GO WITH WHAT YOU GOT: FACEBOOK IS FINE FOR SOME; STUDENT LEADERS GET WITH LUMINIS GROUP STUDIO

Social media is commonly used to organize student groups, disseminate information in student research projects and provides a common platform for student interaction. Connections across longer distances and wider ranges of expertise, including faculty, students and collaborators, depend upon communication that is tried, true and tested. Facebook is an elaborate and dynamic content manager, yet bare-bones Luminis Platform Groups can meet the needs for student file-sharing without the excitement of social media. Intranet-based communication technology is well established in education and vital to secure and confidential interaction. Simple online content managers like Luminis Group Studio can play a vital link in establishing the success for a student-led STEM activity including clubs, advisory councils, research projects, science fairs and outreach. The techniques to test awareness, acceptance or ambivalence for utilization of such a platform include monitoring rates of users joining from the Channel on the Student tab, return viewing to the sites and degree of dependency on the site for information. The sites are inherently transient in their application, and a great deal is dependent on the promoter. If there is a steady stream of new material to illicit interest, then the critical mass necessary for repeat browsing is achieved.

This year, Red Rocks Community College students utilized this platform and competed in the NSF Community College Innovation Challenge. The challenge encouraged participants use collective expertise and diversity of skills to create an innovative solution to problems common-place at home or abroad. Luminis Group Studio gave the RRCC students and advisors a place to make announcements, store files or pictures and document progress toward a goal. An important feature is a collaboration space that is designed to encourage creativity and innovative thinking. In these makerspaces, students worked on STEM-based solutions to real world design and technical challenges. Key to the achievement of these dynamic educational enterprises is a channel for communication in today’s technologically-driven world. These features can be under-utilized, and the impetus for their inclusion in science and engineering projects is self-evident, and results may exceed expectations.