Hashtags & Retweets: Using Twitter to aid Community, Communication and Casual (informal) Learning
-
Upload
peter-reed -
Category
Education
-
view
7.173 -
download
4
description
Transcript of Hashtags & Retweets: Using Twitter to aid Community, Communication and Casual (informal) Learning
Hashtags & Retweets
Using Twitter to aid Community,
Communication, and Casual (informal) Learning
@Reedyreedles | Peter Reed: Lecturer (Learning Technology), University of Liverpool
@Reedyreedles
@Reedyreedles
Rise of Social Networking Sites (SNSs)
$100bn
@Reedyreedles
Lack of Twitter research
Easy to find lots of …
@Reedyreedles
Lack of Twitter research
But not much research into how Twitter is being used with students
@Reedyreedles
PLE
Personal Learning
Environments
There is some talk about learners integrating various tools to develop
(Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2011; Hall, 2009).
@Reedyreedles
This research…
Investigating student’s attitudes, perceptions and activity toward the use of Twitter to support learning and teaching.In doing so;
Informal Learning
Personal Learning Environments
Digital Natives & Immigrants
@Reedyreedles
This research…
Proposes the 3Cs of Twitter (TC3) in Education:
Community
Communication
Casual (Informal) Learning
The Literature
@Reedyreedles
The Internet & Social Media…Increased use of the Internet over time (Roblyer et. al, 2010)
Pew Research (US) demonstrates reliance on the Internet…
@Reedyreedles
The Internet & Social Media…
In 2001…
76% teens would miss the Internet
Improved relationships for 48%
32% make new friends on Internet
@Reedyreedles
The Internet & Social Media…
In 2007…93% teens use
Internet ‘as a venue
for social interaction’
Decreasing use of email in favour of
SNSs
@@
@@
@Reedyreedles
Defining Social Media…
Web-based services allowing;
(1)Public or semi-public profile
(2)Connect(3)Interact
(Boyd & Ellison, 2008).
@Reedyreedles
Defining Social Media…
Social Constructivism
Communities of Practice
@Reedyreedles
Social Media & the Digital Divide
@
Students check SNSs and email with equal regularity, but Faculty check email more (Robblyer et al., 2010)
A digital divide?
@Reedyreedles
Natives or Residents?
CC-BY-SA
@Reedyreedles
Social Media impacting on development of PLEs (Hall 2009, Dabbagh & Kitsantas 2011)
‘Blurring of boundaries’ between personal, social spaces and formal learning contexts.
PLEs can ‘help integrate formal and informal learning’ in HE.
Social Media & PLEs
@Reedyreedles
The Formal & The Informal
Institutionally Sponsored
Highly Structured
Prescribed Learning Framework
Specific Learning Tasks
Learner Owned
Social
Relaxed
Personal Choice
@Reedyreedles
The Formal & The Informal
Institutionally Sponsored
Highly Structured
Prescribed Learning Framework
Specific Learning Tasks
Learner Owned
Social
Relaxed
Personal Choice
Faculty often see these separately, but…
‘eLearning is rarely seen as separate of special by learners’ (Hall 2009)
@Reedyreedles
The Formal & The Informal
Institutionally Sponsored
Highly Structured
Prescribed Learning Framework
Specific Learning Tasks
Learner Owned
Social
Relaxed
Personal Choice
The way students blend and deploy informal and formal tools ‘underpins their assemblage of a meaningful PLE’
(Hall 2009)
@Reedyreedles
What is Twitter
Launched in 2006
140 Character limit
Follow/Be Followed
Additional Functionalities
@Reedyreedles
Twitter in Edu…
The few authors actively integrating Twitter within
the curriculum agree it can have a positive impact on
student engagement
@Reedyreedles
Good Practice in UG Edu…7 Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education;
1. Encourages student-faculty contact2. Encourages cooperation among students3. Encourages active learning4. Gives prompt feedback5. Emphasizes time on task6. Communicates high expectations 7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning
Chickering & Gamson (1999)
@Reedyreedles
Junco et al (2011)…Structured use of Twitter, including detailed explanations and hands-on training.
Identified positive impact;
‘Twitter helped students feel more comfortable asking questions they may not be comfortable with asking in class’.
