Keeping Students in the Green: Examining Social Media as a Tool to Improve Communication with University Students A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree Master of Fine Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By AnneMarie Abell, BSME Graduate Program in Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design The Ohio State University 2009 Thesis Committee: Carolina Gill, Advisor Dr. Elizabeth B.-N. Sanders Paul Nini Copyright by AnneMarie Abell 2009 ABSTRACT This study discusses the importance of improving communication between university students and the administration, as related to university sustainability initiatives. The Ohio State University was used as a case study. At the beginning of the study Ohio State had several sustainability initiatives in place on campus but it was hypothesized that the students were not being fully informed about the initiatives. To investigate this matter, several participatory design research activities were conducted with the intent to determine the students’ views and their unmet needs in terms of sustainability initiatives at Ohio State. Participatory research methods were chosen due to the involvement of the students in the research and design process, ensuring that the final result will meet the unmet needs of the students in a way that is appropriate to the student lifestyle. The goal of this project was to design an improved system of communication to bridge the gap between the administration and the students. During the course of the study it became apparent that social media played a significant role in how students communicate with one another (for social and ii academic reasons), thus directing the project’s focus to the use of social media as a tool to improve communication between administrators and students. This study presents background information on: The Ohio State University; recent sustainability issues and ‘green’ trends in society, and at the university level; and social media, including case studies of unexpected but positive ways in which social media has improved communication, in society and at the university level. iii Dedicated to my grandma Melva Cicero, who admittedly knows nothing about the internet or social media and prefers to keep her Amish ways. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Carol Gill, my advisor, for showing me that design is about more than just attractive products and that sustainability is about more than just using recycled plastic. Thank you for your support and patience with my project. Thanks to my committee members, Dr. Liz Sanders and Paul Nini, for their continual support and guidance with my project, even as it changed direction several times. A big thank you to my grad school friends for their support with teaching, fun times at Evening Seminar, and for sticking it out together when thesising got tough: Catalina Naranjo, Mercé Graell-Colas, Annie Maclean Neumer, Erik Evensen, Erika Svanoe, Rob Strouse, Louis Miller, Beth Albright, George Gantzer, amongst many others. A special thank you goes to my cousin Brian Reynard who introduced me to design, and who, through his amazing mentoring, has helped me become the expert nerd I am today Finally, I would like to thank my parents, Dale and Natalie Abell, and my sister Katie for their continual support throughout my many years as a lifetime student and for always reassuring me that, yes, everything will work out in the end. v VITA 1982 ..........................................................Born – Minneapolis, MN 2005..........................................................B.S. Mechanical Engineering, Valparaiso University 2006-2009 ...............................................Graduate Teaching Associate, The Ohio State University FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Industrial, Interior, and Visual Communication Design vi TABLE OF CONTENTS 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111!! 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111!- 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111- 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111-! 2 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111112 212 )'"+-)-!. 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 2 213 -&+*!%$!&1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 4 3 0 0 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111: 312 %)&')&)',+*&)&.* !& 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 : 313 ,*+!&!$!+/(()' *)'%+ ')(')+ -$&+ )',+ -$129 ##" " #! ### # #" ##$ $ #& 4 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 38 5 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 44 512 &+)',+!'& 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111144 513 &'$'/*+''$')'%%,&!+!'&11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111144 514 -'$,+!'&''!$+.')#!&11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111146 515 ''#11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111148 %%" $' %%# $( %%$ &# 516 .!++)111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111165 %&" &% 517 **+,!*'*'!$%!'&&'%(,*1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111176 vii 5 ////////////////// 78 5/1 #(&#($"")# ( $#///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////78 5/2 #$&"( $# #''/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////84 5/3 #'( ()( $#!$"")# ( $# //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////86 6 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 88 6/1 #(&$)( $# //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////88 6/2 *&* +$( $((# *&' (-//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////89 6/3 $(( &'(&,%& #&$&"/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////91 1'.', !!''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 4. 1'.'- !# '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' 4/ 1'.'. 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