Viability of Using Twitter to Support Peer Instruction in Teacher Education

This paper reports on a case study in which Twitter served as a backchannel to mediate and support the peer-teaching activity in a face-to-face teacher education course. Surveys and interviews were utilised to understand the effectiveness of the Twitter integration and students\u27 perceived learning in a Twitter-supported peer teaching environment. Tweets were used to determine how preservice teachers used Twitter to support peer instruction. Most students were able to use the Twitter platform to produce and retrieve peer feedback, while some encountered technical difficulties. Our current analysis suggests the Twitter-based peer feedback was moderately successful in this peer teaching activity. There exists a large variability of students\u27 perceptions towards Twitter as a tool to support the delivery and reception of peer feedback

The influence of Twitter on lecture engagement and discussion

The research presented in this paper is driven by a desire to increase student interaction and engagement in lecture discussion. The issues relating to the use of Twitter to achieve this goal are outlined. At the outset, the importance of interaction and engagement in learning is established, drawing on a number of educational theories and previous research in the area. Following this, the necessity for action is recognised by critiquing lectures as a forum for this standard of learning. The researcher presents technology as a means to increase student interaction, beginning with Audience Response Systems (ARS). A summary of research carried out on ARS is examined to provide a basis for integrating technology. Following this a review of experiments conducted using Twitter is carried out. Although there is a dearth of research in this area, these provide some insights into the use of this technology and its integration into education. The paper then examines student adoption of Twitter as a means of engagement, outlining the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for the future. Finally emerging uses of the Twitter platform are examined, allowing the reader glimpse student hopes for future integration

The Social Media Instructional Design Model: A New Tool for Designing Instruction Using Social Media

Social media is a pervasive force in the lives of 21st century learners. Social media offers a user experience that encourages students to create and share new content while enabling communication unlike any other learning technology. In this paper, we explore how learning with social media could be more effective by leveraging appropriate learning theory and instructional design. We begin with examples of how social media is currently being used in educational contexts, and then review the available research that investigates the connections between social media and education. To understand how social media may be better utilized for learning, we also identify social media’s unique learning affordances and established learning theories that complement those affordances. Finally, we present a preliminary model for designing learning using social media

A literature review of the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education

This review focuses on the use of Web 2.0 tools in Higher Education. It provides a synthesis of the research literature in the field and a series of illustrative examples of how these tools are being used in learning and teaching. It draws out the perceived benefits that these new technologies appear to offer, and highlights some of the challenges and issues surrounding their use. The review forms the basis for a HE Academy funded project, ‘Peals in the Cloud’, which is exploring how Web 2.0 tools can be used to support evidence-based practices in learning and teaching. The project has also produced two in-depth case studies, which are reported elsewhere (Galley et al., 2010, Alevizou et al., 2010). The case studies focus on evaluation of a recently developed site for learning and teaching, Cloudworks, which harnesses Web 2.0 functionality to facilitate the sharing and discussion of educational practice. The case studies aim to explore to what extent the Web 2.0 affordances of the site are successfully promoting the sharing of ideas, as well as scholarly reflections, on learning and teaching

Peer mentoring in assisting retention – is a virtual form of support a viable alternative?

Support systems are vital for university entrants and one established means of support is peer mentoring, which has the potential to improve student engagement and retention. Peer mentoring models are generally based on face-to-face contact. However, given the increasing number of higher education institutions using social media, might online models be beneficial in a peer mentoring context? This article describes a literature review and case study that considers the advantages and disadvantages of three potential virtual models to facilitate a peer mentoring scheme. The case study, undertaken at Northumbria University, UK, involved an investigation of mentoring needs and current usage of electronic media where special attention is afforded to a diverse student body. The three models discussed are virtual learning environments (VLE), social networking sites and virtual worlds. We find that the VLE is established within institutions but lacks excitement; social networking is popular particularly with younger students but there may be resentment if this appears to be appropriated by the institution; whilst virtual worlds are unfamiliar to many students and require advanced skills to use successfully. Based on these findings the social networking model is now being run as a pilot study by business programmes at Northumbria University

Delving Into the Specificity of Instructional Guidance in Social Media-Supported Learning Environments

