it&is technology

8/7/2019 IT&IS Technology

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Section 1: Introduction Beginning an IT/IS IntegrationProject

1.1 Marian at a GlanceTo examine Marian Universitys network and web platform, we first examine Marian

University. Currently Marian Universitys overall number of users is approximately

3,000, however, that number is expected to grow to about 3,500 in the next two and a half

years. Marians addition of an Osteopathic Medicine program will require a network

infrastructure capable of managing and merging their existing programs with those that

are developed, and this merge must occur within a context of the highest possible quality.

Their network experiences a high level of traffic: staff members crunch the network in

the mornings, and students crunch the residential network in the evening and night/very

early morning hours. This usage, however, is typical of a university network.

Marian connects to the world via an i-Light circuit. This connection currently does not

require any packet shaping for the campus network, however, the residential network

(dorms, etc.) utilizes packet shaping technologies. The university infrastructure and users

are on the same physical channels, separated with Virtual Local Area Networks

(VLANs), with a separate residential network that only connects in their Research and

Analysis Wings. Marian is currently using VMWare products within a

collocation/serviced-based provider.

The portal could be hosted in one of three areas, in the Marian Data Center, on a co-

location web server running our existing site, or hosted via a service (such as through

Microsoft). For all immediate purposes, the easiest solution would be to run this the

collocation server we currently utilize.

The co-location facility houses a dedicated windows server running Internet InformationService (IIS), Moss and Microsoft Sharepoint and it only services the marian.eduwebsite.

There is enough capacity available on this server and connectivity can be dialed up or

down as demand dictates. It gets routed through nFrame network (one of Indianapolis

largest data centers and managed IT technology service providers ) gear and utilizes

redundant Data Center utilities.

1.2 Goals in relation to the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM)

The goal of this project is to propose an optimal web presence for Marian Universitywith

the appropriate storage network to support it. We are providing a recommendation for

portal integration and other related social applications to strengthen Marians web

presence. Our recommendations include any opportunities specifically focused on

improving communication to potential Marian students, existing students, faculty and

staff.

The goal of this report is to aid in the design and integration of the web portal for Marian

Universitys COM. Our duty is to provide recommendations for COM web presence

including, but not limited to,providing recommendations based upon analysis of other

Comment [SSJ1]: What is a wing? Is it asection of a building?

Comment [SSJ2]: I would hotlink the nFramname to the appendix where you can provide tinformation


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COM sites (e.g., Lincoln Memorial/Debusk) and providing a scalable solution forinternetworking.

1.3 Approaches to Manage This Integration Project

Best Practices

The long-term success of the Marian University project will depend on the approaches,

methodologies, techniques and tools employed from the outset . Without a clear roadmap

from the current state to a sustainable, scalable solution, unforeseen obstacles are likely

to derail the project at critical junctures.

Among the top goals identified for this project were scalability, convergence, and

integration of Web 2.0 technologies. All of these goals are addressed in the final solution.

This section of the report addresses how Marian might approach the execution of these

recommendations.Measures of Success

Demonstrating success in meeting objectives will depend on clear definitions of success.

For example, most IT professionals use the term scalability. Most, however, do not

have a clear definition in mind when using it. By way of illustration only, scalability

might be defined, and thus demonstrated, by the following traits:

y An increase in resources results in a proportional increase in performancey A scalable service is capable of handling heterogeneityy A scalable service is operationally efficienty A scalable service is resilienty A scalable service should produce a lower unit cost as the number of units

increases

At a minimum, this study recommends that Marian survey stakeholders in the proposed

systems to determine their expectations. These expectations must be clearly embodied in

the acceptance criteria, with reference to the stated project objectives, to determine

development and deployment strategies.

User Feedback as a Measure of Success

In order to accurately chart the project and thus establish objectivity in terms of meeting

project goals, we suggest utilizing Microsofts project implementation program:

Microsoft Solutions Framework (MSF).

MSF is a set of design models and principles for building and delivering informationtechnology solutions, both hardware and software. Microsoft developed MSF based on its

own internal methodologies, as supplemented by industry standard models. As a

companion tool for MSF, Microsoft also offers the Microsoft Operations Framework


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(MOF) that is intended for the ongoing monitoring, maintenance, improvement, andeventual retirement, of information technology systems.

Both of these solution-measuring systems rely on the Deming Quality Circle model of

continuous improvement. The Deming circle is essentially a feedback mechanism in

which user data is collected and acted upon. Microsofts modified Deming circle is

usually depicted as in the following diagram.

Figure 1 MOF Iterative Model

Despite the apparent complexity of the model, it is quite simply a feedback system in

which continuous improvement is based on real-time data collection leading to iterative

improvements.

These models are especially useful in terms of incorporating user feedback, and we

recommend that Marian rely heavily on this feedback in terms of both construction and

Integration.

What users do can reveal more than what they say. This study, therefore, also

recommends that Marian implement a framework for capturing how customers are using


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the portal using shadow applications: private, internal-facing tools built to monitor andprofile public-facing applications.

Rapid Cycle Releases

One of the easiest developmental best practices is to focus on frequent incremental

releases. This technique, employed in open source software, depends on agile and

iterative development methodologies to generate and deploy fixes and enhancements in

incremental releases that address user feedback and preferences. By engaging the

systems actual users as co-developers and real-time testers, Marian can arrive at a much

more accurate model for assessing the stability, usability and utility of its new portal .

Start at the Beginning

This study recommends that Marian start by focusing on what might be called a key pain

point, that is, the aspect of the project for which there is the most immediate need . Thisapproach would allow Marian to match resource capacity and budget while realizing

Return on Investment (ROI) more quickly. From an organizational perspective, a

successful implementation, even a small one, provides justification for further investment

and allows the project to adapt in response to changes in objectives. If at all possible, this

study recommends that Marian start with a pilot project .

Refactoring Existing Systems

Marian undoubtedly has significant investments in existing hardware and software. To

the extent that there are components to which Marian is either committed, or for which

Marian is unable to justify a retirement strategy, this study recommends an industry

practice known as refactoring. Refactoring refers to a process in which software and

hardware are modified internally without affecting their outward functionality. This

modification occurs with the intent to improve the maintainability, scalability,

interoperability, extensibility, and/or complexity of the system. Refactoring may involveonly the confirmation that existing systems are ready for integration with proposed

systems, or it may identify the need for enhancement or modification .

Decoupling, Abstraction and Virtualization

Another process that Marian should consider is decoupling. Decoupling consists of

isolating the layers and components of an application so that each component can interact

asynchronously with the others, treating them as a black box .In Marians case, the web

server could be decoupled from the application servers and from the database servers.

