The document provides a critical assessment of social media tools and their benefits and challenges for education. It summarizes research that found most students use social media like Facebook and Twitter, but primarily for personal use rather than academics. Both students and staff saw potential for using social media to interact with professors and enhance classes. However, concerns with social media include privacy, time commitment, and lack of expertise. The document reviews literature finding social media can increase engagement but also presents risks if not implemented carefully. Overall, the document examines the current state of social media use in education and debates their pros and cons.
Lee Dunn social media benefits and challenges in learning
1. Critical assessment of social media tools
The Benefits and the Challenges
Lee Dunn
Programme Leader Education and Technology
lee.dunn@glasgow.ac.uk | @leeandrewdunn
Twitter Conversation #CLL1314 and #CLLSocial | www.leedunn.co.uk
2. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?Objectives
• New technologies and emerging pedagogy
• What does the literature tell us?
• What do our practitioner studies tell us?
• Benefits and Challenges
Source: http://www.cite.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Social_Media_Categories.jpg
4. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?First Year Student Use of Technology (mobile devices)
95% access email
94% access the web
86% share photos / images
67% microblog (tweet)
62% make video calls
Source: Honeychurch, S., and McCluckie, B. (2013) via www.gla.ac.uk/studentvoice
http://www.softwarepays.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Mobile-Web-Vs-Mobile-App.jpg
5. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?What do we use this data for?
Decision making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to
learn and the meaning of incoming information is a skill required
by the 21st century learner (Roblyer et al. 2010).
6. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?New technologies and emerging pedagogy
Modelling good practice and teaching methodology (ITE);
eLearning and virtual learning environments;
Developing professional attributes and affordances of
technology e.g. strategic priorities for learning and teaching;
Bring Your Own Device - learning with technology verses
teaching with technology (Dunn, 2012).
7. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?Taking managed risks to enhance learning
What social media do my students use?
How do my students use social media? (purpose)
How do they want to use social media (in their studies)?
8. Overview of data
Source: Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in higher education: can social media enhance the learning experience?
In: 6th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK.
92% (n=239) of my students use social media;
Which social media do you use?
Facebook 86%
Twitter 41%
Google+ 24%
LinkedIn / Other 24%
9. Overview of data
Source: Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in higher education: can social media enhance the learning experience?
In: 6th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK.
What do you use it for?
Personal Use 81%
Professional Networking 34%
Research and Teaching 24%
What is your desired use within your studies?
Interact with staff 41%
Labs and tutorials 21%
Seminars 19%
Lectures 17%
10. This snapshot is not unique within the HE landscape
Source: Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in higher education: can social media enhance the learning experience?
In: 6th Annual University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK.
Graham Pate
The University of Glasgow (Twitter @agpate)
Mark Feltham
Liverpool John Moores University (Twitter @MarkFeltham666)
Chris Evans
Brunel University (Twitter @chris_evans)
11. Twitter – career long professional learning
Twitter as a node of learning and
grounded in the theories of
Connectivism? (Downes, 2005) e.g.
are we seeing new epistemologies
emerge alongside new pedagogies
where control is shifting from the tutor
to an increasingly more autonomous
learner;
Some evidence that it provides a new
construct for learning and for literacy
(Greenhow & Gleason, 2012);
Was prominent during the Arab
Spring (Dunn, 2011);
14. Expect the unexpected!?
“Working with social media can be like
working with children and animals…
expect the unexpected and anticipate
what might go wrong. It probably will!”
18. Some of the concerns…
Source: Dunn, L. (2013) Using social media to enhance learning and teaching. In: Social Media 2013: 18th International
Conference on Education and Technology, 1-3 Aug 2013, Hong Kong, China.
Privacy (also in Zaidieh, 2012);
Professional conduct;
Time and resources;
Misunderstanding and miscommunication (also in Zaidieh, 2012);
Knowledge and expertise;
Personal disposition (of staff and students)
Not everyone uses the same social media (also in Fusch, 2011).
19. Some of the benefits… also seen in the literature
Increased motivation and engagement with course material;
Increasing student-to-student collaboration;
Enhanced interaction between the student and the teacher;
Accelerated data and information sharing;
Removes barriers to self-expression and contribution;
Provides students with 21st Century employability skills and an
increased level of satisfaction.
Source: Dunn, L. (2013) Using social media to enhance learning and teaching. In: Social Media 2013: 18th International
Conference on Education and Technology, 1-3 Aug 2013, Hong Kong, China.
20. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?References
Downes, S. (2005) An introduction to connective knowledge. Stephen’s Web.
Dunn, A. (2011) Unplugging a nation: State media strategy during Egypt’s January 25 uprising in Fletcher Forum on World
Affairs 35(2): pp. 129-136.
Dunn, L. (2012) Why it’s time to start BOYD in your school in Edudemic. http://www.edudemic.com/2012/12/why-its-time-to-
start-byod-in-your-school. (last accessed 10/07/2013).
Dunn, L. (2013) Teaching in higher education: can social media enhance the learning experience? In: 6th Annual University of
Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference, 19th Apr 2013, Glasgow, UK.
Dunn, L. (2013) Using social media to enhance learning and teaching. In: Social Media 2013: 18th International Conference
on Education and Technology, 1-3 Aug 2013, Hong Kong, China.
Evans, C. (2013) Twitter for Teaching: Can social media be used to enhance the process of learning? British Journal of
Education Technology.
Fulsh, D. (2011) Social Media and Student Learning: Moving the needle on engagement in Academic Impressions, pp. 15.
Greenhow, C and Gleason B. (2012) Twitteracy: Tweeting as a New Literacy Practice in The Educational Forum, (76). pp,
463-477.
Roblyer, M.D, McDaniel, M, Webb, M, Herman, J and Witty, J. (2010) Findings on Facebook in higher education: A
comparison of college faculty and student uses and perceptions of social networking sites in Internet and Higher Education,
Elesvier.
Zaidieh, A. (2012) The Use of Social Networking in Education: Challenges and Opportunities in World of Computer Science
and Information Technology Journal 2(1): pp 18-21.
21. HousekeepingTechnologies – where are we now?Reflection and Questions
Critical assessment of social media tools: the benefits and challenges
Lee Dunn
Programme Leader Education and Technology
School of Education | College of Social Sciences | University of Glasgow
lee.dunn@glasgow.ac.uk
twitter @leeandrewdunn
