Custom student support
This article includes a description of the custom student support service offered by WSU Teaching, Learning, and Technology Services (TLT). It is intended for instructors who are integrating technology-enabled activities into their courses that might require student training.
What is custom student support?
Technology has the potential to streamline and enhance various individual and collaborative student learning activities that many instructors include in their courses already (e.g., classroom discussions, group projects). It also offers opportunities to implement new student learning activities that were difficult or impossible to manage previously. For many instructors, there are two major impediments to implementing technology-enhanced student learning activities: choosing the tools that best fit their instructional goals and training their students to use them. For example, an instructor who wants to include a collaborative video production project into her course may not know what video editing tool to select. She may choose one that she saw at a conference or that a colleague is using, but is that the best tool for her specific application and is that tool supported by the university? Moving forward with a tool that is a poor fit or allowing students to choose their own tool may be problematic. Once a good tool is selected, how will students learn to use it? TLT's custom student support service addresses both of these impediments. TLT will work with you to find the best tools for your specific activities and ensure that these tools are supported fully throughout the term. We also deliver effective and timely technology training for your students designed to meet the specifications of your activity, removing that responsibility from your shoulders. This might include online training, hands-on training sessions held either during or outside class time, just-in-time technical support or some combination of training options.
Working with faculty
TLT professional staff, led by Chad Kjorlien, TLT Faculty Professional Development Coordinator, meet with instructors to understand and document the instructional needs and requirements of their student learning activity, select appropriate tools, and develop a student training plan.
Students helping students
After working with our professional TLT staff to select tools and develop a training plan, our talented students working in the e-Warrior Digital Learning Commons (DLC) will begin supporting your students and delivering training. The DLC is located on the first floor of the Darrell W. Krueger Library. DLC students are TLT student workers under the supervision of Char Gorak, TLT's Student Professional Development Coordinator.
Types of student training
TLT professional staff will work with you to develop a training program that best meets your students' needs. TLT offers the following types of student training:
Face-to-Face
- Scheduled training workshops during or outside of class time
- 1:1 training at the DLC service desk in the Krueger Library, either walk-up or by appointment
Online
- LinkedIn Learning is an online site with video training.
- Our WSU Knowledge Base Wiki is already filled with articles that will help your students master many campus tools. We can also create new articles for your class projects as needed
- Webinars can be a convenient way to deliver training outside of class time
Hybrid
For some classes and projects, a combination of face-to-face and online student training works best We might visit your class to provide an overview of a particular application of technology and then direct your students to online learning resources designed specifically for their project. Students can then seek help as need from the DLC service desk.