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Helping Students Find Each Other
2/28/2006
The Vendors Go ‘Social’
Software companies in the higher education arena are becoming aware of the potential allure of campus-centered networking. They are either planning to build social features into their products or are providing features that give students and others the experience of working within a virtual community.
Datatel (www.datatel.com) aired its concept of “presence-based awareness” at the recent Educause (www.educause.edu) conference in Orlando. Why should getting bumped out of a filled-up course be a lonely experience? A student who is online and suddenly finds herself looking for an alternative course selection should be able to turn to other students who are interacting with the system at the same time, just as if they were in the same room. Graham Tracey, product manager for Enrollment Management and Student Services solutions at Datatel, says that when Datatel’s new portal environment, ActiveCampus, debuts in 2006, its design will eventually allow administrators to add social networking functions and create a seamless experience across the entire lifespan of students.
As for SAP’s NetWeaver Portal (www.sap.com), that product is designed to provide real-time, virtual collaboration rooms where users can work together, no matter where they are located. SAP’s portal also integrates other collaboration tools, including shared folders, group calendars, team assignments, instant messaging, and chat rooms.
SCT’s Luminis (www.sungardsct.com) is a widely used portal solution, often teamed with SCT Banner, although it can be used with any administrative software. Still, powerful portal environments like Luminis can be out of reach for smaller institutions. So, SCT recently announced a portal designed as part of the SCT PowerCAMPUS administrative system. This new portal presents a new option for institutions that want to create the integration and personalization provided by a portal environment, but with less complexity and cost.
Then too, the electronification of the portfolio has produced a powerful tool for bringing people together on the basis of their accomplishments and special interests. Oracle (www.oracle.com) gives colleges and universities a way to extend the boundaries of their community with a new product called Oracle Personal Portfolio. The online portfolio allows students and faculty to highlight their work via a portal for use in employment searches, class assignments, accreditation, credentialing, and networking.
Explore the Possibilities
Students today are exploring the power of virtual networking, often without reference to the institutions they attend, even though the campus itself represents a powerful set of ready-to-exploit connections. This is a good time to explore the personal networking potential of the software environments that your institution has already put into place.
John Savarese is a consulting principal with Edutech International.
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