SOCIAL MEDIA AND EDUCATION:HOW WEB 2.0 IS CHANGING THE WAY WE TEACH AND LEARN

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

• Web-based communication tools that connect people based on interests and relationships

• Related terms:  social computing, social software, online social tools, virtual communities, online social networking

• Examples:  Facebook, Twitter, Social Bookmarking, Wikipedia

WHAT IS WEB 2.0?

Characteristics include:• Tim O'Reilly definition• User-centered services delivered in a web-

based platform• Users have the ability to co-create goods and

services rather than consuming end product• Collaborative, self-organizing, self-policing

communities that destabilize hierarchy and empower ordinary users

• Web 2.0 tools include:  file sharing (photo/video/documents), tagging (user-created metadata), wikis (collaborative knowledge management), blogs (online interactive journals) , RSS feeds (syndication of frequently updated content), podcasting (downloadable digital audio media files)

COMMUNICATION AND SOCIAL MEDIA

How have these social tools changed the way we communicate?• Accessibility:  anywhere there is an

internet connection, you can communicate, and you can make yourself available to be communicated with

• Immediacy:  connection is in real-time• Multiple methods of interactivity:

messaging (public and private), chatting, blogging, photo/video sharing

WHO IS USING THESE ONLINE TOOLS, AND WHY?

A survey conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project reports:• "More than half (55%) of all online

American youths ages 12-17 use online social networking sites."

• "Older teens, particularly girls, are more likely to use these sites. For girls, social networking sites are primarily places to reinforce pre-existing friendships; for boys, the networks also provide opportunities for flirting and making new friends."

WHO IS USING THESE ONLINE TOOLS, AND WHY?

YOUTUBE

YouTube is a video-sharing service that lets users upload files to YouTube servers, where they are available online.

Implications for teaching and learning:

Exposing students to visual literacy skills

Engaging students as creators and commentators

Experimenting with new media

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About YouTube, EDUCAUSE

MICROBLOGGING

Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of digital content—text, pictures, links, short videos—on the Internet. Twitter.com is the most well-known microblogging tool.

Implications for teaching and learning:

Offers a backchannel forum during live classes

Send reminders of test dates and other deadlines

Builds online community

Announcements and notifications

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About Microblogging, EDUCAUSE

GOOGLE APPS

Google Apps are web-based programs and file storage tools with collaborative features built-in. They include communication tools (Gmail, Google Calendar) and productivity tools (Google Docs—word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software)

Implications for teaching and learning:

Google tools are collaborative and enable easy sharing of information and content

Easy way to publish student work

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About Google Apps, EDUCAUSE

WIKIPEDIA

Wikipedia is a free online Web-based encyclopedia that any one can add to or edit. It is one of the most popular online sources, and the article topics range from the very broad to the highly specific.

Implications for teaching and learning:

Students can be responsible for knowledge generation and part of a collaborative community of learners

Development of research and information literacy skills

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About Google Apps, EDUCAUSE

FACEBOOK

Wikipedia is an online social networking site where user interaction is based on relationships, networks, and shared interests.

Implications for teaching and learning:

Cultivation of relationships outside classroom

Collaborative creation of community and online identity

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About Google Apps, EDUCAUSE

SOCIAL BOOKMARKING

Social bookmarking is a Web-based method of saving and sharing Web sites and “tagging” them with keywords. Del.icio.us is one example.

Implications for teaching and learning:

Simplifies process of storing and sharing online resources with students

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About Google Apps, EDUCAUSE

PODCASTING

Podcasting is a method of recording audio content and uploading and sharing that content online. The term comes from the Apple iPod, a device that plays audio files.

Implications for teaching and learning:

Allows students to use iPods (or other mp3 players) for educational purposes

Makes course content (such as lectures) more accessible outside of classroom

Source: 7 Things You Should Know About Google Apps, EDUCAUSE

LINKS FOR FURTHER READING

• "Today's freshmen will have made e-contact with their roommates before they arrive on campus. But does so much connectivity make the transition harder?" (Washington Post)

• Educating the Net Generation e-book (Educause)

• Critical Perspectives on Web 2.0 (First Monday)

• Rector, L. H. (2008). "Comparison of Wikipedia and other encyclopedias for accuracy, breadth, and depth in historical articles."  Reference Services Review 36(1), 7-22.

• "The Professor as Open Book" (New York Times)