Social networking gives teachers an opportunity to engage students in questioning and learning outside the composition classroom. This presentation will showcase how we can use social media as an extension of the classroom to teach students research tactics and conventions, ultimately encouraging students to become informed participants in online communities.

1. s
Hey, @students! #LetsChat:
Using Social Media to Provide Feedback
and Digital Engagement in the Classroom
Graduate Students, Written Communication
• Shanna Gilkeson
Jessie Miller
Lisa Pignotti

2. Introduction
S. Gilkeson, J. Miller, L.Pignotti: Graduate Students in Written Communication
Research Questions Plan
1. How can we incorporate social
media in low-tech classrooms?
1. How can we give educational
goals a presence in social
media?
2. How can we overcome potential
student resistance?
 Use Twitter to enhance
academic development
 Extend classroom conversations
through Facebook
 Create multimodal compositions
using Social Media platforms

3. Preliminary Survey: Students and Social Media
S. Gilkeson, J. Miller, L.Pignotti: Graduate Students in Written Communication
75.76%
59.09%
19.70%
24.24%
50%
60.61%
1.52%
19.70%
0.00%
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
Facebook Twitter Tumblr Google+ YouTube Instagram Linkdin Pinterest None
Social Media Sites Used

4. Preliminary Survey: Students and Social Media
S. Gilkeson, J. Miller, L.Pignotti: Graduate Students in Written Communication
I can't make it
through class
without checking!
15%
Several times per day
67%
Once a day
11%
1%
5%
1%
I can't make it through class without
checking
Several times per day
Once a day
Once a week
Once a month
Never
Frequency of Social Media Use

5. Preliminary Survey: Students and Social Media
S. Gilkeson, J. Miller, L.Pignotti: Graduate Students in Written Communication
Student Reactions To Social Media in the Classroom
Positive
Neutral
Negative
"I believe that it will be a new and exciting thing to me being
that i never used social media in a classroom."
"I usually do anyway so it is nothing new."
"I hate it. I only have a Facebook account because I lost a bet and I'm just
not into it; it overwhelms and distracts me and makes too many accounts to
keep track of. I feel like I waste time."

6. s
Hey, @students! #LetsChat:
Using Social Media to Provide Feedback
and Digital Engagement in the Classroom
Graduate Student, Written Communication
• Shanna Gilkeson

7. Twitter as a Mode of Research and Inquiry
Shanna Gilkeson, Graduate Student in Written Communication
Students read “How Social Media
Profile Settings Could Affect Your
Future” by Amanda Augustine.
After completing an assignment in
which they Google searched
themselves and wrote about what
they found, students then tweeted
about their experiences, what they
learned from the article, or any
questions that still remained. The
hashtag #ENGL121G was used for
tracking, and students included
the author's Twitter
handle, @JobSearchAmanda, by
way of inviting her to join our
dialogue.

8. Twitter as a Mode of Research and Inquiry
Shanna Gilkeson, Graduate Student in Written Communication
Students have also been
using their Twitter accounts
to let me know how their
research projects are going
and to share their initial
reactions to developments.

9. How Would You Like to Use Social Media in Your Education?
Shanna Gilkeson, Graduate Student in Written Communication
I posed this question to students
near mid-semester, once they'd
had some exposure to some of the
different ways social media can be
used. Some of them are beginning
to think beyond the assignment
reminder service or group-work
tool that came to mind when we
first asked the question at the
beginning of the semester.
Some have had the “a-ha moment”
- Twitter doesn't have to be for
telling the world you just had a
peanut butter sandwich!

10. The Next Step
Shanna Gilkeson, Graduate Student in Written Communication
After students complete their research papers on a way in which technology
touches our daily lives, the next step will be to convert that research into a different
genre for a different audience. As our theme is “Life in the Digital Age,” students
will be transferring what they've learned onto a web-based platform of their
choice. This could take the shape of a Facebook group, a Tumblr or Twitter
account, a blog, or any number of platforms available.

11. s
Extending Classroom Composition:
Using Social Media platforms to create
multimodal compositions
Graduate Student, Written Communication
Jessie Miller

12. Part One: Using Technology in Class
Using Google Drive for student peer review
Jessie Miller, Graduate Student in Written Communication

13. Research essay assignment components:
Part One: Overview
Part Two: Privacy
Settings
Part Two: Discussing and Writing about Social Media
Part Three: Societal
Impact
• Research the
history of the site
• Explain its purpose
and how it’s
changed over time
• Describe the users
and their actions
• Explain the site’s
privacy settings
• Describe the
effects such
“privacy” can have
on its users
• Pick one impact
the site has had on
society
• Explain the impact
•Argue how the site
has changed our
lives
Jessie Miller, Graduate Student in Written Communication

