How College Instructors Use Social Media for Instruction

The use of social media has increased tremendously in recent years with many sectors using it for the purpose of communicating, sharing ideas, gathering information and stating opinions. The use of social media has trickled down into education with instructors using it for teaching and learning. This study used Gagne\u27s Nine Events of Instruction as a framework to investigate the types of social media applications used, and how they are specifically used for instructional purpose in colleges. The study used both qualitative and quantitative methods to analyze data. Results indicated that about 31% of instructors use different social media types in diverse ways that related to Gagne\u27s Nine Events of Instructional design. The study gives insight on the ingenious ways in which instructors use social media for instruction

SOCIAL MEDIA IN STEM: ACADEMIC AND STUDENT PERSPECTIVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS A TEACHING TOOL

In the current age more and more STEM education is being delivered online. Success in online education requires active engagement from both student and educator. In recent years social media has become an integral avenue for social interaction, peer to peer engagement, and for sharing information. Contemporary teaching methods are being adapted to include social media, with educators experimenting in incorporating social media into teaching and learning approaches. Introducing social media into STEM courses may be a way to create interest and engagement, while equipping students with communication and collaborative skills, and building a sense of community. This paper reports preliminary findings on an investigation into the attitudes towards the use of social media as a teaching tool at the University of New England. Students and academic staff were surveyed about their social media habits and whether there was a perceived benefit or role for using social media in teaching. Although both staff and students expressed agreement that there is a role for the use of social media in teaching, the uptake of using these tools in delivery of STEM education at UNE has been low. Therefore, the barriers and/or risks, from both student and academic points of view, that might be preventing uptake, were also explored

Literature Review of Practical Insights into the Use of Brain Science and Learning Technology to Enhance STEM Student Learning

In recent years, college students, including those at Olivet Nazarene University, have experienced an increase in mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression. Researchers think technology is a significant contributor to this trend with social media undermining a viewer’s dignity through constant comparison and ruthless competition for attention. However, social media and teaching/learning technologies also have the potential to enhance efficient, effective student learning. This paper will present the best practices for use of social media and teaching/learning technologies based on a literature review in these areas. The literature review will seek to tie together knowledge and best practices of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, brain science, and learning/teaching technology. Technology examples include the role of emerging technologies in minimizing the gaps between STEM curricula and industry practices, the use of emerging technologies (e.g., sensing, analytics, visualization, information technology, modeling, simulation) to form disruptive forces to improve the learning environment, pedagogical strategies enabled by emerging technologies to enhance multidisciplinary teamwork and communication skills in STEM education, and visionary approaches and methods for future STEM work and education. The focus will be on STEM students, but many of the best practices will be applicable to all college students

Exploring students’ use of the social networking site WhatsApp to foster connectedness in the online learning experience

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the use of social networking tools in higher education teaching and learning. Drawing on data from a larger study focusing on student engagement in the online virtual classroom, this paper is based on research conducted with three separate cohorts of students from the Masters in Special Educational Needs (MSEN) at St. Patrick’s College now the Institute of Education, Dublin City University (DCU). Emerging from the first two phases of the research was the use of the WhatsApp social media tool by students as an informal learning space and a means of building connectedness. We explored this finding in more detail in phases three and four by inviting respondents to comment specifically on their use of social media throughout the programme. It emerged that the use of WhatsApp was widespread, offering students an opportunity to forge a sense of connection and the basis for developing a learning community. This paper will present findings around the use of WhatsApp with reference to literature in three areas connected to the online learning experience: online learning as a second class learning experience, fostering connectedness within online learning contexts and social media and learnin

ENGAGEMENT TO SOCIAL NETWORKING: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO EDUCATORS

In recent years many students and teachers are not only very well connected with the print media but to the social/online media as well. Facebook, Twitter, Friendster My Space, etc. have become their interest especially in information dissemination among others. Educators utilized social networking sites for teaching and learning. This study explored the social networking engagement of Education students and teachers in the six universities in Cebu City, second semester of the academic year 2012-2013. This further analyzes and documents its opportunities and challenges to teaching and learning. Descriptive Study - Cross-Sectional Study was applied in this study. The use of facebook is very effective in order to collaborate with teachers and students. The use of SNS engenders opportunities as well as challenges in the all aspects of human undertaking, maybe it be personal, academic or societal in nature. Every individual is made conscious/ responsible in its utilization that would create a positive change in the world. Findings revealed that social networking has become a very good avenue to teaching and learning. The study concluded that Social Networking sites are beneficial to educators but it has also challenges and opportunities encountered by the educators

Facebook in Higher Education: Exploring the educational use of Facebook by undergraduate students