This approach permits abstraction of key components so they can be implemented more

flexibly, including as virtual or cloud-enabled components.

Once components have been abstracted and isolated, additional instances can be added

without affecting the rest of the system. Decoupling allows the use of distributed

asynchronous systems and scaling horizontally, that is, by transparently implementingreplicas of decoupled components to achieve elasticity in the context of the cloud .

Decoupling also promotes staged implementation by enabling innovative hybrid models,

Comment [SSJ3]: Do you have a graphicalimage to help follow the confusing language?


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in which some components continue to run in on-premise equipment while othercomponents migrate to the cloud.

Service Oriented Architecture

Taking advantage of virtualization in cloud technologies is not as simple as providing

links within internal systems. In-house systems must be developed with consideration for

ubiquitous network access, rapid elasticity, location-independent resource pooling, and

pay as you go usage. Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) provides a framework within

which these objectives can be achieved.

Put simply, SOA is a framework that allows disparate systems, inside and outside an

organization, to expose and access well-defined services offered or requested by other

systems. When functions are abstracted as services, architectures become agile and

versatile. By focusing on exposing standard interfaces, Marian can provide flexibility to

utilize services as yet undefined to address existing or future requirements without havingto redevelop systems.

SOA allows systems to extend their reach and expose processes to other entities for

collaboration, compliance or shared processes. An SOA-based architecture delivers

decoupled and loosely-integrated services that can be used and reused across multiple

organizational domains, as in, in this case, other colleges within Marian University .

Peer Review

In determining the effectiveness of its portal, Marian will need baseline data regarding

industry peers. This analysis is an ongoing issue, and must continue even after

deployment of the Marian portal. Among its identified peers, Marians web site

comparatively lacks branding, meaningful content, useful navigation and integration of

social networking. Those elements that do appear are not well positioned or presented,

and will largely go unnoticed. More importantly, among benchmark institutions asidentified by web sources (http://tutorialblog.org/top-10-university-websites/ ,

http://credibility.stanford.edu/guidelines/index .html), Marians site is dated and dull.

Finally, Marians site does not have a strong search engine placement.

Marians initial approach to peer review may have been too limited . It is not necessary,

nor necessarily desirable, to restrict peer review to Catholic schools, or schools with (or

without) certain colleges, or institutions of any specific size. The web is the great

equalizer, and Marians presence on the Internet is only limited by imagination and the

will to excel. Links are provided above to industry leading sites, without regard to

similarity to Marian.

The Web is, at its best, interactive, dynamic, and rapidly changing. Sites that present

well-organized, concisely edited, and timely original content set in an attractive,

interactive, and consistent format set themselves apart from competitors. As Marian

closes in on potential design paradigms, this study recommends focus group review

among stakeholders.

Comment [SSJ4]: Hotlink the words, websource and drive these URLs to the referencepage.

Comment [SSJ5]: Find a less abrasive worddefine dull.


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1.4 Benefits of Web Presence and LMS

Importance of a Strong Web Presence

The importance of a strong web presence is the equivalent of a great first impression and

a strong web presence offers many benefits to a university . The goal of a good impression

through web presence also increases credibility. Imagine for instance if Harvard had a

poor web presence, what message would it send to visiting students? Would it hurt their

credibility? By having such a strong presence Marian will be able to shore credibility

even if the site viewer does not yet know their reputation .

Being online means always being available. Even when Marian is not open for business

or conducting tours its website is available to those people who wish to learn more .

Marian is already trying to recruit top talent but those students that Marian is unable to

reach can reach out to Marian through their website. Further, Marian is able to track

where users are going on their site and where they are not. This allows for the tailoring ofthe web experience so that Marian can ensure they are attracting the students they wish to

recruit and that they are provided with the best experience possible.

The measure of a school and is not directly measured by the strength of its web presence

but by the strength of its curriculum and reputation . However, Marian is looking to enter

a new area where it has not yet gained reputation and true standing and needs to be

viewed as competitive. By having a strong online presence Marian College is able to

stand toe-to-toe with not only schools of comparative size. Those larger than Marian

College will undoubtedly be better known and have reputation, however, Marian will still

be able to stand alongside them in the digital world giving it an area where it can compete

on equal footing.

Importance of a Resource Center or LMS for Students

The importance of web based resource centers or learning management systems forstudents cannot be overlooked. There many are benefits for choosing such resources for

your students. Learning management systems (LMS) are, primarily, used to supplement

classroom learning at a traditional college. However, they are also used in distance-

learning environments as well.

The benefits offered by a LMS are meant for both the student and the administration .

Students are able to access course content outside the classroom, whether that is merely

the course syllabus or feedback from a professor on your last submitted assignment . A

vast array of course information is available to students such as course calendar, e -mail,

digital grade book, and more. This can go beyond merely papers and information; group

discussions are also able to take place online . Students would be able discuss course

content outside of the classroom without the boundaries of time and space . The use of

such a system means that even when a student physically steps outside the classroom they

are able to still interact with the class electronically, meaning the learning never ends .

There are other potential benefits of such systems as well. One of which is online

textbooks and course material. While we traditionally think of LMSs as a way to

distribute course assignments and the occasional educational document schools have used


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such systems to completely deliver online courses. While distance education is not yourschools current goal it does provide options should you wish to expand your presence in

the future.

Section 2: Usability and Design Concerns

2.1 Why Design to the User?

When designing a website the first and most important thing to consider is that you are

not the user. An understanding of the users needs and preferences with respect to a

task, goals, or features of a product or service, becomes the set of user experience

requirements. (Foraker, 2010). In order to properly design a website you have to design

it to fit the needs and abilities of the people who are going to be using it the most. Some

things that must be determined are who the target audience is, how to make the site

accessible to all people, and how to optimize the users experience . By doing this you

can create a website that not only pertains to the needs of the user but will also allowthem to get the most out of the website.

2.2 Factors to Consider in User-Centered Design

Identifying the Target Audience

Determining the target audience can be done by reviewing the content of the website . In

the case of the Marian College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM ), the content of the

website is based around providing users with new and upcoming information about

events surrounding the COM program as well as provide information about the joining

the program. In knowing this, it can be determined that the target audience would be

those who are just starting college, those who have finished their undergraduate degree

and are looking at starting medical school, and finally those who are currently enrolled in

the COM program.

Once the general age group of the target audience has been determined you must next

consider the skill level of those who will use the site . Are the people in your target

audience who will be looking at your website computer savvy or are they going to be

someone with little or no computer experience? (HTML Basic Tutor, 2010).

Understanding the skill level of the audience is especially important when determining

how complex the content of the site can be. Will the users know how to download/upload

files? Will they be able to navigate the site using links? What kind of software will they

have available? These are questions that need to be answered before designing your

website.

