Taking advantage of technology to engage students via distance

Abstract

The session begins by introducing Athabasca University, our mandate as a distance university puts extra-importance on our service delivery and we must leverage technology to ensure we meet our students’ expectations. It will target the resource freeing capacity of an online FAQ system as well as demonstrate how simple tools like excel and Google-alerts can be used to make a difference. Finally it will explore Facebook and Twitter as tools for engaging and interacting with your students and prospects. There will be ample time for discussion and Q&A. We’re all doing something in this arena and there is value in sharing our ideas.

Objectives/What will participants learn? At the end of this session participants should be able to: • Discuss the potential of automated FAQ and Chat systems • Explore social media for references to their institution • Evaluate social media chatter for required action • New content ideas to promote engagement in your social media participation