Results of research aimed at assisting in the use of suitable social media for higher learning and cognitive skill development.

1. Selecting Suitable Social
Media Tools for Cognitive
Skill Development
Shelly Lyck
June 27, 2013

2. Summary
Research documented in this presentation is useful
to educators who are committed to using social
media tools to enhance their learners’ academic
experience while also developing cognitive skills.
Empirical evidence indicates that learners enjoy
using social media tools, but it does not reveal that
these tools aid in cognitive development.
Educators must remain active in both the design
and implementation of the learning process to
ensure cognitive skill development takes place
because most social media tools were not
originally designed for education and learning
purposes. (Ravenscroft, Warburton, Hatzipanagos, & Conole, 2012; Ferris 2012)

3. Research & Learning Goals
1) To determine the appropriate social media
tool for use in curriculum relative to a given
cognitive taxonomic level
2) To incorporate suitable social media into
curriculum in order to enhance content
retention
3) To share research results with interested
parties

4. Web 2.0 – A new generation
 Technology that supports communication and
sharing as opposed to passively viewing
information online
 Software download is not usually required
 Many tools are available at no cost
 “Transparent technology” - tools are easy to use;
many learners and educators already use social
media in their personal lives
(Tunks, 2012)

5. Educational Benefits of Using
Social Media Tools
 Greater learner interest and engagement
 Learners take more control and responsibility
for their education (Blankenship, 2011)
 Continues to build community outside the
traditional classroom (Moody, 2010)
 Double loop learning – concept and content as
well as relations-among-concepts learning
(Proserpio & Gioia, 2007)

6. Considerations for
Social Media Tool Use
1) Attention: place social media so that it does not
distract learners
2) Participation: accept use of appropriate posts
and comments only
3) Collaboration: learners must “listen” to others;
loners derail progress
4) Network Awareness: learners must be literate
in how the social media network operates
5) Critical Consumption: learners need to
determine what information is reliable and
disposable (Blankenship, 2011)

7. Educator Role Shifts
 Identify useful webs of relationships among
concepts and content
 Provide rationales for understanding those
relations
 Guide learners in ways to search for and frame or
reframe information and knowledge
 Address privacy issues and the integrity of learner
assignment submissions
(Proserpio & Gioia, 2007; Percival & Muirhead, 2009; Moran, Seaman & Tinti-Kane, 2011)

8. Cognitive Taxonomic Levels
Knowledge
• Remembers
previously
learned
material
Comprehension
• Grasps the
meaning of
material
Application
• Uses learning
in new and
concrete
situations
Analysis
• Understands
both the
content and
structure of
material
Evaluation
• Judges the
value of
material for a
given purpose
Synthesis
• Formulates
new
structures
from existing
knowledge
and skills
(British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2010)

9. Educational
Social Media Tools

10. Online Chats & Discussion
Boards…
 Promote student interaction and course content
discussion even outside of class - wikis
 Encourage second language learners to
participate in discussion
 Obligate learners to respond to others who
respond to their postings
 Encourage more reflective thought, critical thinking
and aligning content with larger perspectives
(Blackmon, 2012)

11. Blogs…
 Echo traditional academic communication so are
the most “education friendly” social media tool
 Provide for self-reflection and public voice
 Require research and composition skills
 Diminish passive learning as learners create
their own blogs and comment on others’ blogs
 Community blogs promote dialogue, critical
thinking, problem solving and reflection
 Integrate into existing content smoothly
(Bartholomew, Jones, & Glassman, 2012)

12. Microblogs…
 Involve the posting of small pieces of digital
content on the internet – text, pictures, links, short
videos – Twitter is a popular site
 Useful for small group brainstorming sessions
 Used to share impressions and critiques of a
particular event
 Permit learners to gain knowledge by following
professional groups or organizations
 Allow learners to build community outside the
traditional classroom
(Tunks, 2012; Educause Learning Initiative, 2009)