The learning environments in higher education are moving towards the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) such as Web 2.0 and social media. Recent years have witnessed an increased interest of using social media in higher education and this has created a growing phenomenon for the educational use of social networking sites such as Facebook, to create, engage, and share existing or newly produced information among the students. The prevalence of social media in higher education has attracted the attention of researchers who have sought to understand the use of social media for learning and educational. Besides, many higher education institutions have begun to incorporate variety of digital technologies for teaching and learning, while educators are finding themselves expected to catch up with the world of social media applications and social media users. The educators are seeking the potential of social networking sites for engaging the students in their studies as well as to make the classes more interactive, and to achieve student learning outcomes. With this in mind, this paper presents a qualitative analysis of the Facebook closed group activities of undergraduate students in a Malaysian private university. The analysis of data will -related use of Facebook closed group and issues relating to student use of Facebook for educational purposes due to its increasing prevalence in the everyday lives of students. Finally, this paper will provides useful insights for academics interested in using social networking sites for teaching and learning and for researchers interested in pursuing social media in higher education research

Exploring the use of Facebook in the classroom: A Malaysia case study

With the evolution of social media, including major social networking sites that came into existence in the 21st century, social media has burgeoned into one of the most used channels of communication in the society. As it becomes well recognised for its potential as a social communication channel, recent years have witnessed an increased interest of using social media in higher education. The Social Media Survey 2013 by Pearson shows that 41% of higher education faculty in the U.S. population has use social media in teaching in 2013 compared to 34% of them using it in 2012. The survey results also show the increase use of social media for teaching by educators and faculty professionals because they see the potential in applying and integrating social media technology to their teaching. Many higher education institutions and educators are now finding themselves expected to catch up with the world of social media applications and social media users. This creates a growing phenomenon for the educational use of social media to create, engage, and share existing or newly produced information between lecturers and students and among students. However, the use of social media technologies in higher education is not an easy and straightforward process. Some educators perceived social media tool as an effective educational platform, some perceived that it was not useful at all. Some claimed that it allows them to make the classes more interactive, and some stated that the use of social media can help or hinder the achievement of student learning outcomes. Although there is a growing body of empirical research on the use of social media in higher education in the developed countries, there is not abundance in literature in Malaysia context. This study aims to examine the educational use of Facebook by lecturers and students in a private university in the Klang Valley, Malaysia, and to gauge their attitude towards adopting Facebook in the classroom. The research objectives include 1) investigating the use of Facebook for teaching and learning as well as a communication tool between lecturers and students, and 2) exploring the perception of lecturers and students on the usefulness and ease of use of Facebook in the classroom. Using both qualitative and quantitative research methods, this study will achieve two objectives set and the outcome will provides useful insights for academics interested in using social networking sites for teaching and learning and for researchers interested in pursuing social media in higher education research

Social media in education: assessing the benefits of integration

Within recent years, the Internet has evolved into one of the most commonly used innovations by members of today’s society, and Social media is one aspect of the Internet that has also become a prominent staple among Internet users. This research explores social media’s progressing role in education and student learning. Current generations of students are demonstrating decreased engagement, participation, and interest towards the different areas of content being presented to them. Research identifies traditional teaching methods as a central cause to the negative learning aspects being portrayed by the students. This is in part due to the fact that traditional methods no longer emphasize active learning and stimulation. By being brought up in a fast paced environment, students need to be stimulated in order to truly process the content. Social media is able to maintain the attention of students and keep them stimulated. Students’ daily routines hold a considerable amount of time for social media usage; therefore, the research project indicates that further integration into the classroom could rekindle the participation, engagement, and interest once held by students. The research examines the integration that has taken place within schools currently, and assesses the advantages of use towards student learning. (Author abstract)Drylie, D. (2013). Social media in education: assessing the benefits of integration. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.ed

Analysis of Twitter usage in an exploratory seminar setting

Despite the massive social and technological changes that have occurred due to the Web in the recent years, university courses often still emphasize time-honored teaching methods with classical learning tools and resources. During these courses students often acquire knowledge that is not up-to-date and detached from problem-based, realistic learning. The use of more recent tools and methods often remains out of student’s grasp. In this article we briefly report on an exploratory seminar setting at two German universities where the use of Social Media for communication and collaboration was firmly embedded in the educational setup. Furthermore, we illustrate the usage of Twitter during the seminar using techniques from Social Network Analysis

Exploring the usage of twitter in higher education

The use of technology in the context of higher education is not a novel idea as lecturers and students have used different types of technology such as smartphones, software, and social media. In recent years, social media like Twitter have been extensively used to decimate information about learning. However, there is a global disparity between the use of social media sites like Twitter for higher education; some countries use it extensively, while for some, its use is a rarity. This situation is evident in Malaysia, where there is a low percentage of students and lecturers using Twitter in teaching and learning. Furthermore, there are limited studies related to Twitter in the context of higher education in Malaysia. Based on this gap, this study aims to devise a strategy for using Twitter in Malaysia’s higher education context. This study discusses some of the strategies that can be implemented in conducting learning inside or outside the class. In addition, the study’s findings can benefit many education stakeholders by exploring ways to optimise the use of Twitter in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)