This blog post is authored by Briana Craig, Student Technology Assistant, Educational Technology Services

Stepping into the World of Educational Technology

From STEM Research to Educational Technology

Prior to beginning my role as a student technology assistant, I had taken a mild interest in education while I was working with various undergraduate research labs that focused on STEM education. I worked with a biology education lab at Chapman that focused on ways to improve active learning in the classroom and engagement during office hours. I also did a summer internship with a STEM education research team at Washington State University that focused on the benefits of incorporating art into elementary school-level health science curriculum. I was drawn to this job because it seemed like a good way to combine my interest in education with my technical skills from studying computer science. 

Connecting with the Team

The educational technology team fosters an incredibly positive and collaborative work environment. The team has a genuine dedication to assisting others and a remarkable ability to connect with the faculty and staff they serve. I was able to learn by example and grow my ability to provide solutions in a positive and reassuring manner.

Learning and Applying Technical and Soft Skills

Training in Educational Technology Tools

As a student, I obviously had some exposure to tools like Zoom or PollEverywhere, but through this role, I was able to learn about these tools on a deeper level. While learning how to use these tools myself, I was able to learn about the many features they contain and all the ways that tools like NearPod or Padlet can be used for engaging interactive learning. 

Reporting and Data Analysis

Throughout my time in this job, I produced many reports using Excel. As someone who is highly organized and often makes spreadsheets for everything in my personal life, I found it a valuable experience to efficiently analyze data for the educational technology team. It really helped me put my critical thinking skills to the test because I had to make sure my reports were accurate, organized, and easily maintainable for future student workers. 

Hosting the Virtual Tech Hub

One of my main responsibilities in this role was hosting the Virtual Tech Hub, our drop-in hours for faculty to ask questions and get assistance with their technical problems. This part of the job helped me significantly refine my soft skills because I got to practice explaining technical issues to a non-technical audience and help answer their questions or problems. I was able to learn from watching our Instructional Analysts, getting a chance to hear the answers to questions I would not have been able to answer, and listening to the way they masterfully walk the instructors through complex technical issues. I gained the ability to efficiently write help tickets, making sure I properly summarized the problem and provided follow-up solutions and concise steps for resolution in situations where the problem could happen again.

Piloting New Technologies

One of my favorite parts of this job was being able to pilot test any updates to our existing tools or try out our new tools. This includes Chapman’s AI chatbot called “PantherBot,” which was launched in early 2024. Since its launch, I have been serving as a live agent, answering questions related to Canvas and other educational technology tools. However, I also got many questions unrelated to our department, so I had to use quick thinking and creative solutions to provide responses that either answered their questions or guided them to someone who could.

Conclusion

Advice for Future Student Technology Assistants

Based on my time in this role, here are a few pieces of advice for any future student workers. Do not be afraid to take initiative, if there is a skill you want to practice or learn that could be related to this role, ask if there are any opportunities to grow. The team here is super supportive, and they only want you to succeed. You are more capable than you might think. There were occasions when I was tasked with helping an instructor with a problem, and I was unsure if I was familiar enough with the process or tools, but in the end, I was able to help them find a positive resolution. 

Future Outlook

This role taught me so much about the world of higher educational technology and all that it has to offer. As I am finishing up my MS in Computer Science, I would say that this job has paired well with my education and prepared me for the industry in ways my classes could not. I plan to stay in the educational technology field. I hope to pair the experience I gained here with my background in computer science and video game development to support teaching and learning by gamifying education to make it more interactive and fun.