@Reedyreedles
Junco et al (2011)…Aligned to 7 Principles;
Improved contact with Faculty (Principle 1)Improved communication between students (Principle 2)Promoted active learning (Principle 3)Prompt feedback (Principle 4)Maximise time on task (Principle 5)Communicate high expectations (Principle 6)Respect for diversity (Principle 7)
@Reedyreedles
The Student Voice…Steve Wheeler asked students at Uni of Plymouth about Twitter use in education…
CC-BY-NC-ND | Used with Permission
The Methodology
@Reedyreedles
Methodology…Introduced Twitter as a voluntary tool for five different modules with the rider to enhance communication.
#MM5362 | #MM5361#6ABL2303 | #6G5Z2001
#63MM6301
@Reedyreedles
Questionnaire…A questionnaire was sent to students, which was split into 3 categories:
Student Profile
Online Access
Use of Social Networking Sites
The Results
@Reedyreedles
Student Profile
42RESPONSES
32Male
10Female
88% Aged 18-21
@Reedyreedles
Main device for Internet access
13 1
13 8
6 1
Time Spent Online / week
2 4 6 8 10 12
61-70
41-50
31-40
21-30
11-20
<10
51-60
Hours online /No. of
respondents
Time Spent Online / week
1 2 3 4 5 6
61-70
41-50
31-40
21-30
11-20
<10
51-60
Hours online
~50% of respondents spend between 11 – 30 hours online per week (n=22), although some spend considerably less and considerably more.
The mean time spent online was 33 hours per week.
Time Spent Online by Activity
<10% 11-30% 31-50% 51-70% 71-90% 90%>0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Social Networking
Gaming
Shopping
News
Banking
Study
Time online
Time Spent Online by Activity
<10% 11-30% 31-50% 51-70% 71-90% 90%>0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Social Networking
Study
Time online
Time Spent Online by Activity
<10% 11-30% 31-50% 51-70% 71-90% 90%>0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Social Networking
Gaming
Shopping
News
Banking
Study
Respondents perform a range of tasks online with few taking up large percentages of overall activity.
Gaming, Shopping, News and Banking are the activities with least amount of time.
Much more even distribution of time spent on Social Networking and Study
Percentage Time Spent on Study Activities
2 4 6 8 10 12
71-90%
51-70%
31-50%
11-30%
<10%
90%>
Frequency
14
33%
26%
19%
14%
Percentage Time Spent on Study Activities
2 4 6 8 10 12
71-90%
51-70%
31-50%
11-30%
<10%
90%>
Frequency
14
33%
26%
19%
14%
14% of respondents spend less than 10% of overall Internet time in activities related to Study.
This was the most common response (n=14) was between 31-50%, however 19% (n=11) engage in activities related to Study in over 50% of their overall time online.
This question demonstrates the range of practices related to study amongst the respondents.
Smartphone Use
None15%
iPhone31% (n=13)
Blackberry13% (n=8)
Android33% (n=14)
Percentage Respondents with Smartphones
Smartphone Use
None18%
iPhone27%
Blackberry32%
Android23%
Percentage Respondents with SmartphonesThis question gives us an idea as to
Smartphone uptake amongst respondents.
Not much separating Android/Apple use.
14% (n=6) of respondents do not own a smartphone.
<10% 11-30% 31-50% 51-70% 71-90% 91%>0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Percentage Internet Access via Smartphone
Frequency
11-30% 31-50% 51-70% 71-90% 91%>0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Percentage Internet Access via Smartphone
Frequency
This question highlights the range of overall usage of Internet access via smartphones amongst respondents.
57% of smartphone users (n=24) access the Internet <50% (of overall time online) on their devices, however 43% (n=18) rely on smartphones far more.
33
24
9
18
Active users of SNS before this course
Active Not active
Facebook Twitter
Active 16 10
Not active 6 12
16
10
6
12
Active users of SNSs before this course
Active Not active79% of respondents (n=33) are active Facebook users Only 58% of respondents are active Twitter users.
This could demonstrate the larger market share of Facebook amongst the student population. An additional question identified 100% of existing Facebook users had used the platform to discuss course related information on an informal basis.
Should staff use SNS with Students?
