The Implications for Teachers using Online Social Media

Social Media School

The Implications for Teachers using Online 

Social Media

Since the year 2000, technology has moved at a significant pace.  Schick (2008) defines Web 2 technology as “a space for interaction and knowledge construction also accessed by PC” (p.214) and Web 3 as “an interactive space accessed through mobile technology” (p.214).  On the webtrends.about.com website, Nations (Nations, n.d.) believes Web 3.0 will be appearing around 2015, with some suggesting Web 3.0 could include computers understanding stored information or even humans interacting in virtual worlds.  What is clear is that “we will experience a lot of change before it [Web 3] emerges” (Nations, n.d.) and the internet is becoming “the centre of both our work and our play” (Nations, n.d.).   

(ASCO, 2011)

I contend that the use of technology and specifically, social media, (see http://www.gcflearnfree.org/socialmedia) must become a part of everyday classroom practice, but also acknowledge that there are barriers and implications by adopting online information and communications technology (ICT) for educators.

Sticht (2011) sees the use of using ICT with literacy learners as a way to develop social capital and defines social capital as “the social connections and understandings between people that enable them to work together, live together and learn from each other” (p.1).  The numerous digital technologies provide social capital through “discussion groups, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social media sites” (p.1) and allow learners to study outside as well as inside the classroom.  For an educator, Schick (2008) believes this interaction means moving on from “dutiful adherence to curriculum” (p.212) by engaging learners with “real-time online conversation” (p.212) and creating opportunity for learners and educators to engage with innovation, communication and real-world issues” (p.218).  Casey and Evans (2011) analysis of online learning show that both the educator and learner must learn to work together in “nonlinear ways” (www.irrodl.org).

On the Campus Technology website (Campustechnology.com ), Lederer (2012) highlights some of the benefits for educators using social media in the classroom:

• As an educational tool to “foster collaboration and discussion, create meaningful dialogue, exchange ideas and boost student interaction” (Lederer, 2012).
• Increase student engagement. E.g. allows students to engage with others that wouldn’t normally because of shyness or intimidation.
• Communication improvement between educator and students by sharing information, websites or educators answering questions on Facebook.
• Employment preparation.  Using sites such as LinkedIn or Twitter to improve employment success

Changing to ICT in foundation learning can be viewed with both excitement and trepidation for an educator.  However, it is not just educators who must make change.  Organisations must budget and plan for the use of ICT development for online courses and ensure that their computer systems have the capacity to handle the added burden online learning creates.  Although online learning can be seen as long term cost saving for the organisation, “what appear as efficiencies at a system level are not necessarily experienced as efficiencies at an individual level” (Schick, 2008, p.209).  For teaching practitioners, “ICT use may be an additional burden on top of current workload and professional development requirements” (Schick, 2008, p.206).  Schick (2008) identifies several key areas educators must address (p.210)(adapted from Rogers, 2007):

Emotions

Fears and motivation: Can I do this? Do I feel supported or coerced? Will I feel embarrassed if my students know more than me? Do I feel safe learning this?

Information approaches and strategies - Cognitive

Calvin, T. B.

“I already know enough to do my job fine – this is just an extra.  It isn’t really part of my subject area” (p.210).

Power/Organisational/Social relationships

What if I make mistakes – will I be blamed? Will I get acknowledgement? What’s in it for me? Is there time to do this?

“Technical – Is this practical?” (p.210)

Content resources. Approaches needed to teach and aids to use. Courses, coaching and mentoring.

Social media is changing at a rapid rate, and “‘early adopters’” (Tyler-Smith, 2006) led and forged the use of ICT in foundation education.  However, organisations are more conservative with experimentation and pushing the boundaries, so therefore “tend to constrain most individuals’ practice” (Schick, 2008, p.208), making it difficult for educators to break into new areas of ICT.  Schick (2008) identifies some major challenges for educators, including time to learn and become familiar with the technology, time to develop the courses using ICT along with the “conflicting philosophies and approaches to teaching and learning” (p.212).  Also, educators often have to contend with rolling enrolments, different languages, ages and abilities which makes it difficult to foster “learner-centered instruction” (p.211) that using social media encourages.  Educators themselves may also have similar “variable and spiky profiles of ICT skill and knowledge” (p.213) to their learners and conflicts of their own as teachers being “confident authorities and holders of knowledge” (p.213).

Ledder (2012) also brings up areas of concern that educators must plan for when using social media in the classroom:

Distraction

SOS_Wordle

Students are easily distracted from the learning content through using Twitter and Facebook.

Cyberbullying

Educators must intervene to prevent bullying episodes.

Lack of Face-to-Face communication

Students reliance on Social media for communication undermines valuable social skills needed for classroom interaction.  

  

Conclusion

I believe it is crucial for educational organisations to give educators time and support to manage the new technology as we head towards the Web 3.0 era.  Not only do educators need support to learn the technology, overcome fears around technology, but they must engage with social media and incorporate it in their planning.  Along with organisational support, educators need professional development to assist them to move from a teacher centered teaching approach to a learner centered approach.  Or, in the words of Casey and Evans (2011), educators must “find innovative ways to construct disorder and flow with chaos and build resilience to the traditional training that instinctively drives them to take control” (www.irrodl.org).

References
ASCO. (2011). Students like social media [Painting]. Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://edudemic.com/2012/01/students-social-media/

Calvin, T. B. (2012). Pros and cons of new technology for employers and employees [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.orato.com/tech-games/social-networks-pros-cons

Casey, G. & Evans, T. (2011, November). Design for learning: Online social networks as a classroom environment. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(7). Retrieved from http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1011/2021

Lederer, K. (2012). Pros and cons of social media in the classroom. Campus Technology digital magazine. Retrieved from http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx

Murray, D. E. (2000) Changing techologies, changing literacy communities? Language Learning & Technology, 4(2), 43-58. Retrieved from http://autonline.aut.ac.nz/bbcswebdav/library/Library%20Content/murray.htm

Nations, D. (n.d.) What is Web 3.0?. Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://webtrends.about.com/od/web20/a/what-is-web-30.htm

Rogers, P. (2007, July). ‘Thanks for pointing out my failings in public’ – and other things you’ll never hear in evaluation. Paper presented at the Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association Conference, Masterton, New Zealand.

Schick, R. (2008). Many ways to communicate: Using ICT in foundation learning.  In J. Benseman and A. Sutton (Eds) Facing the Challenge: Foundation Learning for Adults in Aotearoa New Zealand, 17, 206-219.

Social media school [untitled painting].  Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://edudemic.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/social-media-school.jpg

SOS_Wordle [painting]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2013, from http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/index.cfm?p=2576

Sticht, T. (2011). Social capital, social media and adult literacy education: commentary. National Adult Literacy Database. Retrieved from http://www.nald.ca/news/0216116938

Tyler-Smith, K. (2006, September). The first time e-Learners journey: an examination of attrition and withdrawal issues in the workplace-based programmes. Paper presented at the eFEST 2006, Wellington, New Zealand.