This page is referenced by:

• 1 2018-03-20T07:35:51-04:00 Setting the Stage- Methodology and Literature Review 1 image_header 2018-04-23T22:44:19-04:00

  Methodology

  Research Question: How do students think a commerce platform run by peers can impact the access to college essentials along with student interaction and engagement?
  
  To advance my research project, I conducted approximately 10 virtual interviews with students from different universities such as Brown and Dartmouth. I decided to interview these schools in particular because their student body makeup is similar to that of Harvard's. My ultimate goal was to compare the experiences of exchanging goods from different colleges, and gauge how other campuses have attempted to facilitate a peer-to-peer college market. With this information, I acquired insights that bettered the College X Change platform and increased my understanding of how it could scale. Here is an example of the setup that I used for the interviews with students from different universities:
  
  Interview Questions:
  • What is your name/year/concentration?
  • Have you taken on any service or leadership roles on your respective campus?
  • In your opinion, what is the current culture of buying and selling college essentials on your campus? What tools are used to carry this out?
  • Do you think there is a general need for college students to exchange with each other?
  • What impact do you think a platform such as the College X Change would have on a college campus?
  • What message would convince you to try this platform? How can I best advertise this platform on a college campus?

  A Look into the Interviews

  In your opinion, what is the current culture of buying and selling college essentials on your campus? What tools are used to carry this out?​
  "When students do engage in buying and selling, it is usually through Facebook towards the end of the semester as seniors and students going abroad try to get rid of things they no longer need. I’ve also seen people advertise services (i.e. hair braiding), and smaller items like video games in Groupme." (Alexis, Brown)
  "I think it would make it easier for first-years to find cheaper textbooks and room decorations as well as make it easier for seniors to get rid of things they no longer need. It could also be beneficial for students who move off campus and want to find cheaper furnishings/decorations for their apartments/houses." (Celeste, Dartmouth)
  
  Do you think there is a general need for college students to exchange with each other?
  "Yes there is a need. The biggest need is textbooks. A lot of times, students buy a textbook for one class, and will never need it again. But, they would like to pass it along to another student who is taking the class. Another thing that students exchange is dorm room essentials such as fridges, fans, lamps, etc. At my school, seniors can donate their room furniture to the school, and there is a sustainability sale at the beginning of fall term where students can buy what people from the previous year donated, at a lower price than buying it new." (Amara, Dartmouth)
  "I do believe that there is a need for a platform where students can exchange college essentials with one another. This can enable the exchange of goods at more affordable prices, and has the potential to benefit both members of an exchange. I’d say the different goods may arrange from dorm furniture and appliance such as microwaves, fridges, couches, tables, and chairs to academic essential like books, extra notebook, writing utensils, and even laptops." (Mohamed, Brown)
  
  What impact do you think a platform such as the College X Change would have on a college campus?
  "It would have a tremendous impact on college campuses. Campuses are incredible sites for collaboration and exchange. We exchange ideas, beliefs, values, and this platform allows college students to be even more connected. College X Change has the potential to build community and provide access to resources for many who can’t afford them." (Ayub, Dartmouth)
  "It would allow people to save money, find deals, or acquire cool things that will survive throughout their college career or afterwards." (Jonathan, Brown)

  Literature Review

  Through designing the College X Change, I have considered a variety of relevant literature based on the sociology of higher education. Since one of the goals of the College X Change is to increase student interaction and engagement, I wanted to explore the effects of student involvement on the development of a student body overall. My expectation is that increased involvement within one’s student body will lead to enriched maturation and development from students.
  
  In “Effects of Involvement in Clubs and Organizations on the Psychosocial Development of First-Year and Senior College Students,” John D. Foubert and Lauren U. Grainger discuss the impact of varying levels of college involvement on the development of current students. Student involvement is described in the piece as, “the amount of physical energy students exert and the amount of psychosocial energy they put into their college experience” (Foubert, 167). It is the combination of the two efforts that create true involvement. Ultimately, it was found that “…the strongest single source of influence on cognitive and affective development is a student’s peer group; the greater the interaction with peers, the more favorable the outcome” (Foubert, 169). This is interesting because one may assume that the academic aspect of the college experience would lend itself more so towards one’s cognitive and affective development. There is a common underestimation of the power and impact of a student’s peer group that this study acknowledges.
  
