College-going culture in a digital era
A new report shows what high schools can do to encourage students to pursue college aspirations.
High schools today have a unique challenge: to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to prepare for, apply to and enroll in college—all while proving them with digital resources and skills essential for the 21st century.
To help high schools best help their students, the Pullias Center has released a new guide. Titled “College-Going Culture in a Digital Era: Strategies for Schools,” this publication was put together by the Pullias Center’s Digital Equity in Education team as part of its efforts to improve college access for underserved students through digital tools.
“To truly prepare high school students for college, we need high schools that have not just one or two college counselors, but a holistic college-going culture,” said Zoë B. Corwin, research associate professor at the USC Pullias Center for Higher Education and the Digital Equity in Education project lead. “This means administrators, teachers, staff and other stakeholders in that school are working together to make college-going central and inclusive of all students.”
The guide provides a general overview of what a college-going culture is and how it can be created, with an optimal timeline of college-going activities, starting from eighth grade through the summer after graduation. In addition, the guide offers tips for the digital era, from using online tools to engage students to empowering students to create content that inspires their peers to pursue a college degree.
“So much of the college application process happens online today, yet not all students have reliable access to a computer with an internet connection,” said Corwin. “High schools can really help students by giving them the tools they need—whether it’s time in a computer lab so they don’t have to write their college essays on their phones, or text messages to remind students about FAFSA deadlines.”
The Pullias Center’s Digital Equity in Education team will be presenting “College-Going Culture in a Digital Era” at two conferences this month: the 2018 NCAN National Conference and the 2018 NACAC National Conference.
For close to a decade, the Pullias Center’s Digital Equity in Education team has worked to expand college access through digital tools and games. This year, the team expanded its research and expertise to the college student population by developing tech tools to help improve first-year retention rates at CSU Dominguez Hills.
College-Going Culture in a Digital Era: Strategies for Schools
Pullias Center for Higher Education (2018)
High schools today have a unique challenge: to equip students with the knowledge and tools they need to prepare for, apply to and enroll in college—all while proving them with digital resources and skills essential for the 21st century. This guide by the Pullias Center’s Digital Equity in Education team provides a general overview of what a college-going culture is and how it can be created, with an optimal timeline of college-going activities, starting from eighth grade through the summer after graduation.
In addition, the guide offers tips for the digital era, from using online tools to engage students to empowering students to create content that inspires their peers to pursue a college degree.
Categories: Digital Equity, Student Success, College Access, Guides
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Pullias Center for Higher Education. (2018). College-going culture in a digital era: Strategies for schools. Los Angeles, CA: Pullias Center for Higher Education.