Aim/Purpose: This study investigates the variations in student participation patterns across different types of instructional activities, learning modes, and with different instructional guidance approaches. In the current study, different variables, modes of learning (guided versus unguided), and types of guidance (social versus cognitive) were manipulated in a series of microblogging-supported collaborative learning tasks to examine to what extent and in which aspects instructional guidance affects the effectiveness and student perception of microblogging-supported learning. Background: Despite the overwhelming agreement on the importance of instructional guidance in microblogging-supported learning environments, very few studies have been done to examine the specificity of guidance, such as how to structure and support microblogging activities, as well as what types of guidance are appropriate in what learning contexts. Methodology: This semester-long study utilized a case-study research design via a multidimensional approach in a hybrid classroom with both face-to-face and online environments. Tweets were collected from four types of activities and coded based on content within their contextual setting. Twenty-four college students participated in the study. Contribution: In response to the call to improve social media learning environments underscored in contemporary education, the current case study took an initial step aiming at deepening the understanding of the role of instructional guidance in microblogging-supported learning environments. Findings: This study showcases that with instructor facilitation, students succeeded in being engaged in a highly participatory and interactive learning experience across a variety of tasks and activities. This study indicates that students\u27 perspectives of social media tools rely heavily on what instructors do with the tool and how the instructional activities are structured and supported. Instructors\u27 scaffolding and support is instrumental in keeping students on task and engaging students with meaningful events, thus ensuring the success of microblogging-based learning activities. Meanwhile, students\u27 perception of usefulness of instructional guidance is closely related to their own pre-perception and experience. Recommendations for Practitioners When incorporating social media tools, it is important to examine learners\u27 prior knowledge and comfort level with these tools and tailor the design of instructional activities to their attributes. It is also vital to monitor student progress, adjust the type and amount of guidance and scaffolding provided as they progress, and eventually remove the scaffolding until students can demonstrate that they can perform the task successfully without assistance. Recommendation for Researchers: Due to many other potential factors in place that could potentially influence student learning, no conclusive remarks can be made regarding the superiority of either one type of guidance approach. Future researchers should continue to develop robust research methodologies to seek ways to better operationalize this variable and strive to understand its effect. Future Research: Future replication studies in other settings, with a larger sample size and different populations will certainly provide further insights on the effects of instructional guidance in microblogging-based learning. Alternative coding methods may also shed light on differences in student interaction in terms of content diversity and depth of learning when analyzing the tweets. Advanced data collection techniques may be explored to ascertain the completeness of data collection

“What’s happening?” Assessing the Sustainability of Virtual Professional Learning Communities on Social Media: A Quantitative Study of ‘Sense of Community’

While research has highlighted the multifaceted benefits of Twitter as an informal professional learning resource, there remains a lack of literature that adequately teases apart the dynamic underpinnings of these types of informal professional learning communities (Thacker, 2017; Visser et al., 2014). Greenhow & Gleason (2012) posited that there is a need to better understand Twitter’s place within the education profession, as well as “how participants understand their experiences and place within the Twitter community and beyond” (p. 473). Grounded in ‘sense of community’ theory, this study examined ‘sense of community’ as a construct supporting the #SSChat community’s sustainability. Additionally, I endeavored to determine whether a statistically significant correlation existed between perceived SOC and sustainability of #SSChat community participants, and whether statistically significant correlations existed between each of the four independent SOC tenets and sustainability. Findings from this study produced implications to inform future strategic planning efforts to strengthen the #SSChat community on Twitter. Moreover, they support the #SSChat as a viable form of social studies education professional development and have implications for similar social media-based informal professional learning communities, as well as the field of social studies education in general

American Journal of Education: retos y oportunidades en las ciencias translacionales y la zona gris de la publicación académica

