwaite, et al., 2000) CURRENT LITERATURE

13.  Online learning & community  learning pertains to all communities and online communities (Haythornthwaite, 2008)  positive relationships between sense of learning community and perceived learning engagement, course satisfaction, and learning outcomes (Xiaojing, L., et al. (2007).  “Communication, collaboration, interaction, and participation are four cornerstones in a learning community framework” (Lock, 2002, p. 397).  Vygotsky (1978) – social development theory: “social interaction is vital to cognitive development – all higher-order functions originate as the relationships among individuals” – constructivist approach CURRENT LITERATURE

14.  Organizational Identification  “If we accept the idea that organizational communication is essentially a process through which meaning is created, negotiated, and managed, we should expect to find identity at issue in most organizing processes” (Cheney & Christensen, 2001, p. 241).  In what ways do students in the online chatroom identify with the university? CURRENT LITERATURE

15.  Other considerations:  Social affordances  the possibilities that technological changes provide for social relations and social structure (Bradner & Kellogg, 1999)  “Interpretively flexible communication systems”  allow groups to define the form of their own collaboration and communication (Orlikowski, 1992) CURRENT LITERATURE

16. Reasons for communication in the online chatroom Definition Informal discourse  Weather  Technology  Family  Work  Humor Casual communication between students that is unrelated to the course content Course-related discourse Formal communication directly related to the course content Peer-support discourse Communication used to motivate and support classmates in the virtual class Program-related discourse & institutional identification Statements of identification to the graduate MPA program or the University VIRTUAL COMMUNITY FINDINGS

17. 1)Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie 2)Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph 3)Design Faculty Perspective – Theo 4)Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie 5)Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications 6)Q&A AGENDA

18. ONLINE TECHNOLOGY LMS  Course Menu (Syllabus)  Video Lectures  Camtasia Videos Virtual Class  Adobe Connect  PPT presentations  Poll Questions  Screen Share  File Share  Break-Out Rooms  Chat-Room

19. LMS – COURSE MENU

20. LMS – VIDEO LECTURES

21. LMS – CAMTASIA VIDEOS

22. VIRTUAL CLASS - ADOBE

23. VIRTUAL CLASS – POLL QUESTIONS

24. VIRTUAL CLASS – SCREEN SHARE

25. VIRTUAL CLASS – FILE SHARE

26. VIRTUAL CLASS – BREAK OUT ROOM (WORKSHOP SESSION)  Break students into groups  Upload Instructions and Excel file for each group  Visit break-out rooms and observe how students work or answer student questions  End break-out room and allow students to present their work, main findings, etc.

27. ON-CAMPUS VERSUS ONLINE… On-campus  Ppt Presentations  Video Demonstrations  Youtube  Mass Media  Excel  Demonstrations  Workshops  Blackboard  Syllabus  Ppt Presentations  Extra Readings  Homework  Project  Quizzes  Project Examples and Instructions  Learning Activities Online  Adobe Connect  Ppt Presentations  Video Demonstrations  Video Lectures  Camtasia Videos  Excel Demonstrations  LMS  Quizzes  Blackboard

28. DESIGN FACULTY CONCLUSIONS  The on-campus and online class designs benefit from each other  Technology allows for identical on-campus and online designs  But…  Evolution is faster in on-campus classes  Less flexibility in online classes

29. 1)Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie 2)Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph 3)Design Faculty Perspective – Theo 4)Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie 5)Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications 6)Q&A AGENDA

30.  Building connections early  Personal welcome messages and individual outreach  New Student Orientation  Online Info Session  Providing access to resources and services  Writing Tutor  Comprehensive Exam  Learning Support- modification of online class  Access to events on campus  Recording and Live Stream  Webinar  MPA Enewsletter  Creating opportunities to connect  Online “Coffee Break”  MPA Meetups  Inclusion in campus clubs and honor societies CONNECTING AND CULTIVATING COMMUNITY

31. Washington DC Happy Hour MPA ENewsletter 2014 Pi Alpha Alpha Induction

32.  Utilizing social media and blogging as modes of communication to bridge the gap between the two programs  MPA Leaders Lounge  Local and virtual networking events  Job board- “Career Compass”  MPA Facebook Page  Upcoming Events  Photos  Flickr  MPA Twitter Account  Linkedin  YouTube Channel *Online students/alumni are more receptive and responsive to social media communication SOCIAL MEDIA AND COMMUNITY

34. 1)Overview of the MPA program at Villanova – Stephanie 2)Virtual Community Research Findings – Ralph 3)Design Faculty Perspective – Theo 4)Strategies for Cultivating Community – Stephanie 5)Conclusion, Challenges, & Broader Applications 6)Q&A AGENDA

35.  By “lay[ing] the groundwork for connectivity between formerly unconnected others,” community is brought to life through communication among initially weak ties with no prior shared experience (Haythornthwaite, 2001, p. 136).  Learning and community lie at the core of the graduate online MPA experience – cultivated intentionally by individuals associated with the program.  Noteworthy challenges include changes in technology and reaching disconnected students  Broader applications IMPORTANT THEMES

36. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8pzcgi0mzm47l8h/WIN_20141103 _124933.MP4?dl=0 STUDENT TESTIMONIALS

37. QUESTIONS? Theodoros Arapis – theodoros.arapis@villanova.edutheodoros.arapis@villanova.edu Ralph Gigliotti – ralph.gigliotti@villanova.edu Stephanie Nissen – stephanie.nissen@villanova.eduralph.gigliotti@villanova.edustephanie.nissen@villanova.edu

38. Cothrel, J. & Williams, R. L. (1999). On-line communities: Helping them form and grow. Journal of Knowledge Management, 3(1), 54-60. Haythornthwaite, C. (2001). Introduction: The internet in everyday life. American Behavioral Scientist, 45, 363-382. Haythornthwaite, C. (2001). Exploring multiplexity: Social network structures in a computer- supported distance learning class. The Information Society, 17, 211-226. Haythornthwaite, C. (2001). Social networks and internet connectivity effects. Information, Communication, & Society, 8(2), 125-147. Haythornthwaite, C., Kazmer, M. M., Robins, J., & Shoemaker, S. (2000). Community development among distance learners: Temporal and technological dimensions. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 6(1), [Online]. http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol6/issue1/haythornthwaite.hml http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol6/issue1/haythornthwaite.hml Haythornthwaite, C. (2008). Learning relations and networks in web-based communities, International Journal of Web-based Communities, 4(2), 140-158. Lock, J. V. (2002). Laying the groundwork for the development of learning communities within online courses. The Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 3(4), 395-408. Xiaojing, L., Magjuka, R. J., Bonk, C. J., & Seung-hee, L. (2007). Does sense of community matter? Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 8(1), 9-24. SELECTED REFERENCES