• Topic or Theme:  Getting to know Westfield State College

• Age/Grade: Graduating High School Students and their families

• Lesson Objectives: The visitor will be able to identify and know more about important locations on and around the college campus in an introduction to the school open-house setting.  The visitor will become more comfortable with the campus and college programs, hopefully increasing their interest in the school.

• Instructional Technique: Individual or group interactive tour

• Instructional Materials: There will be no handouts or extra materials handed out, seeing as we would not want to stress newcomers out. This is a friendly, educational opportunity to become more famliar with the college campus. 

• Theoretical Perspective: A student is less likely to be comfortable and want to be a student of a school that he or she isn't famliar with.  That is why it is important that we encourage inquiring students and families to explore our college campus, whether we do that physically or virtually if the physical opportunity doesn't arise.  When the visitor is clicking on different locations and learning fun facts about them, the "college search"  process will seem much more user-friendly, and less stressful.  Seeing as our goal is to make the visitor more comfortable and interested in our school, a virtual tour would be an easy and fun way to reach our audience.

• Procedure:

A. Introductory Activity: As soon as everyone for the "Incoming Students Day" has signed in at Scanlon Banquet Hall and is settled into their seats, the event will proceed as normal.  Various speakers will make presentations about different aspects of the school so each guest will be some-what familiar with the buildings before they start the virtual tour.

B. Step-by-step:
    1) The speaker will begin to divide up sections of the audience to go to different stations (different booths representing academic departments, clubs/organizations, and a group to go a set of computers to take the virtual tour), or groups may leave if they choose.
    2) The sections will switch stations and visit each of them in organized time slots, while the touring group is at the computers.
    3) The group at the computers will divide into smaller family/friends group, and each group or individual, depending on the cirumstance, will take one computer and start the tour.
    4) There will be a few Westfield students or faculty standing by if any visitor needs help.

C. Closure: Once each group has finished with their virtual tour session, a student/faculty member will ask them what they thought, found confusing, or had questions on.  After the discussion, the college member will thank the visitors for coming and provide optional "homework" (see below).

D. Adaptations for different learners: A faculty member or a WSC student will be available for any visitors with questions or concerns about the tour or presentation.

E. Homework:  The Westfield student/faculty member will encourage the visitors to go out and explore the actual campus, trying to find the locations for themselves. 

• Evaluation:

A. How/ when will you determine if you have met your objectives?

• By initiating a small group discussion once all visitors have completed their tour, the student/faculty member will be able to determine if each group had learned anything from the experience, succeeded with ease, or had any questions/comments.  From the groups' feedback, adjustments will be made to the tour/presentation to improve the experience for the next Incoming Students Day.

• There will be no written documentation for this activity.  This is a user-friendly way for visitors to become more comfortable with our school and a written evaluation of their performance would not be necessary.

B. Concerns or questions you have about teaching this lesson?

• Our only concern was that each visitor had a positive experience visiting the college and learned something helpful during their stay.  In creating this virtual tour, we attempted to make this experience a fun and stress free one for our visitors.

 

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