Designing for Accessibility

Designing for accessibility means to design a site that accommodates for different

disabilities. Websites should be designed to ensure that everyone, including users whohave difficulty seeing, hearing, and making precise movements, can use them.(U.S

Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Some elements to look at when

designing for accessibility are; choosing a color scheme, provide text equivalents for non-

text elements, and provide frame titles for each page. Of course, it can be nearly


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impossible to cover all accessibility issues, but these guidelines will help accommodatefor most.

Choosing a color Scheme

Choosing a color scheme for your website can be quite difficult . It is important that color

is not the only means of conveying certain information on the page. In other words, any

information that is conveyed using a color must also be available with out color. The

reason for this element of website design is the number of people who have trouble

distinguishing between certain colors. About eight percent of males and about one-half

of one percent of females have difficulty discriminating colors. (U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, 2010). It is important to avoid contrasting colors when

picking out the text and background colors of your site. This will make the website

easier on the eyes of all users. Avoiding to combining light colors with mid-tone colors

can do this. An example would be a light green together with a brown or orange . There is

software available that can help designers would look like to users with different colordeficiencies.

Provide Text Equivalents for Non-Text Elements

Providing text equivalents for non-text elements means that a user should be able to

access information when the pointer rolls over any picture, graphic, map, or animation.

This information is given to the users to give a clearer understanding of what the image,

graphic, etc is and its importance. The length of the information that is given can be

determined by the importance of the image to the given context . If, for example, there is a

picture that is of high importance to the context of the page it would be sufficient for a

full paragraph of information be provided to the user when scrolling over the image . On

the other hand, if there is a small graphic that is of little importance place on the page, a

short simple explanation can be all that is provided to the user.

However big or small the importance of the image, graphic, and other visual affects, a

designer must give some sort of textual explanation of any non-text element . One should

not assume that every user will be able to view or understand an image on a page .

Providing this information in text form will ensure that the users have an alternate source

of understanding the non-text element.

Provide Frame Titles for Each Page

Frame titles are used to help display information on the site as well as help users

navigate. Frames are used to divide the browser into separate areas, with each area

presenting different, but usually related information. (U.S Department of Health and

Human Services, 2010). One way a designer might go about using frame titles is to put

all navigation links on the left side of the page while reserving the right side of the page

for information. By doing this there would be a clear separation of navigation and

information links. It is also very important that the links, whether informative ornavigational, be clear and concise. This will help to eliminate any confusion a user might

encounter when browsing the website.

Designing for Working Memory Limitations


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Designing for working memory limitations means that a user should not have toremember information on one page for use on another. Users can remember relatively

few items of information for a relatively short period of time . (U.S Department of

Health and Human Services, 2010). This lack of requiring memory to navigate content is

especially important when a user must compare information that is on sepa rate pages. It

would be better to have all the information being compared side by side on one page .

The amount that users can remember from page to page is general determined by their

age. It is most likely that younger users (under age 45) will be able to remember more

than older users. Determining how much information will carry over from one page to

another is relative to the target audience of the site .

Reduce the Users Workload

A good way to reduce the workload of the user is to allow the computer to do as much as

possible. For example the computer can be utilized to completeall calculations within a

given sites content operation. The user will be responsible for providing the necessarynumbers but let the computer do the actual calculations. Another way of reducing the

users workload is by having a website (optionally) remember certain information of the

user. This occurs through remembering usernames, passwords, and/or other identifying

information. Not all information should be remembered by the computer, however,

giving users this option allows them the choice of what information they will allow the

computer to remember to make their use of the website easier. The less work a user has to

do the more they can focus on other areas of the website.

2.3 Key Usability Considerations from Medical Students

User centered design is a design philosophy placing the user in the center and focuses on

cognitive factors including perception, memory, learning and problem -solving as they

affects peoples interactions with things. The college of medicine website must be built

with the key users, current and future students, in mind . For Marian University, the futureCollege of Osteopathic Medicine website will be a virtual representation of what the

small university has to offer potential students as well as act as a resource for current

students.

Discovering core positives and negatives from other medical students about their

websites is one of the most effective ways to recognize key points during the building of

the Marian University College of Medicine site. A brief11-question survey was created

by the usability team and circulated through a network of medical students. The team

tried to use students attending universities similar to Marian University, but most

returned responses were from larger schools. Students were asked about their schools

website as well as online learning platforms. They were able to provide feedback to what

worked for them as well was suggestions they wish their school would have taken into

consideration.

Using current students opinions and suggestions during the building of the website is akey factor in creating user-centered design. Usability of a website will vary between

users, but having initial feedback from the demographic that will be using the site the


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most will not only create a stronger website, but show students the university wants to beaccommodating to their needs.

A similar project was done at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 2009. Two

medical students attending the institution created a website for all medical students using

the VMS customized portal. Each student had a personalized webpage with access to

course material and evaluations, academic information. Use of the portal was monitored

over a year and developers made changes per students requests. Students were surveyed

at the end of the project, 84% agreed the personalized portal made their lives easier and

82% agreed their needs were represented by having actual medical students design and

create the VMS portal.

The students surveyed attend medical schools around the country including University of

Toledo, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan. Students varied in their

years at medical school but were all willing to provide their past experiences with their

universities sites and portals as well as give recommendations to make MarianUniversitys website beneficial for students.

2.4 Student Survey Responses

System Availability

Most students had no trouble accessing their schools system. Any reconstruction or

corrections to the server were done at hours when students are typically not online (4-6

a.m.) and students were notified of the systems status with warning notifications prior to

the construction time.

Medical Site flow to main Website

Most students responded that their medical website flows smoothly within the main

university webpage. It is common for universities to require specific branding strategiesimplemented on all areas of the website. The marketing and communication teams of the

university typically establish these requirements.

Some universities require additional login at the medical site, which the student found

inconvenient because it also required a different password than other login areas . Her

suggestion was to require one login name and password throughout the site, for security

reasons, this may not be applicable for Marian University

Learning Platform

Out of the students surveyed, Angel and Blackboard were the most common learning

platforms used at other medical schools. The less common service was Jenzabar. Some

universities posted streaming video of class through iTunes University .

Interactive Materials Provided

Only one university posted no class lectures online and required in person attendance at

every class. Other students with access to online classes appreciated the ability to re-

watch lectures, rewind for clarification and watch the class on their own time . Some


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universities only provided audio, those students suggested requiring full video of theclass as it was easier to pay attention to.

Class-required Online Resources

Some students were provided with online resources such as labs and practical

assignments. These were supplementary and not required for the curriculum. Information

and instructions for the supplementary learning was provided on the online learning

platform.

