But teachers and tutors, especially in higher education are harnessing the power of social media for their higher purpose. Engaging students through the medium of Twitter as it is helping to encourage active participation and promote questions and contemplation.
The trouble with Twitter is that it can often be misunderstood as simply a means of celebrities documenting their every move in an exercise of self-promotion and vanity. But Twitter can be used for a more interactive education process. By using this preferred method of communication, students and teachers can tap into a new way of getting through to each other and here is how:
Twitter Design and Conduct
First of all tutors and teachers will need to set up their Twitter account. Make it relevant and readily accessible to the public (i.e. having an account name that is appropriate and searchable for everyone). Then give it a style of your own, concentrating on your educational interests the topics of study; allowing people to find you through topic search.Using a Hashtag is a great way of keeping track of students’ feedback. Ask them to address you using a specific hashtag (#) – for differentiating between questions, opinions and comments, for example #EnglishQ&A.
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Many will question if it is good to set this up, does encouraging students to be on their smart phones during class or on their course open up other temptations of use but what you need to remember is Twitter is also accessible through a desktop so in educational time you could use this tool on computers. Another investment is for the school to invest in iPads, and then you can monitor what else is on the device in use.
Twitter is a great introduction to the real world, especially if you’re teaching or studying a vocational course. Teachers and students can connect with key opinion leaders in their field to gather information and discuss work experience.
Twitter can be a great networking tool and tutors can actively encourage pupils to start practicing their connection-making skills early. Making a name for yourself as a student who is keen to take on an internship could set you apart from the competition – and it is tight for the top jobs these days!
A great example comes in the form of academic Graeme Pate, who actively encourages his students to tweet him during the lecture, believing it allows quieter students to confidently ask questions. He took the idea from conferences, where delegates are often asked to do the same thing.
Mr. Pate believes tweeting provides both student and teacher a more informal and efficient means of interaction, keeping both alert and interested. This responsible use of phones within the classroom could just catch on.
How Twitter Can Help Students
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-Twitter can enable students to ask quick questions about the course or assignment
-Find out who their favorite teacher follows and their specialist knowledge
-Enables shy students to openly give feedback about courses or lecturer styles
-Get ideas and opinions from the wider world – asking questions to the world
-Research and check sources – finding useful links
-Broaden knowledge in subject areas such as news and politics – what is happening in the real world
How Twitter Can Help Teachers
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-Twitter can provide teachers with real time feedback on their teaching style or syllabus
-Engage with students on a communications level that they ‘get’
-Expand teaching outside the classroom with quizzes (incorporating hash tag answers)
-Helps teachers encourage the quieter students to get involved in discussion
-Choose whichever style suits you (using Twitter during or outside the classroom)
-Get messages to students immediately (assignment deadline reminders/venue changes)
Jenny Ann About the Author:
Jenny Ann Beswick is a graduate, who invested her university education in engineering and additionally specialized in studying project management through a Telegraph Course. Jenny found that Twitter enabled her to research on industry news and better network with other students globally, increasing her educational resources.