American Journal of Education (AJE) es una de las once revistas más importantes en el campo de la educación y publica nuevos trabajos de investigación en un amplio espectro de disciplinas educativas. Con sede en la Pennsylvania State University, la revista trabaja con editores asociados de toda la nación y con un consejo asesor de académicos sénior. También cuenta con un foro online (AJE Forum) gestionado por el consejo editorial estudiantil. El mayor problema que afronta la revista es cómo difundir eficazmente la investigación revisada por pares para que llegue a un público amplio, incluidos gestores, responsables políticos, reformadores y educadores. Dadas las limitaciones de los recursos universitarios, la revista ha explorado nuevas vías para difundir información sobre sus artículos a través de las redes sociales, y continúa evaluando la mejor forma de analizar el impacto de los artículos publicados en contextos académicos y políticos.The American Journal of Education (AJE) is one of 11 core journals identified in the field of education and publishes new research across abroad range of educational disciplines. Located at Penn State, the journal is supported by associate editors from around the nation as well as an advisory board of senior scholars. The journal also supports an online forum (AJE Forum) that is managed by the student editorial board. The major issue facing the journal is how to effectively disseminate peer-reviewed research to a broad audience that includes administrators, policy makers, reform advocates and educators. Given the limitations of university resources, the journal has experimented with new ways to disseminate information about its articles via social media and continues to assess how best to monitor the impact of journal articles in academic and policy contexts

Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Microblogging-Based Learning Environments

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of the study is to provide foundational research to exemplify how knowledge construction takes place in microblogging-based learning environments, to understand learner interaction representing the knowledge construction process, and to analyze learner perception, thereby suggesting a model of delivery for microblogging. Background: Up-and-coming digital native learners crave the real-time, multimedia, global-interconnectedness of microblogging, yet there has been limited research that specifically proposes a working model of Twitter\u27s classroom integration for designers and practitioners without bundling it in with other social media tools. Methodology: This semester-long study utilized a case-study research design via a multi-dimensional approach in a hybrid classroom with both face-to-face and online environments. Tweets were collected from four types of activities and coded based on content within their contextual setting. Twenty-four college students participated in the study. Contribution: The findings shed light on the process of knowledge construction in microblogging and reveal key types of knowledge manifested during learning activities. The study also proposes a model for delivering microblogging to formal learning environments applicable to various contexts for designers and practitioners. Findings: There are distinct learner interaction patterns representing the process of knowledge construction in microblogging activities ranging from low-order to high-order cognitive tasks. Students generally were in favor of the Twitter integration in this study. Recommendations for Practitioners: The three central activities (exploring hashtags, discussion topics, and participating in live chats) along with the backchannel activity formulate a working model that represents the sequential process of Twitter integration into classrooms. Impact on Society: Microblogging allows learners omnichannel access while hashtags can filter the global noise down to meaningful bytes of information to target formal and informal learning. When shared amongst global users for participatory communication, it gives access to collaborative knowledge. This study gives practitioners and designers a working model to leverage microblogging and connect to their tech-savvy learners for more connected learning. Future Research: Future research may include experiments of this proposed model for delivering microblogging in: prolonged studies; compared to other microblogging methodologies; in non-hybrid delivery models such as asynchronous-only; in other academic or professional disciplines; or in other educational age ranges

A Systematic Review: Incorporating Social Media Tools Into Language Learning

This study highlights a segment of a study that explores the incorporating the social media tools into language learning. These social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram...etc. have become such an intriguing social media that there is a growing need among educationalists, learners, and administrators to explore their impact and effectiveness in the field of language learning. Objective: An updated systematic review was carried out of research studies looking at the incorporating of social media into language learning. Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review on empirical research regarding the incorporating and effectiveness of social media into language learning. The studies we included met some specific criteria as well as collected from different databases. Besides that, the study used the CASP checklist and the guidelines set by PRISMA for choosing the eligible studies that related to the systematic review purpose. The data were extracted, and results were categorized into four themes then summarized using a narrative. Results: Initially, a total of 1,085 articles were identified from which 21 were included in the study. From these articles four, themes were applied as the following: the first them is the studies numbers with the publication year which showed that using social media into language learning become more popular around the years between 2014 till 2016. The second them is social media tools with language skills which showed the variety of using social media tools such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and WhatsApp among the language skills. The third them identified the most methods that used in different studies to be approved the use of social media into language learning. So, it was apparent that experimental study with the pre-test and post-test design was most used in the studies. The last them is the effectiveness of using social media in language learning which approved that using social media was effective in most studies for improving different language skills. Conclusion: Our review provides insights into the emerging utilization of social media in language learning. In particular, it identifies types of social media tools that used the most to improve the language skills as well as the effects of such use, which may differ between skill to skill. Accordingly, our results framework and propositions can serve to guide future research, and they also have practical implications for language learning and developing the design instruction. Key Words: Social media, Language learning, Systematic review, Language skill