Grades Posted

Most students received grades on their learning platform immediately after completion of

the assignment. Some students received more in-depth e-mails later. The ability to have

almost instantaneous grade results was one of the greatest benefits students saw in online

learning platforms. All students grades were posted on the online learning systems andfinal grades were posted on the university website . One student suggested a combination

of all grades in one place.

Benefits of their System

Simple navigation and access to grades were the two largest benefits students gave,

regardless of learning platform. Other students appreciated that their universities website

had answers to essentially any question on the website without needing to call someone at

the university. With the websites being available at any hour of the day this is a huge

benefit for students. While some answers were in deeper layers, it was still easy to find .

Time Spent Online

When comparing time spent on their university site versus an online learning platform,

most students spent significantly more time on their platforms. The main uses for the

university sites were financial aid, scheduling and course selection . Their learning

platforms had more class related information.

University websites were viewed monthly for finding information, daily if the students

used their university-provided e-mail. Sites such as Blackboard and Angel were visited

daily for coursework information and grade retrieval.

2.5 Suggestions

Ease of use and navigation were the most important suggestions students provided. The

ability access all information from a remote location was also key to some students. One

student suggested requiring all lectures be available online to compensate for the grueling

course load medical students are faced with. Students are able to better manage their time

with the option of watching lectures at their own pace. Quick exam feedback is also a key

benefit for many medical students. Online testing takes away the pressure of worryingabout grades until the next class period.


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Section 3: Infrastructure and Technical Requirements forMarians Integration

3.1 Infrastructure Requirements

Infrastructure and Operational Requirements

We have seen a consistent growth in the use of technology in healthcare from all angles .

Healthcare requires massive amounts of redundant data storage for millions of text

records and enormous sized files for detailed diagnostics like x-rays and lab results .

Electronic monitoring devices, readers, alarms, and diagnostic tools are used more and

more for monitoring accuracy, but also to keep physician numbers low as patient

numbers increase. This is not just within tele-health scenarios, but also in the hospital

itself and now into clinical and education environments. Each one of these devices must

connect to the network to store the information it records, whether it is a wire line or

wireless connection.

There is a significant impact on network infrastructure capabilities and limitations.

Everything within a care environment is connected together to improve efficiency and

personalization of care. Most records are centrally stored to help improve sharing within

a department, institution, and across organizational boundaries. Additionally, everyone in

the hospital must learn to interact with these devices and learn the very basics regarding

healthcare technology if they are going to take advantage of the benefits.

Marian University still has quite some time before the building will be complete, network

installed, and osteopathic curriculum developed. There will be significant changes in

technology choices and applications before then. The tools and components of the

education learning systems found in todays most prominent schools may or may not be

used in the near future and the way we view education could change drastically .

Data Centers and Virtualization

Data centers and hosted technologies are more commonplace today than ever before .

Originally utilized by corporate entities, co-located systems are increasing in popularity

amongst smaller institutions, including academic universities. Having proven themselves

worthy of handling sensitive data, most data centers, including those suggested for

Marian University, have been certified by compliance guidelines including PCI, HIPAA

and SOX.

As data center continue to adopt new technologies and operational improvements, they

adopt new virtualization technologies. Virtualization technology often allows the most

efficient utilization of finite hardware resources because an administrator may create

multiple systems that operate on what was once thought of as a single machine . This

technology is proven in industry and adopted as a best of breed approach to Marians

need for a hosted Learning Management System (LMS). Before selecting a LMS, whichis fundamentally a software package, it is necessary to confirm that the LMS is stable and

fully capable when run in a virtual environment . When conducting this analysis, Marian

must understand the restrictions and variations that come with environment virtualization .


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Host-based, network-based, and array-based virtualization are the most widely utilizedvirtualization technologies. In the colocation model that Marian is expecting, a host-

based infrastructure is the standard best practice. Each methodology has pros and

cons. Host-based technologies may have restrictions based on manufacturer hardware or

proprietary technologies. Because hosted virtual systems exist within proprietary physical

systems, Administrators must be aware of potential communication conflicts.

Network-based technology may encounter similar communication obstacles, but exists in

the cloud of the infrastructure, rather than on a single physical host . The strength of a

virtualized network is the ability to bring all communications of many nodes and

networks into a single controller1. This also allows mutli-protocol networks to exist most

efficiently under another management system.

Array-based systems offer a final solution, exploiting the simplicity of a host-based

system with the fail-safe reliability of a network. Marian IT staff will work closely with

the data-center vendor to decide the extent of system virtualization .

It is also possible to nest or embed virtualized systems inside of each other

allowing administrators to take full advantage of hardware resources. This model,

however, can drastically slow the performance of a virtual environment and cause

conflicts of the systems are trying to share hardware resources (such as a non-dedicated

network interface card). While these shared resources refer to individual hardware

components, a co-located system will also require careful scrutiny of network

architecture. This proposal considers and anticipates 3 primary types of network traffic

engaging the hosted LMS:

1. Administrative users (those who configure, maintain, backup and modify theLMS)

2. Content Generators (Marian Instructors and content authors who contribute to theLMS templates and maintain their classes)3. Student users(both on campus and off campus users)2

Enabling virtualization causes fundamental change in the physical topology of a

network. Organizations must be prepared for the management of their new system and

understand associated costs. Although some techniques (like network-based

virtualization) offer greater speed performance, they can also be the most difficult to

troubleshoot. This type of virtualization does not possess benefits that outweigh the risks

associated to Marian. Those risks include: potential network downtime if a virtualized

node becomes unresponsive, additional (highly skilled) staff to maintain the

infrastructure that would extend between the data center and Marians primary LAN .

Simply maintaining a hosted systems environment with a traditional LAN/WAN

connection to the data center will allow Marians campus infrastructure to remain

virtually unchanged. Fewer changes to existing infrastructure translate into an exit

strategy that allows the LMS implementation to be abandoned, delayed or modified

1 Ashish Nadkarni of Glasshouse Technologies, CIO Insight Interview, August 20092 Student users are all the same from an access perspective because this system is not expected to be

hosted within the campus network.


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without impact to Marians other systems. As this will be operated in a virtualenvironment, the system configuration may also be suspended at any point in

development and saved or re-located to another environment. The simplicity of virtual

environments easily accommodates most Learning Management Systems and because of

the plethora of vendors, most also make sure that their system can fit any environment .

3.2 Technologies Used in Medical Education

Many types of technologies and applications are used over the course of a students

educational career in the medical fields. Some are used more heavily than others are, but

in any case, a student will make use of everything discussed below. The only difference

is whether these applications are integrated with one another and the learning

management system or if they are simply individual software packages.

