Using Social Media to Foster Learning Connections
Sharon Stoerger and Dylan BarthDTL Information SessionFriday, August 5, 2011
Overview
• Who are today’s students?• Social media in education• This study
– Part I: English composition course & Facebook– Part II: Social media & PLNs
• Findings, conclusions, & implications
Who are today’s students?
• Prolific tech users– Internet accounts– Social media users
• Email?• Personal lives – yes• Academic lives – not so much
• Device preferences– Laptops– Handheld devices
Learning in 2011
• Social interaction• Active participation• Engagement• Communication
– Blended/online courses– Social media solutions?
Current Concerns in Education• “Crisis of significance” (Wesch, 2008)
• Student-instructor communication– Use of social media up– 97% of students use (ECAR, 2010)
– Email replacement? (Roblyer et al., 2010)
• Lecture alternatives– Better learning (Saville et al., 2006)
– Lecture = least effective (Butler, 1991)
Community-peer Networks
• Greater satisfaction• National Survey of
Student Engagement (NSSE) – Positive educational
behaviors– Positive view of campus
environment
• Social media
Social Media & Educational Theories
• Edtech theories– Behaviorism– Cognitivism– Constructivism– Lacking?
• Technology changes– New theory needed?– Connectivism (Siemens, 2004)
This Study: Part I
• English 102: Introduction to Research Writing – Blended course– Structured around seven two-week modules – 24 students to start, 22 at the end– Students divided into two groups that met on
alternating days• Facebook search “UWMEnglish102”
Asynchronous Discussion Forums• Four online, asynchronous discussion forums
– Two in Facebook– Two in Desire2Learn
• Two groups of 12 students– Alternated between FB and D2L
• Discursive forums– Discuss scholarly and popular articles– Discuss a sample student portfolio– Discuss course goals
Asynchronous Discussion Forums
• Required 250+ word initial post and two 125+ word responses
• Instructor presence purposefully waned as the semester progressed
• Students could opt-out and join the D2L group or write an equivalent essay
Why experiment with the Facebook discussion tool?
• Meet students “where they live”• Expand beyond instructor-driven site to create
a peer network for research• Coordinate more dynamic and engaging
online conversations
Findings
• No qualitative difference between student responses in Facebook and D2L
• Discussions were no better, but no worse• Students did not seem to participate more on
the Facebook site
Findings
• Facebook application shortcomings– Lack of threaded discussion– Lack of gradebook and rubric integration– Lack of ability to rearrange forums– Lack of “__ per page” function– Lack of export function for in-class use – Lack of support and sustainability
Other Considerations
• Need to solicit student feedback• Experiment with other types of forums? • Synchronous, in-class Facebook discussion
– Michael Wesch’s “The Machine is Us/ing Us”
This study: Part II
• Instructional Technologies– 23 students, graduate– K-12 teachers, librarians, info techs– Fully online– CMS
– D2L– Walled garden
• Social Media
Why Social Media?
• Reach beyond the classroom
• Interact with “experts”
• Teacher-centered student-centered
Developing a PLN via social media
• Find people you want to know• Find conversations• Expand the surface area – explore!
• See also Jane Bozarth (2010)
Stages of the Learning Experience in a Connectivist Environment
(adapted from Pettenati & Cigognini, 2007)
The Activity
• Select a social media tool• Started with ~4 resources• Expand network – 20+ people/ideas• Semester-long project• Reflection (Herring, Oliver, & Reeves, 2003)
• Instructor role = “informed co-traveler” (Dron & Anderson, 2009).
Guiding Questions
• How do students make connections/PLNs?
• How do students use social media in a course?
• For an online course…– What are the positives?
– What are the negatives?
Data Collection
– Student interactions– Surveys– Reflections
Social Media & PLNs: Findings
Connectivism and Student’s PLNs
Students’ Network Connections
Student Reactions: Positive• Enthusiastic (e.g., blogs)
• “Technology is not just something that teachers and administrators work into their curriculum when they find the time or expertise needed. It is an essential part of our world today.”
• Technology = instant access to information
• Technology banning• “Schools cannot lead students to believe technology is bad
and forbid its use. It’s our job to teach them the educational benefits.”
Student Reactions: Negative
• Non-linear, “uncourse” (Hirst, 2009)
• The information– Overwhelming/fear
• “I was eager to try Twitter because everyone else has, so why shouldn’t I…Then, a few days passed and I became literally scared to open the site.”
– Quality & self-promotion• “I find it hard to believe that so many people continue to
follow contributors who so often self-congratulate, plead for support for online awards, or make frequent reference to their availability for hire as a consultant or guest speaker.”
Final Student Comments
• “We’re not going to be replaced by machines, but individual teachers will, I believe, be replaced by communities of learners. In those communities everyone will be a teacher and everyone will be a learner. We might not even distinguish between them.”
• “I feel optimistic a paradigm shift is happening in education.”
Future Research
• What do students contribute to their PLN?• How do students create connections? What is
their path?• What device(s) do students use to create
connections?
Conclusions
• Innovation – Risky– Students reluctant at first
• Technology skills• Active learning• Social media = learning experience glue
• Key = listen to your students
Thank You!
• Questions? • [email protected]
• Sharon Stoerger– [email protected]
• Dylan Barth– [email protected]
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