Twitter for Academics: Get Better Connected - Slides from a talk given by Dr Helen Dixon to the Scholarly Educational Research Network (SERN), Centre for Medical Education at Queen's University Belfast

1. TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
DR HELEN DIXON
INFORMATION SERVICES

2. Why use Twitter?
Learn Connect Share
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
@SocialMediaQUB

3. Networking on Twitter
Learn Connect Share
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
@SocialMediaQUB

4. Introducing the Academic 3.0
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
Profiles on website, blog, social media
Up-to-date online presence
Promotes blended learning
Innovative technology user
Encourages digital literacy and citizenship
Collaborates & creates
@SocialMediaQUB

5. Introduce yourself
View and edit
your profile
Upload a cover
picture and a
profile picture
Tell people who
you are/what
you’ll be
Tweeting about
– can include a
link to another
profile/website
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
New user FAQs
Useful link

6. Connect with others
Click on a name
to view a profile
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

7. Mention and reply to others
Include user’s
Twitter handle in
Tweet to
‘Mention’ them
Tweet will appear
in Twitter Feed of
your followers
and Notifications
of user
When you reply to a Tweet, the user’s handle is
automatically included at the start of the reply
Tweet will appear in Twitter Feed of people who follow
BOTH you and other user and Notifications of user
Turn a Reply into a Mention by including any character
before the Twitter handle
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

8. Tag others in photos
Tweets including
images tend to
get more
engagement
You can add up to
4 images to a
Tweet
You can tag users in photos
The Tweet will appear in the user’s
Notifications
Photo tagging options are in Security
and Privacy settings
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

9. Use lists
Create lists
of similar
profiles to
help
manage
your Twitter
Feed
You don’t
need to
follow a
profile to
add it to a
list
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
Using Twitter lists
Useful link

10. Using Twitter to acquire knowledge
Learn Connect Share
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
@SocialMediaQUB

11. TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
“With 225 million users issuing half a billion tweets per day, Twitter
represents the richest dataset to hit academia….well, maybe ever—
a virtual Petri dish of real-time data, attractive to scholars of all
disciplines, for studies of all sorts.”
Erika Fry
http://fortune.com/2014/08/22/contagion-justin-bieber-data-scientists-twitter/
@SocialMediaQUB

12. Ask questions
Tip! Use hashtags to increase the visibility
of your question or direct it to a specific
user by including their Twitter handle
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

13. Follow hashtags
Click on a
hashtag to
view other
Tweets
using it
Search for
popular
hashtags
Use apps
like
Tagboard to
view them
or
Hashtagify
to analyse
them
Using hashtags on Twitter
Useful link
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

14. Use Twitter to search for information
Save search
terms you
want to use
again
Search for
keywords,
hashtags or
users
Choose
options to
tailor your
search
Using advanced
search
Useful link
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

15. Use TweetDeck to ‘listen’
Add a new
column to
follow your
search term
Use TweetDeck
to manage
multiple
accounts and
follow search
terms,
hashtags, users
and lists
Choose
options to
tailor your
search
Beginners’ guide
to TweetDeck
Useful link
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

16. Take part in Tweet chats
Use TweetDeck
or other apps
such as
Tweetchat or
Twubs to follow
the discussion
Tweet chats are a great way to
find out information and
network with others
http://www.symplur.com/healthcare-hashtags/tweet-chats/
https://blog.bufferapp.com/twitter-chat-101
Useful links
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

17. Interact at conferences/events
Use event hashtags or profiles to interact with speakers
and other participants or to follow remotely
Useful links
Amplifying your event using social media
Tips on using Twitter for conferences and events
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

18. Using Twitter to disseminate knowledge
Learn Connect Share
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
@SocialMediaQUB

19. TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
WIIFM?
As an academic you have information
and expertise to share
@SocialMediaQUB

20. Use Twitter to share
@SocialMediaQUB
Links to online
resources
Information
about events
Links to
surveys
Infographics
Images and
video clips
References to
publications
Research
findings
Your expertise
Your
experiences
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

21. Attention or impact?
Things to consider
• What metrics are
available for your
articles?
• What about your
other ‘products
of research’?
How to get started
• Find out about
use of metrics in
your area
• Set up a profile
and lurk for a
while
http://figshare.com/
@SocialMediaQUB
www.altmetrics.org
Useful links
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

22. TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
Mark Sample’s Twitter Adoption Matrix
http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/a-framework-for-teaching-with-
twitter/26223
In-class Back Channel
Uses: ad hoc class discussions,
real-time commenting,
recording divergent viewpoints
Benefits: engages less vocal
students, archives otherwise
ephemeral comments
Outside of Class Discussions
Uses: extend class discussions,
exchange comments about
readings or questions about
assignments
Benefits: community building,
continuity between class
sessions
In-class Directed Discussion
Uses: open or guided questions
with student responses
collected for later analysis
Benefits: engages all students in
discussions in large lecture
classes
Tracking Activities
Uses: find and follow instructor,
experts in the field or key topics
Benefits: exposure to the larger
culture conversation about the
class material
Lightly Structured Activities
Uses: solicit course feedback,
offer ambient office hours, poll
class, language or writing
practice
Benefits: flexibility, availability,
scalability
Metacognitive/Reflective
Activities
Uses: students report on self-
learning, articulate their
difficulties, recap the most
valuable lesson of the day
Benefits: fosters critical thinking
Institutional Communication
Uses: community outreach,
alerts, announcements
Instructor Communication
Uses: announcements, syllabus
changes, reminders
Pedagogical Communication
Uses: sharing timely links and
resources
Dialogic
Monologic
Passive Active
Using Twitter for
Teaching
Useful link
@SocialMediaQUB

23. Digital professionalism
• about the impact on you, the University,
funding bodies and othersTHINK
• sharing, make sure that the information
is correct and that you have permissionBEFORE
• are responsible for anything you publish
onlineYOU
• content that will add value and enhance
your reputationPOST
@SocialMediaQUB
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED
Doctors’ use of social
media
Social media guide &
policy
Useful links

24. The rules of the game
are simple:
[1] share only what you
love or what resonates
with you;
[2] pay attention to the
feedback you receive
from the crowd and
modify your posts
accordingly;
[3] don’t stray too far
from the truth. Be
creative but don’t be
phoney.
http://philosophyforchange.wordpress
.com/2012/07/26/foucault-and-social-
media-the-call-of-the-crowd/
@SocialMediaQUB
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED

25. Comments
or
questions
@SocialMediaQUB
TWITTER FOR ACADEMICS: GET BETTER CONNECTED