USING PINTEREST AS A WAY TO HAVE STUDENTS SHARE

CONTENT AND BUILD CLASS ENGAGEMENT

Gordon B. Schmidt

Assistant Professor of Organizational Leadership & Supervision

IPFW

February 6th, 2015

WHAT IS SOCIAL MEDIA?

“a group of Internet-based applications… that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content” (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010)

• Places people can share their content, information, opinions, and knowledge

• How many of you are on at least one of these sites? Several?

IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA Significant part of how people interact today

Facebook alone1.39 billion active monthly users (1.19 billion are on mobile)890 million active daily users (82.4% outside US/Canada)71% of adult Internet users use Facebook

Other sites significant percentages as well Instagram (26%), Twitter (23%), LinkedIn (28%), and Pinterest (28%)

Significant communications/interactions through such sites What you can post can even have employment consequencesStay tuned for 2:15 pm session focusing on that, next in this room!

SOCIAL MEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM

With many students familiar with and interested in social media sites, such sites can be tools for engagement in the classroom

Sites can also offer tools or features that help learning

Has anyone here used social media in classroom?

WHAT IS PINTEREST?

“Pinterest is a place to discover ideas for all your projects and interests, hand-picked by people like you” (Pinterest, 2015)

Pinterest is a digital bulletin board that acts as a means of visual discovery, collection of images and links, easy medium for sharing, and a storage/organization tool for things of interest to a user

They conceptualize Pinterest as like a physical pin board

Who uses Pinterest?

WHAT FEATURES DOES PINTEREST PROVIDE?

Provides a visual medium in which to store pictures, links, videos, infographics

You can title boards and sort “pins” to appropriate boards

You can offer personal descriptions or commentary on each thing pinned

You can see other people’s boards and pinsFollow boards to be informed of new content

For a pin you can like the pin or repin it on one of your own boards

You can also message other users

WHAT VALUE DO THESE FEATURES PROVIDE?

Allow users to share content from anywhere on the web or their own computer (as long as it is/is represented by a visual, a picture or a video)

Creates a visual board users can scroll through to look at content

Boards can be collaborativeMultiple authors on one board

Can repin content from other boards

Can share content from others, too

Through your title or comment you can express your own

EXAMPLES OF PINTEREST USE IN CLASSROOM

Pinterest has been used in some classrooms

Suggesting additional reading materials

Giving examples related to content

Students share stories or examples

Posting of student art

Peer review of content

http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/professors-peers-pinterest.jpg

MY CLASS CONTEXTOLS 37500- Training Methods

Teach students about how to design and run training programs in organizational settings

Understand the general principles of training as well as the nuts and bolts of running a training program

The course is a hybrid sectionMeet in person for 1 hour 15 minutes once a sessionOther “session” each week is done online https://www.pinterest.com/iopsychology/ols-3753m-training-methods-spring-2015/

PINTEREST IN MY CLASS

With the hybrid set up I was looking for how to make online part more engaging

Had before done exclusively through Blackboard discussions boards

Wanted students to be more active in content creation and search

Help make the online part more active

Had begun own professional use of Pinterest for sharing of research and teaching resources with others

HOW I USE IN CLASSI pair Pinterest posts with Blackboard message board posts

Pinterest is used as a medium for students to share relevant content on a topic area they found (Tyler et al. 2009)Students find a relevant video clip, blog entry, or picture that relates to what we are studying that week and “Pin” it on the course websiteThey give a 2 sentence description of the content they pin and how it connects with the topic on PinterestThey then go to the course Blackboard forum to write a more full description analyzing the content and connecting to class concepts give a more Other students then comment on those postshttps://www.pinterest.com/iopsychology/ols-3753m-training-

EXAMPLE ASSIGNMENT

“Choose a media clip online that shows a performance gap at an organization” (So where workers are not doing behaviors or performing at a level expected)

The students then write a 2 sentence summary

On Blackboard they discuss how they would do

A needs analysis to figure out why this happened

other students then comment with other

things to look out to figure out the issue

ROLE OF PINTEREST IN MY CLASS

I focus on that Pinterest is a good place for students to share visual content

Pinterest is the place where students share the content they have found related to course concepts

I give instructions of content for students to find related to course concepts taught during week

Thus students reflect on the material in finding appropriate examples

The deeper analysis done by students is kept for the Blackboard forums

PITFALLS AND ISSUES FOR CLASS

So far no big issues for my class but a few small ones

Getting students signed up

Need to follow board and get pinning privileges assigned by me

Refresh when new pins added inconsistent

Some students are very familiar with the site while others are notNeed to realize one student understanding how to use doesn’t mean everyone else will immediately

APPLICATIONS TO OTHER CLASSES

Significant potential to apply to classes across the spectrum of courses

Will need to fit with your own goals

Helps the most when visual is helpful for learning or engagement

I will now give examples across a few different types of courses

WRITING OR ENGLISH

Post examples for analysis-critique

Find writing online

Discuss any elements of writingStructure

Grammar

Language use

Could also be student work

ART

Post example work of art for topicEx. Post an Impressionistic work and describe elements

that it fits the movement

Post own work or representative work on a topicCan be used for peer review or analysis

COMMUNICATION/PHILOSOPHY

Could use existing pins

Quotes are very popular on site

Re-pin examples and analyze

How persuasive is the quote?

How does it try to influence the reader?

What theories, rhetorical tools, or philosophies does it fit with?

NATURAL SCIENCES/ENGINEERING

Choice an example of what discussed

Use comment to describe nature or characteristics

ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?

This presentation can be found on Slideshare:

You can also email me at: schmidtg@ipfw.edu

Or message me on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/pub/gordon-schmidt/13/a90/891