How do people use Twitter and why do we need to know?

mLearn, October 2008

Andy Ramsden

Head of e-learning

University of Bath

a.ramsden@bath.ac.uk

eatbath-present

andyramsden

Presentation

aims

• Discuss the role of Twitter as a learning technology.

• Report back on some of my research findings

• Create the opportunities to share effective practice in the use of Twitter as an educational technology.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bidryboo/300945382/

how this session will run

• Audience participation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigpogm/13839044/

Why should we start talking now?

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them.

As of July 2008, over 2,200,000 accounts were registered

So …

How do you think we might use Twitter in teaching, learning or administration?

Tag responses: q1

07624 804921

http://www.mobile-learning.blog-city.com/read/twitter.htm

my key research questions

• how are people currently using twitter?• what is shaping this pattern?• how is this pattern changing over time?• how do people view twitter as a learning technology?

http://www.bath.ac.uk/opus/handle/10247/471

The sample

• 12 people – May 2008

Characteristics

• 80% have been using Twitter or over 4 months. Whilst over 30% have been using Twitter for over 6 months

• 4 people would be termed “power user”. Classified as updating their Twitter status over 11 times a week

Twitter classification index

Classification Number %

Social / team awareness (1) 196 53.9

1-2-1 communication (2) 106 29.2

Asking questions (3) 3 0.8

Links (4) 54 14.9

Other (5) 4 1.1

• 9 people in sample• Last 40 tweets

How do people access it?

• primary method – 4/12 via www.twitter.com

• 8 / 11 via a combination of approaches, such as Twitter web site, desktop client and mobile device.

Do people integrate Twitter with other software?

• 90% of respondents integrated Twitter with other software. Of which 60% of sample integrated Twitter with Facebook.

Why integrate?

• 3 people focussed on efficiency• 2 people focussed on broadening their audience

Does integration add value?

• “I’m not sure yet” • “I don’t think it does really”

Are these patterns changing?

• 9 people agreed they’d increased the frequency of their twitter updates in the last month

• 5 people agreed they’d started to spend more time searching for people

• 2 people stated they’d stopped following people

• 7 out of 11 said they’d expect to be using Twitter in 12 months time.

How use in L&T? A framework for analysis (them)

e-Admin

e-Learning

administration

creating a sense of community

social context / cohesion between students

How use in L&T? A framework for analysis (us)

e-Admin

e-Learning

Session feedback

Would you recommend this session to a colleague?

Tag responses: q3

07624 804921

Could you explain your answer?

yes no

thank you & questions

- 07624 804921

Andy Ramsden

a.ramsden@bath.ac.uk

eatbath-present

andyramsden

Feedback for us … what did you like, what should we stop doing, and how might we improve this session?

Tag responses: QR mLearn