Digital Learning at Fort Hays State

By:  Bridgett Volle

Student Participation in Campus Media Relations

We know Fort Hays State University has a campus that stands out for their media relations; online learning, student-produced television, & music. Have you ever considered how students generalize the ideas and what they really are and how far ahead we are with our uses of media?

Speaking to several students in regard to the use of media on campus, I learned, that it’s not only me who gets excited with the advancements of a modern-day university. The first student I spoke with, we’ll call her Pam, is taking her second look into life at college after having a family. Pam attended university after she graduated high school like many individuals traditionally do and dropped her classes after settling down with a family.

Now that both Pam and her family have grown, she attends Fort Hays State University and explained that she is overwhelmed about the new advances, in comparison to college 10 years ago. She made it aware to me that although computers were available on campus in those days, that it was to no capacity as it is today.

“Almost every class, even on campus, includes the use of either email communication, or online assignments.”

This statement was surprising to me, because as a modern student, online correspondence has always been something that I depend on. Speaking to other students, there was much agreement on my side of media.

Knowing that there has been so much change in media over the last decade, makes me excited to be part of Fort Hays State University, and their advancements in technology. The New Media Studies sector of the Communication Studies Department works hard at creating new areas of technology on campus and accepts ideas for creation from all individuals on campus.

The New Media Studies sector is currently working on creating a robot for use by the library to collect books and catalogs for students. With this technology, it will be easier for students to find work materials useful for their studies.

The agriculture department at Fort Hays State University has been moving forward with their use of digital learning in the past few years. For staff, such as Dr. Robert Keener, Associate Professor at FHSU, there is a whole new way of teaching, when it comes to the use of digital learning.

Dr. Keener, prior to his work at FHSU was a mixed animal veterinarian. Keener and his wife farm, and raise cattle. This makes Keener a great choice for Fort Hays State University, teaching classes that range from Animal Science to Artificial Insemination studies. As a teacher, Keener looks to “hopefully evolve the criteria in the classroom to a more interactive level rather than the basic historical typical lecture/power point presentation.”

With desires to move forward from the traditional lecture, Keener enlisted the help of the Fort Hays State University – New Media Studies. With their help, as well as, Dr. Gordon Carlson, there was an interactive cow created to help create a more realistic, hands-on approach for the students. Dr. Keener mentions that with the use of cellphones and computers, it is honestly necessary to morph teaching styles into a way that children are realistically using.

Although Keener looks at media to create new learning, he also believes that there are some learning opportunities that solely rely on traditional methods, but that it is truly necessary for professors, young and old, to be able to see where the use of media opportunities should take place.

With the use of the creation of the interactive cow, Keener has developed a strong desire to work more with Dr. Carlson in New Media Studies. His desires are to possibly develop other functional body systems in the use of animated models like the cow used.

Dr. Keener said it well, “I think (digital learning) will be a wonderful teaching tool for both myself as well as my students.”