For the current department that I work in, keeping up with ever changing policies and procedures is a constant struggle. Financial aid students are facing several challenges when it comes to finding grants and loans to cover their college tuition and our job is to help them navigate this process. With recent changes to lending rules and federal laws, keeping up with how things are done is getting progressively more difficult for our department as a whole. There is a need for straight forward procedures and training tools that can be updated as frequently as the those changes happen and this currently does not exist on any level.
How did your research end up shaping this.
My research thus far has showed me that many companies are now implementing web 2.0 tools and wiki's in order to promote communication and organization in their businesses. I have found that the department I currently work in is falling more and more behind by not utilizing the tools that are available for use and as a consequence employees are struggling to feel that management is competent. I feel that if these tools can be implemented in my specialized department and improve training and communication then perhaps the rest of the department will follow.
What outcomes are you expecting?
I am expecting positive feedback from the employees that work with me. The use of a wiki will cause the employees again to feel knowledgeable and less worrisome of making mistakes. Time management will improve since there will be a single reference to answer all questions that arise during the job. Morale will improve since employees will feel that there is a collaborate effort to inform everyone of changes.
How are your critical friends helping in this process?
How are your critical friends helping in this process?
My critical friends have been very helpful and evaluation ideas posing potential pitfalls of my plan. I am able to get several perspective which opens up questions and answers that perhaps I have not thought of.
How is this month’s course helped in shaping your ARP?
By being able to explore the infinite number of web 2.0 tools that are available, this month has assisted me in choosing the best tool for my department. I have also been able to streamline new information that may come in to play when building my wiki with the use of google reader.