Computer Aided Instruction (CAI)

Computer Aided Instruction is the use of different web or software applications that

intend to teach materials and test student comprehension. This is usually supplementary

to course lecture and clinical simulations. There are two purposes of CAIs. First, it

provides students with another learning method for repetition of key concepts to help

comprehension and long-term memorization. Second, it provides feedback for both the

students and faculty members. The only issue with these tools is that they are typically

third-party applications and not directly integrated with the schools grading and

monitoring tools. It can be difficult to keep students records private and updated with

facultys records at the same time.

Virtual Simulations

Virtual simulations are used to help students transition from classroom into clinical and

get more of a life-like experience than reading or watching alone. Virtual simulations fall

between instruction and practice. They may not be too realistic at times, but requirestudents to use methods and techniques of realistic practice. Software like Second Life,

chat applications, and teleconferencing equipment, can be used to help students with this

transition. For example, a student can use any one of these tools to perform a health

history for a patient from a distance where the student can practice asking questions and

get comfortable with interacting with patients before moving into a face-to-face

interview.

Life-like Simulations

One of the most important aspects of medical education is realistic simulations. These

can be very limited based on the institutions budget and specific topics of the

curriculum. These simulations are used to allow students to practice (typically critical or

uncommon scenarios) without the consequences of making mistakes on a real person.

They are used to put students in scenarios they may not see within their clinical

situations. The most advanced arrangements have a combination of an electronic life-like

manikin, software to run the manikin from a distance, supplementary video and audio

devices, and an environment that imitates a real environment, including electronic

devices.


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Shared Applications and Resources

Students make use of shared software applications (many times required by the

institution) as a resource for detailed materials. These applications could include

dictionaries, diagnostic help tools, assessment testing, general practice methods, etc.

Typically, they are third party vendors like SkyScape who provide updated software and

databases that match changes in the industry. Furthermore, they can be applications found

online, installed on the departments network and servers, or installed on personal

devices. For example, students may use the institutions networked applications when

writing a report or studying, but in a clinical situation may use an application for their

PDA for a quick help on a diagnosis.

These resources help the institution stay updated on the industry practices and definitions,

provide a shared pool on which students can work together, and get students learning

how to find answers on issues they may not know. Other shared resources could include

centralized storage and access to colleagues work, video and audio of example scenarios,or other department specific resources.

Electronic Testing and Feedback

Electronic testing is not something that is new in practice. It has been used for quite

some time in the educational realm. It is being used in the most comprehensive of fields

to help students get instant feedback for improving self-study. The medical field requires

this sort of testing so that students have multiple chances to take exams and practice key

concepts to ensure comprehension and memorization. The instant, calculated feedback is

an important component of electronic testing for the student, faculty, and institution in

entirety.

3.3 What it all means on the network infrastructure?

With all the new technologies in the healthcare industry and the expansion of technologyin the educational realm, there are several implications on the network infrastructure for

any medical program. Below are the very general requirements for a network

infrastructure for such a program to be effective and efficient .

Compatible and Compliant

The infrastructure must be compatible with Marians current network, as students will

access resources across campus and at various times during the day. The network

resources also must be available for outside access if the school wants to have distance

education built into the curriculum. The network should be compatible and flexible with

for a broad range of technologies including video, multimedia, interactive applications,

web 2.0, virtual reality, conferencing tools, software applications, learning management

systems, and mobile devices.

Depending on whether or not Marian chooses to have on-site patient clinics and researchlaboratories, the school will need to make sure that all networks, applications, and

policies are HIPAA and HITECH compliant. This means that both the osteopathic school


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and the rest of the network will need to be upgraded or modified to match operational andtechnical specifications.

Bandwidth Requirements

Many schools are investing in the speeds of their networks as technology is utilized

across all programs. Medical programs are no exception. Students and faculty mus t be

able to access various high bandwidth applications, shared network resources, and

Internet resources at a moderately high speed . In addition, if the institution makes use of

various network attached medical monitoring devices, then bandwidth requirements

significantly increase when they are in use.

Quality of Service

In order to make scenarios as life-like as possible, there must be some level of quality of

service to audio and video on the network. This might mean a simulation room isseparate from all other network traffic or not even connected to the network at all . It

could mean that shared audio and video files for a simulation on a centralized server have

QoS.

Data Security

With the use of so many electronic applications and resources, it is a necessity to ensure

that some level of security is maintained to protect resources and students . It is not as

simple as lock and key like paper stored records entail. The institution must share the

right content with the right people. For example, institution information is shared with

the public, general medical content might be shared with the entire student body and

faculty members, and all individual test scores, practice applications, videos, etc is shared

only on an individual level. Security must be granular. This means that resources can be

permitted or restricted by department, class, group, role, or individual.

The most effective security practices use a layered approach to make it more difficult for

unauthorized intruders. All network closets, server rooms, clinical labs, and computer

labs should be locked and monitored when not in use. The network itself should have

security built into it. This may include firewalls, network monitors, and access control

policies. The proper anti-virus, malware, and spyware software should be installed on

every computer that connects to the network. Finally, every school owned device and

software application should have password protection. User accounts provide both

security and accountability for all misuse.

Shared Applications and Resources

Improvements in education come with shared knowledge and resources . Therefore, the

network would need centralized network storage. This might include all shared data,

documents, etc. It could also include shared applications like the CAIs, electronic tests,

medical software, and general software.


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Mobility & Wireless

Wireless demand is growing both in medical organizations but in schools as well .

However, it is almost a necessity in medical education . Students make use of their PDA

or laptop applications to facilitate them through simulations. Networks with numerous

electronic monitoring devices cannot be completely wired because of the cost for cable,

the need for mobility, and the fact that most are not running but maybe several hours a

week. To allow for mobility, scalability, and cost-effective use of the network, wireless

access points are the solution. The wireless network should be able to handle both

laptops and external device connections. Access should also be uninterruptable, meaning

that a user can walk throughout the building, between access points, and never lose

connection to the network.

Section 4: Learning Management Systems

4.1 Important LMS Considerations

Deciding on an LMS to implement in an organization or institution depends heavily on what the

LMS is expected to do. A good LMS can do a lot more than simply distribute information, there

are many considerations when looking at different LMSs, and ultimately the choice depends on

the information to be delivered and the intended audience. LMSs usually have many capabilities

in common as well as unique features that set them apart . They can also be found in open source

or licensed varieties as well as hosted or installed solutions.

