Connect+with+us

Download a PDF of this page ** Connect with us: Student-guided learning communities bridging the digital divide ** Linda Seiter, Associate Professor, John Carroll University [lseiter@jcu.edu]

Tracee Patterson, Program Coordinator, Center For Service and Social Action, John Carroll University [tpatterson@jcu.edu]

Marc Kirschenbaum, Professor, John Carroll University [kirsch@jcu.edu]


 * Keywords:** Technology, refugees, social inclusion, first year seminar, cultural understanding, knowledge sharing


 * Conference track:** Higher education student outcomes


 * Format:** Poster presentation

Technology can be a powerful tool for fostering social inclusion. Through a series of service learning workshops with refugee families, undergraduate students share their knowledge of technology while exploring concepts of digital literacy and social justice.
 * Summary**

John Carroll University partners with two refugee resettlement organizations to host a series of technology-tasting events called “Connect with US.” The events involve several dozen families of refugees, with each refugee partnered with an undergraduate student who provides hands-on instruction on topics such as basic keyboarding, resume construction, job searching, social media, and database construction.

The “Connect with US” service learning events were integrated into two courses: First Year Seminar and Introduction to Database. The First Year Seminar is open to all freshmen and is organized around the theme “Digital Media and Social Justice”. Personal student reflections written before and after the service learning events showed an evolved comprehension of the relationship between digital literacy, opportunity and equality. The database course is targeted to computer science majors. Positive outcomes from service learning include a better understanding of the course material gained from having to explain the material to another person. A second outcome exposed how seriously students approached their one-on-one interaction with the “Connect with US” participants. Some of the less-mature students acted professionally and gained experience from helping others use and understand technology. This also provides the undergraduate students valuable experience of working with real technology users who confront barriers when trying to gather content. By fostering an awareness of these barriers, we hope to motivate students to build technology that is inclusive to other cultures.

Universities turn to technology to explore concepts of social justice through service learning. Undergraduate students are digital natives, having interacted with technology from an early age. “Connect with US” challenges students to share their powerful knowledge of technology, encouraging them to consider how other cultures are affected by technology and how they might help build a more inclusive world.

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 * References**

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