14. Multimodal transformations of students’ research essay
Part One: Revise Essay
Part Two: Remodify
work on Social Media
Part Three: Creating Multimodal Work on Social Media Platforms
Part Three: Add
Content
• Condense content
• Retain main point
• Tailor revisions to
match selected
social media’s
conventions
• Incorporate videos
• Get reactions
• Connect with
researchers
• Add links to
relevant
information
Jessie Miller, Graduate Student in Written Communication

15. Student reactions to the class’s focus on technology and its incorporation in the classroom:
Positive Feedback Neutral Feedback
Overall: Student Reactions to Focus on Technology and Social Media
Negative Feedback
“I did not like
the theme of
technology
and amount of
online work.”
“I appreciate the
online feedback.
Most teachers
don’t seem to
care enough
anymore to do
stuff like that.”
“I like the class
but I don’t like
research in
general.”
80 percent 15 percent 5 percent
Jessie Miller, Graduate Student in Written Communication

16. s
Graduate Student, Written Communication
Lisa Pignotti
Extending Classroom Conversations:
Using Facebook in
First-Year Writing

17. Creating a Class Facebook Group
Lisa Pignotti, Graduate Student in Written Communication
Advantages
Benefits
Students can post:
Questions about assignments
Discussion Questions
Articles/Videos related to
research topics
Instructor can post:
Announcements
Documents
Surveys Questions
Questions/Articles/Video related
to research and topics
Privacy settings allow
open, closed, or secret groups
Ability to invite students to
join via university email
Purpose of group can be
clearly stated and remain
visible for students
Instructor can see who’s seen
various posts
Ability to comment and like
posts by both students and
instructor
Regular notification about
comments, posts, and likes
Encouraging
Student
Participation
A “posting” schedule divided students into six
groups of four. Each group was assigned a week to
post, and each group member was responsible to
post an article or discussion question relevant to
class. The remaining class members would then
post one comment to a post of their choosing.
Students earned participation
and assignment points based
on a one-time-minimum per
week post or comment to
the group.

18. Students, Facebook, and the Classroom
Lisa Pignotti, Graduate Student in Written Communication
Other
37% Facebook
63%
Social Media Use Convenience of Access
Frequency of Access
Once a Day
37.5%
A Few Times
Per Week
45.83%
Once a Week
8.33%
Never
4.17%
Once Every
Couple Weeks
4.17%
4.17%
0%
29.17%
41.67%
25%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
Other
No. I don't have convenient internet access.
No. I only log on to Facebook for this class.
Yes. I don't go on Facebook a lot, but it is easy enough to check
out the group page.
Yes. I'm already on Facebook doing other things, so I just click on
the group page.
Yes. I’m already on Facebook doing other things
Yes. I don’t go on Facebook often, but it’s easy enough to
check
No. I only log on for this class
No. I don’t have convenient internet access.
Other

19. Students, Facebook, and the Classroom
Lisa Pignotti, Graduate Student in Written Communication
Student Reactions
“[I like that] people show
interest and different
insight to what we're
learning in class, almost
like an online class
discussion.”
“What I like most about the
Facebook group page is
that I can interact with my
classmates outside of class
whenever I have a question
about an assignment.”
“Facebook use to be
something I did if I had
time. Don't like to be
required to get on FB.”
16.67%
8.33% 8.33%
41.67%
4.17%
12.50%
8.33%
0%
15%
30%
45%
I like it. It has been really
helpful for assignment
clarification and
announcements
I like it. The articles my
classmate’s have posted
have been very interesting
and relevant to my research
topic
I like it. It has helped me
connect and communicate
with other students outside
of the classroom
I’m indifferent. I’ve found it
helpful and interesting at
times
I dislike it. I don’t
understand why we have
this group page. It is not
helpful at all
I dislike it. I like using social
networking for personal
time only, not for school
OtherI like it.
It is helpful for
assignment
clarification and
announcements
I like it.
The articles posted
have been interesting
and relevant to my
research topic
I like it.
It has helped me connect
and communicate with
other students outside of
the classroom
I’m indifferent.
I’ve found it helpful
and interesting
at times
I dislike it.
I don’t know why we
have this group page.
It is not helpful at all.
I dislike it.
I like using social media
for personal time
only, not for school
Other

20. Student Initiated Discussions and Posts
Lisa Pignotti, Graduate Student in Written Communication
Posts Related to Research Topics Working Through Assignments Together

21. Lessons Learned
Lisa Pignotti, Graduate Student in Written Communication
More effective than email to communicate
to the class as a whole
Students will answer each other’s
questions about assignments
Engaging students in high-order
discussions is more difficult than in the
classroom
Students do not like the requirement, but
most find some benefit in it

22. Future Plans for Our Project
S. Gilkeson, J. Miller, L.Pignotti: Graduate Students in Written Communication
Social Media as Digital Pedagogy
Rework projects for next year’s classes
Create “videograms” and podcasts in
response to student inquiries
Design class research Wikis where students
can publish and link their research projects
Use Tumblr as a space for students to
develop research journals