5) SOCIAL MEDIA
Very often, tools are designed for one purpose and end up serving others. Social media tools are no different in this regard. The more popular ones, especially, have been appropriated for use in educational settings and at UWI this is not different. As the name indicates, these tools were designed to allow us to socialise, first and foremost in non-teaching settings. But we do need to socialise and engage with each other in teaching and learning settings, right? So...why not use them?
Social media are websites or apps that allow users to create and share content as well as communicate or network with each other or in groups or communities. Some commonly used social media platforms are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp and LinkedIn. In education settings, social media helps to connect learners and instructor, addressing the social aspect of learning to facilitate academic progress. Social media may also be used as part of learning activities and assignments, depending on the nature and intended outcome of the assignment.
Tips (best practice) for using social media for instruction:
Each social media tool or platform functions differently. However, there are some best practices that are useful for all.
| 1. |
Select tools or platforms preferred or widely used by your learners. |
| 2. | Set out rules for use of social media for communication through explicit guidelines and policies. |
| 3. | Incorporate social media in planning the building of your class community, whether face-to-face or virtually. |
| 4. | Judicious use of social media may help you to "read the room" and address brewing student issues or concerns. |
| 5. | Treat social media platforms such as WhatsApp as community notice boards for communicating important course-related information. |
| 6. | If thinking of using social media as part of course assessment or learning activities, ensure that there is alignment with your assessment strategy. |
| 7. | Encourage use of social media such as LinkedIn, which is helpful for raising awareness of learning and professional opportunities that may be of interest. |
WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/
WhatsApp: WhatsApp in education; includes a tutorial. https://www.whatsapp.com/communities/learning/education
LinkedIn: https://jm.linkedin.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/; UMass at Amherst. Online Tools for Teaching and Learning - Instagram. Includes a tutorial. https://blogs.umass.edu/onlinetools/community-centered-tools/instagram/
Additional Resources
Read: E. Perez, S. Manca, R. Fernández-Pascual, et al. A systematic review of social media as a teaching and learning tool in higher education: A theoretical grounding perspective. Education and Information Technologies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-023-11647-2
Shareable link: https://rdcu.be/db0BF
Read: Brianna Le Busque and J. Mingoia. Getting social: postgraduate students use of social media, Studies in Continuing Education, 45:1, 54-70, DOI: 10.1080/0158037X.2021.1989396
Read: Belén Suárez-Lantarón, Yolanda Deocano-Ruíz, Nuria García-Perales and Irina Sherezade Castillo-Reche. The Educational Use of WhatsApp. Sustainability. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/17/10510/pdf
Read: Lori Wade. How Social Media Is Reshaping Today’s Education System. https://csic.georgetown.edu/magazine/social-media-reshaping-todays-education-system/
Read: Brett Cooper and Mary Kate Naatus. LinkedIn as a Learning Tool in Business Education. American Journal of Business Education 7(4). https://www.researchgate.net/publication/298431108_Linkedin_As_A_Learning