Role of social media in current education. what is social media? how is it helpful in our education system?

1. Role of Social media in
Education

2. What is social media?
● “Social media are computer- mediated tools that allow
people to create, share and exchange information ,
ideas and pictures/videos in virtual communities and
networks”.
● It can also be described as a group of Internet-based
applications that build on the ideological and
technological foundations of Web 2.0, that allow the
creation and exchange of user- generated content.
● Furthermore , social media depend on mobile and web
based technologies to create highly-interactive
platforms through which individuals and communities
share, co-create, discuss, and modify user generated
contents.

3. Implications
● According to usage statistics gathered earlier this
year by Ofcom, 66% of all adults aged 16+ have a
profile on at-least one social networking site, and
though the report doesn’t break down these figures
by age group, it’s reasonable to assume that among
those of university age , that percentage could
potentially be much higher.
● We know that universities and other education
providers have responded by increased the use of
social media marketing to showcase their courses
and attract students but it is not certain that they are
harnessing the full power of the medium to engage
and interact with those same students once they
begin their studies.

4. Role of Education
● Social media is the better reality in today’s
classrooms. It has transformed the way we
interact with one another - first of all on a
personal level and then through direct
communications link in our social and
business engagements.
● The possibilities of social media in
Education are really exciting. Universities
don’t even need to convince students about
the values of social media – the students
have already been won over, so it makes
sense to talk to them: they already spend
most of their time in online world.

5. ● Does social media have a place as a
teaching tool or is it simply a distraction?
● What are the ways social media can play
a role in education?
● In words of Lisa Nielsen, a computer
expert, we must be savvy(sharp-witted or
smart) in the use of social media. It is
critical for career and life success. It can
also save time at work for teachers.

6. Advantages of Social Media to
Students
● Social media plays a very vital role in every
student’s life. With its help, providing & fetching
a lot of information, communicating with friends,
classmates, teachers & colleagues have become
an easy-fit option. Students & teachers now get
connected while making better use of this
platform for gaining & providing education,
respectively. However, social media has been
criticized a lot because of the effect it has on the
way to students gaining & retaining information.
It offers plentiful opportunities for interaction as
well as learning. There are several reasons for
using internet-based media as a positive tool for
children.

7. ● Educational Tool: today’s students arrive at
school, fluent in Web and social networking
technologies. Teachers can make use of
this knowledge to enhance opportunities to
learn. With social media teachers can
promote cooperation and discussion, create
meaningful conversation, exchange ideas
and boost student interaction.

8. ● Improve communication among students and
teachers: Facebook and twitter can improve
interaction among learners and teachers.
Teachers can respond to student’s questions via
a Facebook page or Twitter feed, post homework
assignments and lesson plans, send message
and updates, schedule or announce upcoming
events, and share interesting websites and
multimedia content.
● Enhance student engagement: social media is an
effective way to increase student involvement
and build better interaction skills. Learners who
hardly ever raise a hand in class may feel more
comfortable on Facebook, Twitter or You Tube.
Social media enables instructors to identify
“back channels” that promote conversation and
surface ideas that students are too shy or
nervous to speak out in the class.

9. ● Limitations of Use of Social media in Education:
1. Social media can be a distraction: social media
platforms like Facebook, Twitter divert students
attention away from what’s happening in class and
can disrupt teaching-learning process. With the
possibility that use of social media tools can be an
invitation for students to play truant, teachers should
make sure they won’t be abused.
2. Cyber-bullying: while social media networking
provide a way for students and teachers to link up,
they can be a tool for harmful behaviour even at
school. Teachers who use social media as part of
their teaching should be cautious of possible risks
and plan to intervene on minor incidents before they
become more serious.

10. ● Discouraging Face-to-Face Communication:
Educators agree that real-time digital stream
may create a safe situation for students who
are uncomfortable expressing themselves.
They are also worried that learners might be
missing valuable lessons in real-life social
skills. Students may find themselves at a
disadvantage during university admission or job
interviews when they need to command
attention and deliver a coherent message. At
public events and in personal relationships,
they need to be able to effectively express
themselves and connect with others.

11. Few tips offered by Lisa Nielsen
● Ensuring Students Are Well conversant with
Google and similar computing device:
Teacher must support them in creating an
online presence which will lead them to good
career and good job.
● Social credibility provides support: “Test
scores and certification worked well in the
20th century and are still used by some to-
day, but in the 21st century it is your online
reputation that allows you to show what you
know” says Lisa Nielsen.

12. ● Students learning networks: this is the age
of social media in which information
technology has a big role to play. The
teacher is no longer the centre of learning ,
it is the student who is the actual centre of
learning. “one of the most important things
an educator can do is support students in
developing a powerful learning network”. If
the students are diligently literate and
media savvy, they will have numerous
opportunities to get connected with others
who will share the passions, talents and
interests. “this requires the understanding
of how social media works and how to find
right people to connect with safely and
responsibly.”

13. ● From “teacher” as an expert to “group”
as an expert – In order to have answer to
one’s query, the learner can ask a global
community via social media. This
reduces the burden of E-mails and
increases the possibility of valid answers
and further connections.( platforms like
Disqus, Quora and stackoverflow)
● Get connected with experts via twitter:
The learners can find a world of experts
on any topic if they have literacy in using
Twitters, also known as “Twitteracy”.
Just know the right hashtags and how to
find experts and you have the world’s
best knowledge at your fingertips.

14. ● Releasing the wonderful work of students from classroom to the world at large :
stories of great work happening at school usually remains locked at school or
classroom or trapped on a laptop, social media puts an end to that. We have reports
which highlight the way experts connect students to a world of experts and outlets
that helped to increase various types of activities such as tourism, positive attitude,
amazing parent-teacher relationship and so on.
● Conclusion: while the debate continues over what role does social media should play
in classroom, no one can argue the influence that social media has on today’s
students. They are already using social media for learning and collaboration and
might expect that their education will follow suit. With this in mind, it seems prudent
for today’s institutions to have positive view of social media and find ways to
successfully integrate these tools in classroom.