The purpose of my dissertation research is to explore: -Experiences of student leaders’ use of social media. -Meaning made of digital technologies in student leaders college experience. -Explore identity meaning making, digital decisions and online leadership behavior. Goal: Provide evidence and direction in what works in developing digital student leaders, both for student affairs administrators, leadership educators, as well as student leaders themselves.

1. Josie Ahlquist
California Lutheran University
Dissertation Proposal Defense
April 15th 2014
Developing Digital Student Leaders
A mixed methods study of
student leadership, identity and decision making on social media

2. College
Student
Leaders
High Users
+/- Impact
of Social
Media Use
Student
Identity
Development
Current
Leadership
Theories Little or no
education on
digital
technologies
Privacy in
Digital
Global
Environment
Career
Bound

3. Purpose of the Study
• Experiences of student
leaders’ use of social
media.
• Meaning made of digital
technologies in their
college experience.
• Explore identity
meaning making, digital
decisions and online
leadership behavior.
Provide evidence and direction in what works in
developing digital student leaders, both for student
affairs administrators, leadership educators, as well as
student leaders themselves.

4. 1. What role does social media play in the
identity and experiences of college student
leaders?
2. What patterns of behavior exist for social
media activity of college student leaders
in how leadership, identity and decision-
making are portrayed online?
3. Do the self-reported experiences of
college student leaders represent their
actual behavior as documented on social
media?
What is a #DigitalStudentLeader ?
Research Questions

5. State of
Social
Media Use
by Teens &
Young
Adults
90-99% of college students use
At minimum 30 minutes per day
(Pempek, Yermolayeva & Calvert, 2009), and
climbing up to two hours (Junco, 2012)
Differences between men & women
usage (Ahn, 2011)
Average 300 Facebook friends
(Mangao, Taylor & Greenfield, 2012)
Freshman more active than seniors
Using self-presentation/performance
tools (Chen & Marcus, 2012; Birnbaum, 2013)
On most social media platforms, teens
and college-aged users are #1 active
participants

6. Positive Negative
(+) Expressing true self
(+) Building social capital
(+) Increased self-esteem
(+) Transition to college
(+) Academic success
(+) Student engagement
(+) Campus involvement
(-) Increased stress
(-) Study disruptions
(-) Grade attainment
(-) Class attentiveness
(-) Cyberbullying
(-) Internet addiction
(-) Poor digital decisions
Literature Review: Impact of Social Media
(DeAndréa et al., 2012), (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe,
2007), (Junco, Elavsky & Heiberger, 2012), (Gray,
Vitak, Easton & Ellison, 2013) (Gonales & Hancock,
2011) & (Pempek et al., 2009)
(Adams & Lawrence, 2011), (Gemmill & Peterson,
2006), (Jacobsen & Forste, 2011), (Kim & Davis,
2002), (Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010) (Lifer et al.,
2010) & (Yang & Brown, 2013)

7. Literature Review: Digital Realities
Literacies (Ng, 2012)
Identity(Goode, 2010)
Citizenship(Greenhow
& Robelia, 2009)
Leadership(Lewis &
Rush, 2013)

8. Theory + Practice = Digital & Leadership
Research Framework
Student
Development
Theory
Relational
Leadership
Digital
Citizenship
Identity
Developmen
t
Social
Change
Model
Digital
Literacies

9. Digital Leadership
Congruency
In-Person & Online
(Social Change Model)
Safely &
Strategically
Exploring
Identity Digitally
Collaborative
Partners
(Relational
Leadership)
Social Media
Social
Change
Agents
Developing
Digital
Leadership
Competencies

10. Mixed
Methods
Research
Sequential
Exploratory
Design
Creswell & Plano
Clark, 2011
Tashakkori &
Teddlie 1998; 2009
Sequenced Phases
QUAL + QUAN
Pragmatic Worldview
Tells Complete Student Leader
Social Media Story
Green, Caracelli and Graham (1989)
five purposes of Mixed Methods
Triangulation Complementary Initiation
Development Expansion

11. Research Participants
Two Southern California universities
30 Student Leaders
Purposeful & Theoretical Sampling
Requirements
Juniors & Seniors
One year in leadership-related role
Good standing in position
On at least two social media platforms
Same 30 Participants = Focus Groups + Survey
Research + Digital Social Media Analysis
Student Leader
is defined as a
college student
whom is involved
in a traditional
student leader role
for which they
were selected,
nominated, hired
or elected.

12. Phase I
Qualitative
Collection of
Focus
Groups
Qualitative
Analysis
Survey
Phase II
Qualitative
Collection of
Social Media
Grounded
Theory Analysis
Development of
Rubric
Quantitative
Analysis
Phase
III
Mixed
Methods
Analysis
Focus
Groups
+
Rubric
+
Survey

13. Phase I: Focus Groups &
Survey Research
Nominations from Student
Affairs Administrators from two
Southern California universities
4-6 Focus Groups: 90 Minutes
At minimum 30 participants
Social Media Usage and Self
Assessment Survey to capture
activity and self reported data
Student
Nominations
Focus Groups
Social Media Usage
& Self Assessment
Survey
Qualitative
Analysis

14. Phase II: Rubric Development & Social
Media Activity
10-20% of Social
Media Activity
Qualitative
Grounded
Theory Analysis
Social Media
Rubric
Develop
Instrument
Quantitize
Social
Media
Activity
Quantitative
Analysis
Quantizing Data
Defined by Teddlie and Tashakkori (2009) as “the process of converting qualitative data into
numbers that can be statistically analyzed” (p. 27).

15. Social
Media
Rubric
Focus Group
Analysis
Social Media
Survey
Grounded
Theory
Analysis
Student
Development
Theory
Digital
Citizenship &
Literacies
Leadership
Theory
(Social
Change
Model)

16. Phase III: Social Media Analysis
Phase
III
Analysis
Phase I
Results
Phase II
Results

17. “Graphic or matrix displays are a way
of getting the trees located in the
forest in such a way as to see not only
what the forest looks like, but also how
it would look like if the trees were
moved around”
Huberman & Miles (1989, p. 286)
Cross-Site Analysis

18. Explore how college student
leaders use social media
Define college student digital
leadership through self
reported and actual behavior
Discover how identity is
played out on social media for
student leaders
Use student experience to
teach new/future college
students about social media
Integration of social media as
positive devices in student
leadership practices
Development of student
leader competencies for
leadership programs
Implications

19. F o l l o w M y R e s e a r c h P r o c e s s
@JosieAhlquist
www.JosieAhlquist.com
www.Youtube.Com/JosieAhlquist
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