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Browsing by Author "Hesemeier, Susan"

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    Exploring the impact of customized academic technology resources on first-year university students’ digital competency: preliminary results
    (2025) Leung, Mavis; dos Santos Nogueira de Góes, Fernanda; Hesemeier, Susan
    In response to the growing demand for digital competency among university students, this study examines the effectiveness of customized academic technology resources in enhancing first-year students’ technology skills within a Canadian post-secondary context. Many incoming students struggle with essential academic technology due to limited digital literacy or unfamiliarity with specific tools. To bridge these gaps, we developed tailored resources to support their learning. This research employs a pre- and post-test comparison study to assess the impact of these resources. An intervention group with access to the materials is compared to a control group without access. By measuring changes in students’ technology skills and confidence, the study highlights the potential benefits of targeted support and discusses implications for improving students’ transitions to university.
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    Social media and rhetoric
    (2017-04-06) Chehayeb, Rita; Hesemeier, Susan
    This essay looks at the influence of social media on relationships and overall social connections. Evidently, social media has very successfully infiltrated our lives. It is a constant in our world today, and whether or not people see it as a positive or negative influence, we have reached a point where we will never again know a world without social media as a reigning presence. The fact of the matter is that while social media brings those further away from us closer, it also leads those who are closer to us further away. This statement is both figurative and literal in that those further away in physical distance will foster connections through social media, and those closer in distance might be emotionally disconnected due to social media. The effect of social media on relationships is mainly negative because our need to connect physically is not fulfilled through virtual interaction, our isolation from those closest to us presents a possible danger for situations of distress, and our dependence on technology prevents us from being able to rely on ourselves for effective communication.