Yes No Indifferent
19 11
13
12
128
60%
12%
14%
14%
Preferred single method of com-munication
EmailFacebookMoodle Twitter
59%
5%
23%
14%
Preferred single method of com-munication
EmailFacebookMoodle Twitter
Although many respondents are happy to use SNS to communicate, Email still carries the most weight as a preferred method for formal teacher-student communication (60%), followed by VLE (14%).
26% of respondents favoured SNS as their preferred method of communication.
All respondents in the 25-34 age category preferred email
Comments related to use of Twitter
Ease of communication
Speed of communicationInfrequent email use
Mobile Notifications
Public Forum
Links/Retweets
Informal & Relaxed
Moodle for important info
Distraction
Coded comments of benefits of using Twitter in edu… voluntarily left 2 negative comments….
Actual usage of TwitterStudents were asked a series of Yes / No questions related to if, and how, they have used Twitter as part of their studies.
Have you contacted a tutor?
> Was this useful?
Have you contacted other students?
Have you accessed a link from the tutor?
Yes No
15
15
17
21
27
25
21
/
Actual usage of Twitter
However….
All those that engaged found it a positive experience…
More students engaged with fellow students than with tutor…
And more people accessed links that were active.
Feedback
The Discussion
@Reedyreedles
Hashtags
Encouraging students to tweet on a voluntary basis did not sufficiently instill the importance of including a hashtag.
Holding on to the Informal?
#MM5362 | #MM5361#6ABL2303 | #6G5Z2001
#63MM6301
@Reedyreedles
Reliance on Email…
Contradicting Pew findings?
Student Tweets increased at formative
assessment opportunities
@@
@@
@Reedyreedles
A Digital Divide?
Natives & Immigrants or
Residents & Visitors?
A Digital Divide?
Digital Literacies
If we recognise
RESIDENTS &
VISITORS
we must also
recognise the need
to support and develop
so all students can harness
THE SOCIAL
WEB
Social Media & PLEs?
Students are already using social media tools in the formation of their own Personal Learning Environments
72% 45%
Future developments
Archiving of tweets is important to measure and analyse later. Consider Martin Hawkesey’s TAGS Explorer….
Training critical to wider uptake (Dabbagh & Kitsantis).
Two more things….
If Students are already using Twitter, are there ethical issues involved in archiving their tweets/discussions?
If PLEs are indeed personal and these tools are informal, do we run the risk of disengaging students by formalising them through structure?
Any Questions?
@Reedyreedles
Credits & ReferencesBoyd, danah m., & Ellison, N. B. (2008). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x
Chickering, A. W., & Gamson, Z. F. (1999). Development and Adaptations of the Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 1999(80), 75-81. doi:10.1002/tl.8006
Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A. (2011). Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning. The Internet and Higher Education, 15(1), 3-8. Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002
Hall, R. (2009). Towards a Fusion of Formal and Informal Learning Environments : the Impact of the Read / Write Web. Learning, 7(1), 29-40.
@Reedyreedles
Credits & ReferencesJunco, 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. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2729.2010.00387.x
Kassens-Noor, E. (2012). Twitter as a teaching practice to enhance active and informal learning in higher education: The case of sustainable tweets. Active Learning in Higher Education, 13(1), 9-21. doi:10.1177/1469787411429190
Lenhart, A., Madden, M., Smith, A., & Mcgill, A. (2007). Teens and Social Media. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2007/Teens-and-Social-Media.aspxPrensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants Part 1. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6. doi:10.1108/10748120110424816
Roblyer, M. D., McDaniel, M., Webb, M., Herman, J., & Witty, J. V. (2010). Findings on Facebook in higher education: A comparison of college faculty and student uses and perceptions of social networking sites. The Internet and Higher Education, 13(3), 134-140. Elsevier Inc. doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2010.03.002
@Reedyreedles
Credits & ReferencesSelwyn, N. (2009). The digital native – myth and reality. Aslib Proceedings, 61(4), 364-379. doi:10.1108/00012530910973776
Vygotsky, L. (2002). Play and its role in the Mental Development of the Child, 1-18.
White, D., & Le Cornu, A. (2011). Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. First Monday, 16(9). Retrieved from http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/3171/3049
@Reedyreedles
Credits & ReferencesInternet & Social Media arrow via Clip art
Natives or Residents: Children with iPad: CC-BY-SA Flickr User Ant McNeill