Features

When researching various LMS vendors, open source or not, usually the first information they

want you to see is their features. Most LMSs will have standard features that enable basic

capabilities that make any given software actually an LMS. These are things like course creation

and management, student tracking, collaboration platforms, performance evaluations, content

storage, etc. When working with a LMS definitely ensure it has the basic functionality to support

all the desired learning processes in your courses. Eliminating LMS possibilities based on lack of

core features can be a good tactic to shorten the list of possible LMS vendors . This requires some

prior defining of what features are absolutely required in the desired LMS solution . Some

common features to look for include:

Integration with other systems SCORM compatibility Content Presentation

Content Development Content compatibility Administrative tools

Building Assessments Assessment Reporting and

Management

Usability (Administrative and

Student)

Security System Compatibility Support

(Ellis, 2009)

Content Standardization

Content standardization is a worthy discussion to have when talking LMSs as well . Content

Comment [SSJ6]: Better tell them what thiacronym stands for


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authoring can mean anything from creating a course to utilizing enterprise level contentauthoring software to develop course content for large-scale deployment. It is important to

consider how course content is created currently and in what ways a new LMS would be

expected to support these methods. In order for content created to be universally compatible,

ADL created the Sharable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM ) standard. The most recent

SCORM 2004 addresses problems of the past standards and should be implemented over older

standards. (Advanced Distributed Learning) Ignoring standards can be potentially troubling, as

content migration in the future will be difficult if the institutions course content is trapped in a

proprietary standard. This may or may not affect future implementation, but it is worth

considering.

Implementation

There are many important points to look at when considering one LMS implementation over

another. The biggest question that should be addressed first is: What is needed from this LMS? It

does not make much sense to purchase a full install license for an LMS if youre looking for asmaller hosted solution. Development of a custom LMS in house is also a valid option if your

institution has the resources, and if not there are others who can help you do that.

4.2 LMS Options

There are literally hundreds of different LMS options available out there and many of them

choose to compete on their feature sets. Some will be better than others, but focusing on which

features that are needed and how those features perform in each LMS considered is an efficient

means of weeding out those who will not cut it. Standardization of content can potentially be a

beneficial initiative and would help to ensure compatibility between your content authoring

systems and the LMS.

Moodle

Moodle is the behemoth of the open source LMS industry. It is more widely adopted than anyother system and has very good support from its devoted community of developers and Moodle

Pty Ltd organizes funding and pays for core development. Moodle has a broad user base as well,

including higher education, K12 and corporate institutions. Moodle is used by millions of people

worldwide more than 50,000 registered Moodle sites.

Host deployments of Moodle are available through Moodles Partner program. These companies

are professional Moodle development and typically add services and components to the Moodle

system along with hosting and management services. Usually theyll offer customization and

development services as well. More information about local Moodle partners can be found at

http://moodle.com/hosting.

Some technical facts about Moodle:

Built on PHP

Runs on any system that supports the PHP and a data base including Windows,

MAC OSX, Linux, Unix, etc.

Takes advantage of IMS and SCORM for content handling to help ensure


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interoperability with other content systems or authoring tools . Some deployments of Moodle scale to 500,000 users or more .

Moodle is available in 85 different languages

Docebo

Docebo is an open source LMS and CMS system primarily in use in corporate and higher

education settings. It offers support for a number of different learning models and is compatible

with SCORM 1.2 and 2004. It offers interfaces to external systems such as video conferencing

and HR systems. While the software is free, Docebo will offer their ELearning services which

include:

Installation (on Docebo or customer's datacenter) configuration and layout customization

New features development and 3rd party software interfacing (import export data, single

sign on...) Geographical backup, uptime monitoring and disaster recovery

First and second level help desk

Training, consulting and support in any e-learning project stage

Dokeos

Dokeos is another open source LMS that has a couple different version. Below is a break down

of the features of each version. Each successive version supports all the features of the version

below it.

Dokeos Free Dokeos Education

Course Authoring

Collaboration Functions

Administrative Functionality

Assessment Builder

Reporting Functions

Community Supported

Rapid Powerpoint Integration

Centralized Authentication System

Office Integration

Full Hosting and Support

Dokeos Pro Dokeos Medical

Course Templates

Video conferencing/Virtual Meeting

Support

Medical Imaging Support

Visual Search

Clinical Case Scenario Builder


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Multisite Support

All versions of Dokeos above free are paid services that include upgrades, maintenance, security,

SCORM compliance, tech support hosting and course production assistance. (Dokeos Feature

Comparison)

Sakai

Sakai is an open source Collaboration and Learning Environment (CLE) developed and

distributed by the Sakai Community worldwide. It is licensed for free and open use under the

Educational Community License and approved by the Open Source Initiative group. Sakai has

many features which put it in league with other products like Blackboard and Moodle . Although

open source by nature, there are several Sakai Affiliates which are approved by the Sakai

Foundation for offering their commercial support of organizations and institutions interested in

implementing Sakai but are not quite sure how to get there.

Some quick facts about Sakai:

Highly scalable current installations over200,000 total and 20,000

simultaneous users

Sakai is written in Java (need Java 1.6)

Utilizes Apache 2.0 (recommended Tomcat 5.5.28)

Utilizes MySQL 4.1.12+ (with InnoDB), Oracle 10g, 9i, and DB2 9.1, 9.7

Almost always integrated into other enterprise systems

Focus on Higher Education (over200 educational institutions)

The current version of Sakai released by the Sakai Foundation is 2.7.0

Differences between Moodle and Sakai

1. Sakai is written in Java; Moodle is PHP. Java is considered more scalable and secure.

PHP is considered easier to code.

2. Sakais vision includes research collaboration and portfolios; Moodle focuses on

teaching.

3. Sakai uses an Apache 2.0 license variant; Moodle is GPL. This matters to commercial

organizations that may want to base a product on the software . The Apache license is

preferable to commercial organizations.

4. Sakai has no central development organization (the schools do all the work); Moodle HQdrives a lot of Moodle development. Generally people believe this makes it is easier to

contribute to and influence the direction of Sakai.

5. Sakai is almost always integrated with other enterprise systems; Moodle is often run as a


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standalone application. Sakai's web services are more extensive and mature thanMoodle's.

6. The Sakai community is mostly Higher Education, with some K12; Moodle includes

more K12 and corporate training uses. Higher ed is only 1/3 its user base. This may have

a long term affect on the directions the products take .

7. Sakai is considered to scale to larger user bases than Moodle.

rSmart

rSmart is an approved Sakai affiliate and provider of commercial support for the Sakai CLE.

They operate similarly to RedHat, which distributes and supports their versions of Linux. They

can also provide services like:

Planning Training

Installation Integration

Data Migration Customization

Application Hosting

While the rSmart Sakai CLE is built from the Sakai Community code base there are a number of

key additions from rSmart that they believe add value to the software . Some include:

Improved UI/Portal Redesign Streamlined Integration

Enhanced Functional Configura Enhanced Flexibility with Regard to Func

Configuration

New Tools More Supported Platforms

Easier to Install Sample Portfolio Data Structures

Easier to Upgrade Additional Formal QA Process

Section 5: Marians Web Portal

5.1 Marian Universitys College of Medicine Homepage

Marian University is taking major steps toward becoming the first college in Indiana to

offer a School of Osteopathic Medicine. It will become the first Catholic university in

the country to achieve this status. The University is currently in the initial stages of

seeking accreditation.

