Effective System That Will Help Students and University Users - Research Paper Example

Name Professor Course Date Introduction This chapter is obligated to showcase the purpose, background of research and the needs assessment. Purpose The purpose of this research project is to showcase a comprehensive analysis of how social networking can be fully implemented in knowledge and information in the Marymount University and how the students can use or exploit this contemporary resource in building their career, displaying their academic work and experience as well as use the website “Port Triton” as a portfolio sharing platform. Background In the last decade, the world had been experiencing a sharp increasing in the transformation into a world digital village. In this perspective, online social network have emerged as the biggest player in the transformation. Students have increasingly used social networks such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs to share and connect knowledge and information, to communicate with other students and the world at large and to create content. In this context, the emergence of social networks such as Port Triton has recently assisted University California San Diego students in bringing changes in the students’ society (Dabbagh, Nada, and Anastasia Kitsantas 7). Gradually, the individuals are now transparent and freely participating in the discussion of the platform in improving and developing education. This particular area is being addressed in context of organization management under E-culture topic. The importance of implementation of this social and educational platform in light of the world’s change to virtual communication and participation is to ensure that students gain better results in their careers. As a result of growth of students academic and career demands, subsequent ability to collaborate and share online, the social networking sites have come up to become virtual learning education platform (Purcell, Kristen, Aaron Smith, and Kathryn Zickuhr 12). The significance of the platform is not only in information sharing but also an education process. Definitely, this study will focus on analysis of the use of social networking sites in education. Needs Assessment Since the proposal is more of a research and application in purpose, the audience that this proposal will address is Marymount University students and user. Data will be collected to evaluate the validity and reliability of the proposed system. An analysis of the information concerning the website will also be done to ensure that the platform finds it primary use. Data management will also be undertaken to ensure that ethical principle will be attained. Discussion Research Analysis Among a total of 85% of students and staff, some of them were using social networking sites as education and academic platform. Though, when some of them were asked about the reasons for visiting the site, 40% showed the interesting of using the site for only social networking, but 60% stated that they were using for sharing career and academic interest. The stakeholders explained that the presence of online learning platform system Port Triton as a factor that drive them to involve into the use of social networking sites for educational purposes. Despite the fact that the stakeholders preferred facebook as the best platform that they could share their academic and career works with their counterparts around the world. At most the students were the people who found it considerable and efficient to use innovations that are proposed to assist both students and the entire staff of Marymount University. The university is kwon for its worldwide seminars and workshops therefore, introduction and implementation of this online platform will create more chances and space for more individuals to come in and take part in career building through sharing of information and other relevant information about internship. The students of Marymount University also considered other online websites as such ad their own jobs4saints website as important system for them to undertake internship programs before graduating. The students also pointed out that the use of website networking tools and forums will help them to get what they want in support of their studies as socialization. The finding undertaken has confirmed that literature shows that the use of social networking and other online websites have played significant role in upholding education and academic programs such as internship as well as sharing of information on career building. Scholars have also revealed that other platforms such as learning management systems and online blackboard collaborative tools have been vital for learners to conceive and share information. The higher number of students and other users at Marymount University are expected to implement this proposed online system so that it could make internship and other educational services easy to access and to use. There is system around the globe that lacks hitches and challenges. The proposed education platform has several challenges that the students and other users will have to face during its implementation, but it is expected that via learning and tutorials there are able to make use of the new system. From the pretrial phase of the system it was noted that the system was not user friendly hence other users and students were not able to effectively use it. The other challenge that is expected is the security concerns of the new system since the website calls for encryption protocols. Solution There is clear difference between educational realities and educational rhetoric of the use of social media and other online platforms. There has been long-standing tendency at Marymount University for implementation and use of digital technologies that has always fall short of embroidered expectations; what can be explained as a cycle of hope, disappointment and hype within all the stakeholders of the institution. In this perspective, the most pressing challenge for higher education community and the use of online platforms is the utilization of social media and other online platform in reduction of academic as well as educational discomfort and congestion (Roblyer, M. D., et al. 23). Therefore, this proposal denotes several solutions that can be brought on board in order to remove the dilemma in the implementation of the new innovation to all users. The system should be coupled with several tutorials so that it can guide the people on how to use it. In addition, the teaching fatality should also be able to engage in various workshops and seminars on the usability of the technology. Validity The Delphi technique that will be used within this study will be modified from classical Delphi technique by including initial list, obtained from literature review, which will be supplied to the commencement of research. In round one, the researcher will give the experts a list of recommended good practices in website platform, challenges in its implementation that will be collected from contemporary literature and publications. The panel will be asked to delete, add or keep the recommendations. In the second round, the experts will be given results from Round One to delete, add or keep the recommendations on the list (Bertot, John, Paul and Justin 11). In the third round the experts will be asked to rank the recommendations provided by experts in round 2, this will be on a 5 point Likert-like scale. In the 4th round, the experts will be given all the recommendations from the previous group, alongside with group mean for each recommendation. The researcher will then consider the recommendations of more than 4.0 for implementation of website. The use of expert recommendations and evaluation the proposal is expected to be valid as data and information from the users will be analyzed and considered. Recommendations Strategies should be developed and formulated before acting. During the development of the online education platform, all stakeholders should be incorporated for their contribution and ideas. This will reduce dilemma and complications as well as barriers whenever undertaking web activities that is objected to Marymount University. It’s only through strategies that students and their educators can get and plan the best out of the use of this website in educational practices. Through strategies the determination of the goals and objectives of this website will be attained with ease and all the users will find it efficient and effective tools for learning and sharing education issues and idea. This innovation is considered as new tool for sharing internship programs to scholars and other academic users (Safko 14). For this to be possible the institution should be able to integrate this with their day to day education programs to bring ease of implementation of the innovation. Users are also advised to consider maintaining proper use of the website and also to report any dubious activity to ensure the website is safe from cyber crime and insecurity. Users are also advised to add content to the website via proper channels so as to ensure the quality of work being shared meets to required standard of educational platform. The admin should also consider adding more editors and analysts to their staff as to ensure fast and quality work. Conclusion The proposal highlights a useful tool that educators and scholars who opt to get internship programs with ease. The platform should be accepted and implemented but no system is prone to challenges. The challenges and dilemma from the system is considered as a pivotal standpoint for better world education platforms thus challenges should be considered as a path for effective system that will help students and Marymount University users. Work cited Bertot, John C., Paul T. Jaeger, and Justin M. Grimes. "Using ICTs to create a culture of transparency: E-government and social media as openness and anti-corruption tools for societies." Government Information Quarterly 27.3 (2010): 264-271. Dabbagh, Nada, and Anastasia Kitsantas. "Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning." The Internet and higher education 15.1 (2012): 3-8. Purcell, Kristen, Aaron Smith, and Kathryn Zickuhr. Social media & mobile internet use among teens and young adults. Washington, DC: Pew internet & american life project, 2010. Roblyer, M. D., et al. "Findings on Facebook in higher education: A comparison of college faculty and student uses and perceptions of social networking sites." The Internet and Higher Education 13.3 (2010): 134-140. Safko, Lon. The social media bible: tactics, tools, and strategies for business success. John Wiley & Sons, 2010. Read More