Educators are searching for ways to
put social media to work in the classroom. Twitter might fit the bill the best.
Students are already using the
social networking platform to follow experts in their field and to stay
informed on breaking news. It is also used as a personal learning network,
linking students with peers and resources, according to Debra Beck, public
relations coordinator at the University of Wyoming, in an article in the online newspaper The Evolllution, which focuses on lifelong learning.
Using a common hashtag, students can
search topics and share discoveries with peers. Twitter promotes live
discussions and interaction with a global audience, allows students and
instructors to share class information and reminders, and gives students a way
to directly connect with their professor.
However, to make Twitter work best, Beck
said policies need to be established for interacting with classmates,
respecting privacy, and protecting it from becoming a distraction in the
classroom.
“Those risks are real. They also are
part of online life in a space where, if students are not already engaged, they
will be—or should be—as working professionals,” Beck wrote. “Modeling
appropriate online behavior and jointly engaging in critical assessment of
information can be an important additional contribution to their learning experience.”
