Twitter in the classroom: Is it just another distraction?

Presented by: Brianna Gainer

Can Twitter Be Used to Enhance the Educational Experience in Classrooms or is it simply another distraction for students?

THE Question:

I became interested in this topic after doing my tiny tech teaching on using social media in the classroom. I found websites with a variety of uses for twitter in the classroom and although it seems like a really fun way to engage students, it can also be a huge potential distraction to learning.

THE method behind THE Madness

IF Twitter is used in the classroom, THEN students will

be more engaged in the learning process.

THE Hypothesis

Twitter In The ClassroomA Case Study

fall 2010, three university classes, two sections of “Computers in

Education” (CE) and one in “Mobile Learning” (ML), taught by same teacher

Extra credit assignment students were asked to create a Twitter account, follow

each other on Twitter, follow class hashtags and tweet at least 75 tweets during the semester., students also filled out three progress reports asking questions from basic Twitter knowledge to their perceived Twitter educational value.

the instructor intentionally did not provide any instruction about Twitter, such as how to create an account, how to follow tweets or what is a hashtag.

The instructor tweeted heavily throughout the semester to the three classes using the hashtags with class-related news, information, and announcements.

Is Social Media Too Social for Class? A Case Study of

Twitter Use

Course

Participants

Accounts accessible

Never tweeted

Less than 10 tweets

Total Tweets Collected

CE 32 24 3 11 710ML 12 6 1 2 465

Is Social Media Too Social for Class? A Case Study of

Twitter Use

Course

Total tweets collected

Tweets with class (#)

Tweets to class-mates

Informational tweets With (#)

Informational tweets w/o (#)

Status tweets with (#)

Other

CE 710 309 18 88 74 173 48ML 465 75 18 51 297 20 4

Researchers found students enjoyed being consumers of tweets but seldom retweeted or replied

This study suggests that, when given options about use, students who use Twitter tend be most interested in it for information sharing, both in terms of resources related to the course and for commenting on their personal and immediate status.

Is Social Media Too Social for Class? A Case Study of

Twitter Use

OTHER FINDINGS

A study at Michigan State University that showed that students performed better and received higher grades in classes that used Twitter. The study found that students who were actively engaging with classmates and the instructor on Twitter were more interested in the course material—and ultimately received higher grades.

Study: Twitter Improves Student Learning in College Classrooms

1. creating a personal brand2. learning to be concise 3. personifying characters on Twitter4. teaching executives about social media 5. bringing clients to class

5 Unique Uses for Twitter in the classroom

My study ultimately revealed that Twitter can be used to enhance the learning experience. My recommendation would be that teachers facilitate and encourage active participation such as tweeting and responding to tweets instead of simply following the tweets because that is the only problem I foresee. I would encourage all teachers to try to integrate Twitter into the classroom.

Implications For Teaching

Lin, Meng-FenHoffman, EllenBorengasser, Claire. "Is Social Media Too Social For Class? A Case Study Of Twitter Use." Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice To Improve Learning 57.2 (2013): 39-45. Professional Development Collection. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Lytle, Ryan. "Study: Twitter Improves Student Learning in College Classrooms." U.S.News & World Report 2012: 1. ProQuest.Web. 2 Apr. 2013 .

Lytle, Ryan. "5 Unique Uses of Twitter in the Classroom." U.S.News & World Report 2011: 1. ProQuest. Web. 2 Apr. 2013 .

References