Community-Building Tool Supports Students at Fort Hays State U
Fort Hays State University has deployed a digital community platform from InScribe to boost student communication, engagement and success.
Branded as "Tiger-to-Tiger," FHSU's InScribe community was designed by students, for students, and is integrated into the institution's learning management portal. The platform provides a way for students to meet peers, build relationships, share ideas and get help and advice, whether they are on or off campus. Students can ask questions within the community and connect with answers, resources and individuals to help find the information they need. Those interactions are captured for future reference by anyone in the community, and each community member builds their reputation by answering questions and contributing their help to others. The platform uses artificial intelligence to analyze posts, escalate high-priority issues, and direct interventions.
"Our goal is to replicate the casual conversations that normally take place between classes or in the hallways. To get there, it was critical that our students be allowed to take the lead," explained Andrew Feldstein, assistant provost for teaching innovation and learning technologies at the university, in a statement. "We empowered them to be the leaders and caretakers of this new virtual space. And we're thrilled with the results so far. Our students jumped right in and we can see that InScribe is already having a positive impact on student engagement, connection and emotional well-being."
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Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].