Comment [SSJ7]: Your comments are notfitting into the boxes below. Need to text wrap


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Marian Universitys current web site needs to be enhanced so that the Universitypromotes this new direction. The web presence may only have a few seconds to make an

impression on the user and to make a statement about the goals and achievements of the

University.

Level 1- The Homepage

When restructuring the Universitys website, the main page should be clean, inviting and

informative. It should contain a link to general information to all main topics available to

the public. It should contain links for future students, current students, news and events,

alumni, and awards. At this level there should not be any secure sites that are password

protected. The main page should have search functionality that covers all sub-pages

within the website. This area is also where the user should find one-time, rapid

information such as a search box, quick links, driving directions and contact info . A slide

show or video should be included that features some of the new opportunities offered by

Marian. The Universitys main website needs to have a smooth transition to any pertinentinformation below it including the new COM. It is critical that any new information be

clearly visible on the main page so that the user is quickly aware of it. There should be a

smooth transition between the legacy information and any new features by blending the

sites together by use of color, font and graphics.

5.2 Second Level Pages

Level 2- Specific to Users

Once the user clicks on a link on the main page, the second level would contain more

specific information to the topic on the main page. Again this information should be

available for all users. These second-level pages would contain more detail for topics

such as the following: news, future students, current students, alumni, and faculty. When

the current students link is clicked on the main page, for example, many different links

should be shown such as student services, housing, academic programs, athletics, and

campus activities. There should be a link on the second level to the learning platform and

email at the university for current students. For future students, they would find links at

this level for academic programs, student life and financial information.

Level 3- Secure Area

The third level is where there could be secure links to areas defined specifically for

certain groups of people such as faculty or current students . These areas would be secure

and require a logon id and password to proceed. There would be a link here for students

to access all available coursework, schedule classes and plan their schedules. They would

have personal information available to them at this level such as financial aid information

or payments to the school. For future students, a sample learning platform could be

shown at the third level with a guest logon id and password available to the general

public. This sample would allow the user to get a feel for the Learning ManagementSystem that the university uses.

5.3 General Suggestions


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In general, any key words that pertain to the Universitys new direction need to bementioned throughout the website. The use of metatags is highly recommended. These

practices will help ensure so that the content is easily found for web site visitors and will

be ranked more highly on search engines. It is best to avoid Java and Flash as Google

does not often recognize it as content.

5.4 Trends of Other COM Sites

The team researched seven different College of Osteopathic Medicine schools throughout

the United States. These schools included Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine,

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University College of

Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine,

Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine, William Carey University and

University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine . Through the research of

seven diverse schools, positive and negative trends were found.

5.5 Positive Trends

Some of the positive trends found made an impression because they were unique to one

or two schools websites. These trends include a blog, interviews with students or

faculty, interesting facts on the website, separation of the types of students and

showcasing their awards.

Blog

Des Moines University has a Dose of DMU Blog. This is helpful to give prospective

students a view of what it is like to be a student at that particular university from a

students perspective. Also, social networking is a large component of students lives

and this could be an avenue to appeal to students.

Video Interviews

Similar to the idea of having a blog is video interviews. Des Moines University also had

a video embedded in the main portion of their COM homepage . This is also another way

for students to understand why other students chose that university and whether or not it

is a good fit for them. Having another way to present information besides just text may

mean that prospective students would pay attention to information presented in a variety

of ways.

Interesting Facts

Midwestern University included fun trivia facts on the side of some of their web pages .

This broke up the monotony of having standard information presented and gives current

and prospective students information that may differentiate a university from another

university.

Student Separation

Most websites separate prospective and current students, but Philadelphia College of

Osteopathic Medicine also has a separate tab for interns and residents. This feature is


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helpful for the current interns and residents, but also allows current and prospectivestudents to see what kind of resources are available to interns and residents and separates

out the different phases in their education.

Awards

A good way to showcase the strength of a school or program is to show awards the

university has received. The University of New England won awards from the US News

and World Reports Graduate School Rankings. This is important to show because it

helps demonstrate the strength of the program.

5.6 Negative Trends

There are also negative trends found on websites. The negative trends either made the

website difficult to use or made it unappealing.

No Search Field

One negative trend is not having a search field. Some of the websites such as Kirksville

College of Osteopathic Medicine and William Carey University had no search field . Not

having a search field makes it difficult for both potential and current students to find

information, especially when they dont know where it is located . For example, the

American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine lists William Carey

University as having a College of Osteopathic Medicine program starting in Fall 2010.

However, there is no easy accessible link on William Carey Universitys website and

there is no search field. Finding any additional information required the use of a search

engine. Having to use a search engine could deter potential medical students from

applying.

Color Choice and Design Issues

Another negative trend is color choice and design issues . One example of poor color

choice is Des Moines Universitys website. Des Moines uses a lot of colors and they are

pastels, which are not the most appealing choices and I think it distracts from the content.

An example of poor layout is Kirksville College of Medicines website. Kirksvilles

website has a large white border around the content which distracts from the content and

doesnt look as appealing as other website where the content fills the page.

5.7 Design Recommendations

This section is dedicated for providing Marian.edu with design recommendations.

Marian.edu and some of the other university websites are analyzed and compared. The

following are recommendations categorized by essential elements for website design.

y Visually AppealingWhen a user first visits a website, what makes them decide whether or not to continue

using that website is the first impression. To make a website attractive, it needs to be well

organized and use a balance between content, color, and graphics.


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Marian.edu has good coloruse. It has a clear theme

color, blue, used for

background and text and

uses a contrast color, yellow,

for top tab-options making

them prominent. A big

university logo also helps

catch the eye.

However, Marian.edu does

not have a good balance of

content and graphics. The

photos of students and

campus life are too big; they

cover half of the home page.

Also, the link icons on the bottom right are too big and have too much space around

them.

The best way to improve this

is to decrease size of photos

and link icons. This will

provide Marian.edu with

more space for other useful

information and links that

users might need.

