Title: “The Use of Social Media in Higher Education Classrooms”
Author Name: Alyssa Kowis
Selected Case (Published Article): Gleason, Benjamin, and Stefania Manca. “Curriculum and instruction: pedagogical approaches to teaching and learning with Twitter in higher education.” On the Horizon, vol. 28, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-8. ProQuest, https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/curriculum-instruction-pedagogical-approaches/docview/2533249932/se-2, doi:https://doi.org/10.1108/OTH-03-2019-0014.
1. Introduction
Social media has been utilized in many professional settings but is not fully accepted in education as a pedagogical tool. The purpose of this blog is to evaluate why that is, examine how they can be used, and argue for responsible and equitable use in a classroom setting. Part of the difficulty when it comes to the utilization of social media, is the ever-changing digital landscape. They are frequently updating and revising not only how they work, but their terms and policies (Dennen 238). While research does exist on the usage of social media in classrooms, some argue that there is not enough concrete evidence of its influence on student engagement, even though students report back with positive feedback (Gleason and Manca 2). Some of the ways that social media can be incorporated into the classroom are by enhancing discussion sections, incorporating multi-media learning, addressing student writing, and enabling student interactions. For the remainder of this post, we will be evaluating a specific case study, in which Twitter was used to enhance student learning experiences and allow the instructor more flexibility with their course planning.
2. Overview of the Case
The purpose of this case was to design a large undergraduate course, that with the incorporation of social media throughout the semester increases student engagement, and interaction, and develops a social presence among the students. First, with the determination of what the goals were, they needed to review which social media would be more likely to have the desired impact. With discussion being a requirement, they evaluated two social media platforms, Twitter and Facebook. Twitter, sometimes referred to as microblogging, can encourage participation, engagement, reflective thinking, and collaborative learning. When used as a discussion tool, that also enabled the faculty to be more active, while the students also shared information and collaborate with one another (Gao et al 790). For Facebook, its greatest perceived benefits are, “the mixing of information, the hybridization of expertise, and the widening the context of learning” (Manca and Ranieri 490). Meaning that it allows for sharing of information and resources no matter the format, encouraging interactions between different levels of expertise and knowledge-base, and forming bonds. The course was an undergraduate, 70 person, studying educational technology. The students came from various backgrounds (STEM, business, humanities, etc.) It was a required course for those hoping for teaching licensure within their prospective fields. With their pedagogical aims, it was determined that Twitter would be the social media tool used to increase in-class discussion, student engagement with course materials, and expand student interaction and develop student presence (Gleason and Manca 4-5).
3. Solutions Implemented
First, increase student participation. For this, they prompted the students to post questions and required their classmates’ responses. There were different requirements depending on the initial prompt to promote recall or to ask how they would adapt certain work they’ve done in a lab, for example, how would you change this activity to work within your field (Gleason and Manca 4)? To increase engagement with course materials, students were broken into smaller groups (grouped by their disciplines) and together did experiential activities that they would then share-out with their peers via Twitter. Each lab component introduced students to a technology and they were then required to share their experiences to the entire class. The example provided was a student using VR to explore the life aquatic. They were able to share a non-immersive version of what the student experiences. The authors then argue that this is utilizing Twitter as a cognitive tool, as Vygotsky would use, to facilitate reflective and purposive reflection. Allowing discussion, as a community (class), as to what was learned and how it could be integrated with other courses (Gleason and Manca 4). Lastly, Twitter supported students’ social-emotional needs. Students reported that by being able to present themselves, they also saw their peers as real people. This led to more authentic interactions and a sense of social presence in the class. They also had the ability to interact with professionals (authors from required readings) using Twitter, by asking them questions about their work.
4. Outcomes
Overall, the findings in this case showed that Twitter increased student participation, and conceptual understanding, and fostered “social presence” (engaging with other students in more humorous ways) while engaging with real-world experts. For the discussion form, they received a higher-than-average response rate of nearly 89% (Gleason and Manca 4). Because of Twitter’s format it was visibly observable to see who was participating and interacting with their peers, thus also ensuring an observation of social presence. With their well-designed inclusion of Twitter, they found that their goals were met.
5. Implications
While this particular case study was a success as to how social media can be incorporated into course design, the authors noted that there are reasons to why it worked. Namely, they did research on pedagogies, and social media, and used it to determine what activities they wanted in the classroom and which social media would be appropriate to meet those aims. Secondly, they framed the utilization of social media to the students in a way that framed the necessity of digital literacy and society today (Gleason and Manca 3). With a course on educational technology, providing the context allowed students to understand why the course was designed a certain way and the real-life benefits of understanding the tool. This leads to the third point, being digital citizen frames how you interact with your peers and develop a community. Establishing respectful behavior, while laying out clear expectations on efficiency creates a space for students to succeed. Lastly, it increases authenticity and fun in the classroom. Students were able to promote themselves in whatever way they were comfortable. “We believe in the possibility of using Twitter in a deliberate, strategic way to help college students reach their course-related learning goals, develop digital citizenship, and bring in different sides of themselves – all in the service of engaging, accessible, and meaningful teaching and learning.” (Gleason and Manca 6).
References
Dennen, Vanessa P. “Social Media and Instructional Design.” Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology. Edited by Robert A. Reiser and John V. Dempsey, 4th ed. Pearson, 2018, pp. 237-243.
Gao, Fei, et. al. “Tweeting for Learning: A Critical Analysis of Research on Microblogging in Education Published in 2008-2011.” British Journal of Educational Technology, vol. 43, no.5, pp. 783-801. Wiley Online Libary, doi:10.1111/j.1467-8535.2012.01357.x.
Gleason, Benjamin, and Stefania Manca. “Curriculum and Instruction: Pedagogical Approaches to Teaching and Learning with Twitter in Higher Education.” On the Horizon, vol. 28, no. 1, 2020, pp. 1-8. ProQuest, doi: 10.1108/OTH-03-2019-0014.
Manca, Stefania, and Maria Ranieri. “Is Facebook Still a Suitable Technology-enhanced Learning Environment? An Updated Critical Review of the Literature from 2012-2015.” Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, vol. 95, no. 6, 2016, pp. 503-528. Wiley Online Library, doi: 10.1111/jcal.12007.