Implementing Social Media

Many students use social media platforms in their daily lives, and “emerging evidence indicates that students express positive attitudes toward using social media for learning in general” (Baisley-Nodine, Ritzhaupt & Antonenko, 2018). However, there are also many concerns connected with using social media in an educational setting. These include issues related to a lack of familiarity with the platform, the potential for distraction, and privacy concerns. Therefore, it is important to carefully plan the use of social media in a course to address any potential issues or concerns.

When designing a learning activity that uses social media, consider the following best practices.

Offer choice and alternative assignments that achieve the same learning outcomes. Vie (2019) explored the example of faculty assigning students to use their Twitter account to develop academic networks by tweeting “at” authors of assigned works in their class. Some students may not feel comfortable signing up for a Twitter account, whether it be because of privacy concerns, or a discomfort or unfamiliarity with the platform. To address these concerns, students could also be provided the option of reading through hashtagged conference tweets and emailing selected faculty members to introduce themselves. This would allow students to still network and build community without having to sign up for a Twitter account.

According to Vie (2019), students may be less likely to engage on social media if they don’t understand why the tool is being used in a learning activity. Thus, be sure to include an explanation of why the learning activity uses the chosen social media platform when introducing the activity to students.

Focus on just one social media platform. Students have reported being concerned with having to keep up with multiple social media platforms (Odom, Jarvis, Sandlin, & Peek, 2013), so it could be more impactful to choose one platform in a course to ensure that students can stay informed and engaged.

Develop a clear plan for implementation and monitoring. While activities involving social media are most impactful when they are student-centered and student-led, it is crucial that the instructor maintain a presence to ensure that students are engaging as intended (Baisley-Nodine, Ritzhaupt & Antonenko, 2018). Active instructor presence can also help minimize the fear that social media in the classroom could be a distraction (Odom, Jarvis, Sandlin, & Peek, 2013), because the instructor can ensure that students are using the platform to fulfill the goals of the learning activity.

Consider accessibility. Faculty often gravitate toward using the most popular social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. However, these platforms have many accessibility issues, including unreliable auto-captioning and lack of consistent alternative text. Faculty may want to consider researching alternative social media platforms that were built with accessibility in mind. Faculty can also use best practices when posting to social media and encourage students to do the same. For more information about best practices, explore the Accessible Social website.

Baisley-Nodine, E., Ritzhaupt, A.D., & Antonenko, P.D. (2018). Exploring social presence within an online course using Twitter. E-Learning and Digital Media, 15(5), 235-253.

Odom, S.F., Jarvis, H.D., Sandlin, M.R., & Peek, C. (2013). Social media tools in the leadership classroom: Students’ perceptions of use. Journal of Leadership Education, 12(1), 34-53.

Vie, S. (2018). Effective social media use in online writing classes through universal design for learning (UDL) principles. Computers and Composition, 49, 61-70.