An example of a website

which is well-organized and

has a good balance between

content, color, and graphics

is Snu.edu. It is the website

of Southern Nazarene

University, one of the top 10

university websites.3

The

figure of Snu.edu is shown

on the right.

y Useful, Current, and Concise Information3Top 10 University Websites. (2007, April 11). Retrieved July 8, 2010, from tutorialblog.o rg:

http://tutorialblog.org/top-10-university-websites/


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Users visiting a website aim to reach information of interest . The useful content canincrease the number of users for a website. The most important information or links

should be located on the top portion of the first page, the area being seen without

scrolling. However, the top portion of Marian.edu, shown as below, only provides some

drop-down tab-options and dedicates the rest for the photos. Also, there should be more

tab-options to allow users to easily access information they need.

The information that should be placed on this top portion should be the most important .

Xavier.edu is a good example in providing useful and concise information for users. The

figure below shows the top portion of Xavier.edu where users can access important

information such as Apply, Financial Aid, and Majors/Programs.

y Easy to Use and NavigateA website should have a good navigation enabling users to reach any information they

want in a few clicks. The best way to accomplish this is to tell users where they are,

where they have been, and where they can go.

For example, on the home page, there should be a portion providing links to access

different information based on the status of users. The figure below is a portion on

Udayton.edu having links for any users. This allows users to get all information related tothem in one click.


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Maian.edu

as t

e links t

inf ati n f nl arents and ros ecti e students

ut does not

ave t

ose foralumni and facult

& staff.

e link for currentstudents, called My Marian, is

idden on t

e uick links tab-option as s

own below. o

improve t

e website navi ationand ease of use, Marian.edu

s

ouldprovide links ofeveryuserstatus. owever, Marian.edu

as a search tool on thetop-ri ht of thepage. his is agoodnavigatorforusers.

y Optimi m ! A website should be downloaded " uickly without any errors of displayed content,graphics, and interactive media. After analyzing Marian.edu, there is no error on thewebpage.Avideoat thebottomof thehomepage links toanotherwebpage, whichplaysthevideowithhighperformance.

Vi e


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Social integration elevates the users online experience to a different level, providingthem with different avenue of gaining information. Social integration tools allows

the user to interact with the website and not ust read the information on the web

page. Social tools allow one to interoperate with current architectures and

applications between different technologies with the ability to exchange and use

information and work together with diverse systems and organizations.

Social integration tools such as Facebook, twitter, Skype and blogs can be useful and

helpful to universities by providing students with professional networking and

career advancing opportunities, they are able to connect with alumni and make

connections and gain access to interview tips and learn about different

opportunities in the workforce. Students are also able to interact with each other

and their professors during lectures and group meetings. These social integration

sites can be used to connect distance-learning students with the classroom so they

can get a feel for the classroom.

6.2 Why Social Integration through Social edia?

Social media sites can be extremely beneficial to colleges and universities across the

world aiding in college recruiting and provide knowledge to prospective students

and provide them with a virtual college visit. Researchers have shown that social

media has a positive influence on applications and enrollment through the use of

sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Furthermore, a disconnect between the

expectations of prospective students and the way universities are utilizing social

media and are out of touch with social media and the students who may be

interested in attending. With the way technology is advancing, many institutions

will begin to use social integration tools as a way of communication and learning.

Colleges and universities are outpacing U.S. corporate adoption of social

media tools and technologies (13% of the Fortune 500 and 39% of the Inc.500 currently have a public blog, while 41% of college admissions

departments have blogs).

Social networking is the tool most familiar to admissions officers, with 55%

of respondents claiming to be very familiar with it in the first study and

63% in 2008.

A significant number of admissions officers use search engines (23%) and

social networks (17%) to research prospective students. They use these tools

to verify information or research students who are candidates for

scholarships or entry into high-demand programs with limited spaces. In all

these cases the intent is to protect the school from potential embarrassment.

There were no reports of checking every applicant to an institution. Online

research appears to be more of a precaution at this point or a source of

additional information for critical decision making.

In addition to social networks, usage ofYouTube has also increased

substantially. Video is now being used to deliver virtual tours of campuses,


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virtual visits to the dorms, and sample lectures from the faculty. 78% of private schools have blogs, versus 28% of public schools, and 50%

of schools with undergraduate populations of less than 2,000 have blogs.

40% of institutions not currently using social media plan to start a blog.

yNearly 90% of admissions departments feel that social media is somewhatto very important to their future strategy.

6.3 How can Social edia Benefit arian University?

Social media has changed the way colleges and universities operate and

communicate with future/current students and alumni and can benefit arian

University in a variety of ways; to gain prospective students and should be taken

advantage of because teens and young adults are going to continue to use these sites

and it would be a great way to promote the school and offer students to take a look

on their level.

Suggestions for 8 9 rian University:

- Facebookand Twitter is not only used for social interaction betweenfriends, college professors are using it as a way to communicate with their

students. Stanford University professor, Tina Seeling uses facebook for office

hours. Facebook office hours is a four part process; first, a note is posted

describing the professor or faculty that is hosting the office hours; second, a

video is posted with the professor speaking about their research or work;

third, students have a chance to ask uestions through the comment section;

and finally, the professor answers the uestions through a second video by

addressing those commenting by name. any students have benefited from

this because they are able to interact with their professors outside of the

classroom. Twitter can be used to spread information uicker and easier andallow students and faculty to interact and communicate.

- YouTube can be used to watch past lectures they may have missed or needto watch again to study for exams and to gain clarity and more

understanding on what was covered in class.

- Skype can be used for distance learning, those students who are gainingtheir education from a different state, country or city can skype in and watch

lectures and can chat with the professor and students to ask uestions and

participate in discussions.

- LinkedIn can connect with alumni as a way to network with alumni andsearch for obs by interacting with those from different companies or

industries.

- Emergency Notifications can be used to notify students, faculty and staff ofany emergency or tragedy that has happened on or around campus. Some

universities use Twitter to tweet or Facebook to post messages because it is

easier and uicker to communicate and spread the news. The ma ority of

students check their Facebook or Twiiter more often than their school email

or school website; the University of Texas used Twitter to notify the campus


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Works Referenced

508 News Release. (2010, June). Retrieved June 25, 2010, from Section 508.gov:

http://www.section508.gov/

Advanced Distributed Learning. (n.d.).SCORM 2004 4th Edition Version 1.1 Overview.

Retrieved July 8, 2010, from ADL:

http://www.adlnet.gov/Technologies/scorm/SCORMSDocuments/ 2004%204th%2

0Edition/Overview.aspx

Bearid, J. (2007).The Principles of Beautiful Web Design. Victoria, Australia: Sitepoint

Pty. Ltd.

Beckstein, C, et al (2008).A Reactive Architecture for Ambient E-Learning. Munich,

Germany: n.p.

Bick, M. et al (2008)Standards for Ambient Learning Environments. Berlin, Germany:

n.p.

Bomsdorf, D. (2008)Adaptation of Learning Spaces: Supporting Ubiquitous Learning in

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