Untraditional ways to reach nontraditional students: Week 12

Week 12: Untraditional ways to reach nontraditional students

            After reading some of the posts I remember reading learning may not take place when we “want” it to and how learning may occur after a class is over.  This past week I did an environmental audit and redesign of Graduate Student and Family Housing (GSFH) the place that I reside and GA at.  I interviewed four students two graduate students and two students with families to get gain insight to their experience at GSFH.  It was interesting learning how they view the environment and with their insights I designed a way to get more people involved with the community, by enhancing what already brings people together and combining it with other methods to generate more interaction.  A common place people meet each other is through washing their clothes.  While washing clothes residents see one another and over the course of seeing them consistently it increases their chances of talking to one another.  Because the laundry room was a place where people naturally met, I suggested creating crafts for their children so instead of going home while washing clothes they would be more likely to hang around and do something with their children in the common area, which would increase people interacting.  Because this is a mostly family environment by targeting the kids to get them involved will get parents involved too.  I’ve seen kids play with other kids and remember when I grew up how my parents would meet my parents, without me they were less likely to have met.  My same experience is seen here at GSFH on a consistent basis.

            Also while reading the posts today I read how Joanna and Chris are posting information in restrooms and the instructor, Barbara Mullins Nelson, state how effective it is.  It’s effective because people have to be stationary while in the bathroom and the bathroom is a staple in the environment it is in.  So not only are people in the environment, but they are engaged in the environment.  I thought about how we at GSFH could place laminated flyers with information on top of washer lids so that residents can learn about different things about sustainability and other interesting information, even how to get rid of certain stains.  Maybe this will have the same effect as flyers in the bathrooms.