Student Technology Assistants [& Other Roles for Students]

#vwwt2000 Predctn14PREDICTION #14 OF 20 from year 2000  

STA Wildlife video project - URI

Student Technology Assistants

To meet the growing need for academic support services, more colleges and universities will take advantage of one of their unique resources – the students. They will move beyond current programs of using students for clerical help in the library and as room monitors in computer labs. They will provide more training for these student assistants, give them opportunities for more technologically and consultatively challenging work, and promote some to positions of responsibility for supervising and training their peers. Many students, especially those who are not pursuing technology-focused careers, will find the training and experience of these roles a major asset in preparing for most jobs or further study as the value of technology skills continues to increase in most fields.Still likely? 

[The use of Student Technology Assistants has been growing, but much more slowly and involving many fewer students than I expected and hoped in year 2000.  The TLT Group has encouraged, enabled, and collaborated with leaders in this "movement" since 1997.]

More resources about STA programs - recently active programs, etc.  

- 14th of 20 predictions from "A New Vision Worth Working Toward: Connected Education and Collaborative Change," Steven W. Gilbert, 2000-2006, First version published via AAHESGIT listserv January, 2000; PDF of full article
Image: 
Photo of groundhog eating leaf
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/97/Groundhog%2C_eating.jpg
By D. Gordon E. Robertson (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html)], via Wikimedia Commons