Social media in learning and teaching

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Social media is a group of online communication channels dedicated to community-based input, interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging, social networking , social bookmarking, social curation, and wikis are among the different types of social media.

The digital era has seen the popularity of social media expand exponentially. In education, social media has been increasingly adopted to enrich the learning environment. Pearson’s survey (Joosten, 2013) shows that there has been an increase in social media use in teaching in the United States of 21.3% from 2012 to 2013.

Junco et al (2011) investigated the use of social media in teaching and showed that student motivation and grades can be enhanced by the use of the social media, admittedly in a university setting. 

However, social media has not been without its critics. The recent Pearson survey revealed 56% of respondents believed social media to be more distracting than helpful to students. Further, effective learning will vary from student to student according to their knowledge and competence of social media.

Social media in professional development

According to New Zealand educationalist Karen Melhuish Spencer access to digital technology and the pace of change in this technology has resulted in changes to the education system, including how educators develop in their profession (Melhuish, 2013). 

Social media has been able to provide personalized learning which is flexible in time and location. Teachers can use online social networks to seek information, share ideas and even contribute to the development of their knowledge.

In New Zealand, the Ministry of Education has introduced a recent initiative to enhance professional development via online social networking. The Virtual Learning Network is a platform where educators can engage in professional conversations enabling an informal type of professional learning for teachers.

In terms of my views on social media use in learning and teaching and in professional development. I considered the following questions:
  • How do I use social media to enhance my professional development?
  • What are some key features of social media that I have identified as beneficial for teaching and learning?
  • What are potential challenges that teachers need to be aware of when integrating social networking platforms into teaching activities?
  • What social media platform do I feel best supports engagement with my professional development? Why?
As an early adopter, I test new ideas, see if they can be applied and also if they improve on what I have been previously doing. Social media allows me to connect with colleagues near and far, gives me a range of ideas for developing my teaching and helps me keep up to date with current trends in education.
Examples of how I incorporate social media to develop my own practice are as follows:
  • Explore educational videos on YouTube and TedEd for use in my flipped classrooms to reinforce the learning.
  • Incorporate Google Hangout and Skype to connect with other teachers and students locally and globally. 
  • Submit posts, videos, photos for students and whanau to look at on Facebook and Google plus.
  • Utilise Google Drive and chat with students, comment on assignments and develop the iteration process.
  • Engage with fellow educators on #edchatnz and #scichatnz on twitter to discuss teaching strategies and trends.
  • Present on #teachmeetnz to challenge and develop my pedagogy.
  • Use of One Note to develop student learning through an iterative process of feedback and feed forward.
  • Use of Digital storytelling as a powerful teaching and learning tool that engages both me and my students.

 This is just a selection of the ways I have used social media to help me connect with my students and fellow educators to obtain insights, discuss ideas and improve learning and much more.
In my practice, the key features of social media that benefit teaching and learning are:
  • Provides students with different ways to express their opinions.
  • Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, One Note) allow students to develop their learning outside the classroom and creates positive and focused engagement with both teaching staff and peers.
  • Allows for easier and quicker communication with community by sharing of videos and photos which are accessible anywhere and anytime.
  • Allows for connection with educators in other schools and countries and give new insights on my teaching.
  • Connects students with wider world in authentic contexts and allows collaboration not usually possible.
  • Feedback and feed forward between students and teachers is faster and therefore more effective (Hattie, 2007).
  • Educators can collaborate quickly when needed and teachers always have documents in a single location – no lost papers, easy to collaborate on teaching planning and providing and receiving feedback from others.
The potential challenges of social media are wide-ranging, depending on what specifically is being used and where. Challenges I have faced are listed below with some possible solutions next to them:
  • No internet at home/unable to access for homework or study: Junior students at my school have the ability to use i-Pads at school. However, online access at home is varied, so I differentiate tasks on how student efforts can be presented.
  • Students using sites inappropriately: Teachers must set expectations at the outset and expect something to happen – if it does, you must address it quickly so they are aware it is not allowed. Teachers should be scaffolding best practice WITH the students. 
  • Too many notifications, students able to contact teachers all the time: Set guidelines for how students can contact you. Set notifications more specifically in Gmail and on sites so you get only the important ones. Student contact outside of school can help build relationships – they want to know what you’re eating for dinner, or doing on the weekend. Be mindful of how you respond and reply. Public forums are best for this also connect with parents about any issues right away.
  • Sometimes the technology doesn’t work: Teachers are flexible, but sometimes the WiFi is down the i-Pads aren’t charged or students have trouble logging in. Find out quickly why things aren’t logging in, but above all, have a backup lesson ready. If you have a lesson centered around the use of i-Pads and internet connectivity and WiFi is down, you have to have something to fall back on.


In terms of my professional development, I have found twitter very useful. It has given me access to other groups like teachmeetnz and instant feedback on my sometimes wacky ideas. I have also been introduced to a variety of different educators with different ideas which has made my practice innovative so their is never a dull day in the classroom.

References:

Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of educational research, 77(1), 81-112.

Joosten, T. (2013). Pearson: Social Media for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/tjoosten/social-media-for-teaching-and-learning-27456257?ref=http://professorjoosten.blogspot.co.nz/2013/10/pearson-social-media-for-teaching-and.html

Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of computer assisted learning, 27(2), 119-132.

Melhuish, K. (2013) Online social networking and its impact on New Zealand educators’professional learning. Master Thesis. The University of Waikato. Retrieved on 07 October, 2015 from http://researchcommons.waikato.ac.nz/bitstream/han...

 Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. Theory into practice, 47(3), 220-228.

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