13. Social Networking Sites…
 Allow instructors to become part of the collaborative
process with their learners – encouraging critical
discussion
 Provide space for information exchange including
articles, lectures, videos
 Encourage shy persons to participate
 Contribute to community building outside the
traditional classroom
 Provide portfolio building opportunities for learners
(Blackmon, 2012; Moody, 2010)

14. Videos…
 Enhance traditional lectures and learner
presentations
 Encourage learner creativity and application
of content
 Allow a greater selection of guest speakers
with use of Skype
(Moody, 2010)

15. Virtual Learning:
Simulations & Games…
 Allow multiple opportunities to implement different
strategies for problem solving
 Provide levels of difficulty for learners to
accomplish before proceeding
 Present a safe place to make errors and learn
from them
 Serve to enhance community building and
sharing of information as well as develop
individual knowledge and skill
(Proserpio & Gioia, 2007; Educase Learning Initiative, 2006)

16. Results
Social Media Tool
Online Chats &
Discussion Boards
Blogs
Microblogs
Social Networking
Sites
Video
Virtual Learning
Cognitive Taxonomic Level
 Comprehension, Application, Analysis
 Comprehension, Application, Analysis,
Evaluation, Synthesis
 Knowledge, Application, Evaluation
 Knowledge, Comprehension, Application,
Evaluation
 Comprehension, Application, Synthesis
 Comprehension, Application, Analysis,
Evaluation, Synthesis

17. Conclusions
Where higher learning cognitive skill development
is concerned, blogging, creating videos and
participating in virtual learning are most favourable.
Microblogging, participating in social networks and
passively observing video seem more suited to the
development of lower level cognitive skills.
Social network sites also promote mid level skills
where learners can apply knowledge by building
portfolios or presentations.
Online chats and discussion boards, which also
include wikis, also work best to enhance the
building of lower to mid level cognitive skills.

18. References
Bartholomew, M., Jones, T., & Glassman, M. (2012, July/August). A community of voices: Educational blog
management strategies and tools. TechTrends, 56(4), 19-25. doi:10.1007/s11528-012-0583-3
Blackmon, S. J. (2012, July). Outcomes of chat and discussion board use in online learning: A research synthesis.
Journal of Educators Online, 9(2), 1-19. Retrieved from http://www.thejeo.com
Blankenship, M. (2011, March). How social media can and should impact higher education. The Hispanic Outlook in
Higher Education, 39-42. Retrieved from http://www.eddigest.com
British Columbia Institute of Technology. (2010). Writing learning outcomes. Retrieved from http://www.bcit.ca.ltc
Educause Learning Initiative. (2009, July). 7 things you should know about…microblogging. Retrieved from
http://www.educaus.edu/eli
Educause Learning Initiative. (2006, June). 7 things you should know about…virtual worlds. Retrieved from
http://www.educaus.edu/eli
Ferris, D. (2012, June). Social media and collaboration tools. Workforce Management, 91(6). Retrieved from
http://www.workforce.com/

19. References
Moody, M. (2010, Spring). Teaching Twitter and beyond: Tips for incorporating social media in traditional
courses. Journal of Magazine & New Media Research, 11(2), 1-9. Retrieved from http://www.aejmc.org/
Moran, M., Seaman, J., & Tinti-Kane, H. (2011, April). Teaching, learning, and sharing: How today’s higher
education faculty use social media. Retrieved from http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com
Percival, J., & Muirhead, B. (2009). Prioritizing the implementation of e-learning tools to enhance the post-
secondary learning environment. Journal of Distance Education, 23(1), 90-106. Retrieved from
http://www. jofde.ca/
Proserpio, L., & Gioia, D. (2007). Teaching the virtual generation. Academy of Management Learning &
Education, 6(1), 69-80. Retrieved from http://www.amle.aom.org
Ravenscroft, A., Warburton, S., Hatzipanagos, S. & Conole, G. (2012). Designing and evaluating social media
for learning: Shaping social networking into social learning? Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 28,
177–182. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2729.2012.00484.x
Tunks, K.W. (2012, July). An introduction and guide to enhancing online instruction with Web 2.0 tools. Journal
of Educators Online, 9(2), 1-16. Retrieved from http://www.thejeo.com