  In a sense, the College X Change is a form of social media in which students have the ability to communicate with each other on the platform, which ultimately leads to offline interaction. Unlike other social media platforms, there is less of a desire for students to solely remain on the site to engage and instead the aspiration for its use to facilitate an in-person connection. Community building takes center stage with this platform; for without this aspect, the College X Change doesn’t reach its full potential. I created this platform to positively impact the student body and increase unity, as I have also personally formed partnerships with various organizations on campus and facilitated focus groups to test the service. As the utilization of technology continues to rise, especially that of social media, there are lasting impacts that it places on college students regarding their well-being, social capital, sense of community, and much more.
  
  In “The Impact of Social Media on College Students,” Jeanna Mastrodicasa and Paul Metellus discuss and evaluate the extent of these impacts. By 2012, many students are owners of some sort of technology, “…86% of students own laptops, 62% own smartphones, 33% own desktop computers, and 15% own a tablet” (Mastrodicasa, 21). Throughout a majority of college spheres, social media is utilized at a high rate due to this percentage of ownership. Mastrodicasa uses Facebook as an example and details its multi-purposeful nature, in which there may be both positive and negative effects to its usage. For instance, if a student procrastinates on work and uses Facebook to play videogames, there will be a decrease in time spent in co-curricular activities. Whereas if Facebook is used to schedule events and connect with one’s peers, akin to the College X Change framework, there will be a positive correlation.
  
  In “The Wired Generation: Academic and Social Outcomes of Electronic Media Use Among University Students,” by Wade C. Jacobsen and Renata Forste, the phenomenon and influence of social media is critiqued through an academic and social lens. It is indicated in the text that, “…the current college student population is more digitally active than any previous generation” (Jacobsen, 275). This allows technology to maintain a great effect on current college students and their respective communities. During the study, Jacobsen and Forste found that the use of Social Networking Sites had a positive effect on offline social interaction. It was stated, “For every hour increase on average in SNS exposure or cell-phone communication, average face-to-face social interaction increased about 10 to 15 minutes” (Jacobsen, 278). Through the study they discovered that time spent online may have positive effects on in-person relationships, and that technology enables social interaction to occur at greater levels in general. Jacobsen states, “…access to SNSs and cellular-phone communication gives students greater access to social situations in general. They provide students with additional mechanisms for meeting new people and keeping in touch with friends” (Jacobsen, 279).
  
  The College X Change involves a procedure in which users must participate in face-to-face social interactions to complete the exchanging process. The “wired generation,” which consists greatly of millennials, are familiar with online exchanging platforms. But this is one that has an unusual ending, where there is a potential to interact with someone new and build a meaningful and long-lasting relationship in the unique college environment.
  
  Ultimately, the findings from these studies have emphasized the importance of one’s peer group in the college environment, in addition to the benefits of social media as it pertains to facilitating face-to-face engagement. The goal of the College X Change is to increase access to college essentials and create a community around the peer-to-peer market system that naturally develops on a college campus. As indicated by the readings, one’s peer group has an immense impact on how one develops in college. The College X Change would enable a student to delve deeper into the student body and create relationships with those who they seldom interact with. Further, the studies have forced me to think about the general influence of the platform. Following this thought process, I realized I had to conduct more interviews with students to gauge what they thought of a platform such as the College X Change, its potential impact on the student body, and peer-to-peer market exchanges in general. The studies shaped my methodological approach and reinforced the need to consult with my fellow peers, and other college students, about what they would want to see out of the platform. Due to the studies, I realize that there can be a great impact with a tool that allows students to interact and gain a greater access to essentials necessary for college success. My goal is for the majority, if not entirety, of Harvard’s undergraduate population to sign up for the platform. Given its success here, there would be a potential for the College X Change to expand to different universities.

  Citations

  1. Foubert, John D., and Lauren A. Urbanski. “Effects of Involvement in Clubs and Organizations on the Psychosocial Development of First-Year and Senior College Students.” NASPA Journal, vol. 43, no. 1, Oct. 2006, doi:10.2202/0027-6014.1576.
  2. Jacobsen, Wade C., and Renata Forste. “The Wired Generation: Academic and Social Outcomes of Electronic Media Use Among University Students.” Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, vol. 14, no. 5, 2011, pp. 275–280., doi:10.1089/cyber.2010.0135.
  3. Mastrodicasa, Jeanna, and Paul Metellus. “The Impact of Social Media on College Students.” Journal of College and Character, vol. 14, no. 1, 2013, pp. 21–30., doi:10.1515/jcc-2013-0004.