How Can Higher Education Benefit from Social Software Platforms?

Higher education institutions thrive on shared knowledge. More and more, social software

platforms provide colleges and universities with highly efficient ways to connect their own

communities and networks with other institutions. Taking the lead from their students,

administrators, faculty members, researchers, associations and organizations are finding new

solutions and technologies to connect securely and share best practices, research, technology

trends and expert content.

A social software platform provides the foundation and means to move information in a multi-

directional exchange. Contributors, experts and all professionals who work with Internet

technology solutions for higher education can connect and share news, questions, updates and

more.

Imagine the value of a network that connects faculty, students and staff in an environment that is

both secure and social. Social network software enables community members to generate

microcontent, as professors use blogs, for example, to post a course syllabus, conduct seminars

or accept assigned student posts. Students can network among themselves, share experiences and

resources, and dialog with faculty, all without the risks associated with the open social

environment.

The nature of communication in higher education is changing faster than ever imagined, as

generations of students raised in a “Web 2.0”1 world prepare to enter their college years,

expecting to network freely and easily. They arrive on campus ready to continue communicating

as they are accustomed, creating their own digital content and primed to adapt with lightning

speed to every new development in their virtual world. At the same time, they are looking for

ways to succeed in the challenging academic world, and a social networking system will connect

them to the resources and information they need to do so.

Community is at the core of the educational enterprise, and social collaboration software

supports the need of its many intersecting communities to connect. Communities can be both

within the institution and outside it, encompassing other institutions of higher learning. Linking

these already dynamic networks in a collaborative framework based on gaming mechanics will

engage people to achieve improved outcomes. Community members contribute profiles and

build a tremendous resource that is quickly accessed and searched by all.

Most colleges are part of a larger network, whether state or private, forming a natural hive of

communities that can use social software platforms to seamlessly share access and collaborate

across all levels of participation. Networked colleges and universities experience increased

student retention, as students themselves enjoy improved learning outcomes.

Institutions in larger networks (such as state systems) can benefit at all levels of their enterprise

and from all kinds of campuses, whether urban or rural, two-year or four-year. In addition to

student collaboration, technology experts share access and expertise for maintaining support

systems. Administrative staff share business knowledge statewide. Faculty share current

research, access other experts in their field and find future collaborators, as well as inspiration.

All this functionality sounds complex, and likely to demand excessive administrative time and

cost. Fortunately, there are social networking programs, such as HiveSocial from Enterprise

Hive, designed for use in higher learning institutions that offer easy implementation and

personalized project managers to assist in start-up and training. Once established, the proper

software package requires a minimal commitment of staff hours weekly for administrative

upkeep. For more information about HiveSocial for your educational community, contact

Enterprise Hive at www.enterprisehive.com.

Company Bio

Enterprise Hive creates social business software solutions including its flagship community

platform, HiveSocial. Using cloud-based technology, HiveSocial delivers a secure, private online

experience that empowers all faculty, students, staff, alumni and community to connect and

collaborate. It offers a dynamic mix of social business features, including content management,

game mechanics and advanced communication and collaboration tools. 1. “Social Networking in Higher Education,” Alexander, Bryan; Educause