Using Twitter for education: Beneficial or simply a waste of time?

Tang, Ying; Hew, Khe Foon

doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2016.12.004

Cited by 197 publications

(186 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…As alluded to earlier in this review, online students require personalized, timely feedback on assessments (Li and Beverly, 2008;Lee, 2010), equivalent community-like interactions with peers via social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (Roblyer et al, 2010;Akcaoglu and Bowman, 2016;Tang and Hew, 2017), and ideally 24-h academic and technical support services (Lorenzo and Moore, 2002) in order to succeed in online learning. In particular, research has identified that adequate quality and quantity of interaction between a student and their instructor is associated with increased student course satisfaction (Lee, 2010;Ralston-Berg et al, 2015).…”

Section: Online Environment: Student Support and Well-being Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review

et al. 2017

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Demand for flexible online offerings has continued to increase as prospective students seek to upskill, re-train, and undertake further study. Education institutions are moving to intensive modes of online study delivered in 6-to 8-week study periods which offer more frequent intake periods. Prior literature has established key success factors for nonintensive (12-13 weeks) online offerings; for teachers, skill development is critical to promote a flexible, responsive approach and maintain technological capabilities; for students, an ability to navigate the technology, interact with the learning environment in meaningful ways, and self-regulate learning is important, as the absence of physical infrastructure and opportunities for face-to-face interactions in online environments places a greater emphasis on alternate forms of communication and support. The current paper explores known best practice principles for online instructors, students, and student support and considers how these might apply to intensive online environments. It is suggested that the accelerated nature of learning in intensive settings may place additional demands on students, instructors, and support mechanisms. Further research is imperative to determine predictors of success in online intensive learning environments.

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Section: Online Environment: Student Support and Well-being Servicesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review

et al. 2017

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“…It is unclear how students construct knowledge in a Twitter-supported environment on an individual or group level and why students' experiences differ. Therefore, more research was recommended in this area (Tang & Hew, 2017).…”

Section: Microblogging Use In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The instant and participatory communication afforded by microblogging tools provides considerable opportunities to be integrated by instructors and designers to meet the disparate needs of various learners in both formal and informal contexts (Chen & Bryer, 2012;Gao et al, 2012;Luo & Franklin, 2015;Tang & Hew, 2017). Given the unique attributes of microblogging tools and mounting popularity of these tools among digital natives, researchers believe microblogging holds great potential to be integrated across varying educational contexts to support both individual and collaborative learning Krutka, Nowell, & Whitlock, 2017;Luo, Dani, & Cheng, 2016;Ricoy & Feliz, 2016;Rohr, Costello, & Hawkins, 2015;Shah, Shabgahi, & Cox, 2016).…”

Section: Microblogging Use In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In a recently published systematic review, Tang and Hew (2017) summarized six ways of using Twitter in education: (a) capture and representation, which refers to using Twitter to record media and data in order to document or showcase ideas and activities; (b) communication, which refers to using Twitter for sharing, exploring, and outreach purposes; (c) collaboration, which refers to using Twitter to work together on a project to solve a common problem; (d) class organization and management such as posting class announcements; (e) reflection as a part of self-assessment; and (f) assessment as evaluation activities conducted among members of a class (the instructor and students, and/or among students themselves). The studies above present a wide range of use of microblogging tools in various contexts within education.…”

Section: Microblogging Use In Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among many tools available to be integrated into collaborative learning environments for knowledge construction (Dawley, 2009;Gao, Zhang, & Franklin, 2013;Kimmerle, Moskaliuk, Oeberst, & Cress, 2015;Lan, Tsai, Yang, & Huang, 2012), microblogging tools such as Twitter have gained mounting popularity and attention (Gao, Luo, & Zhang, 2012;Ricoy & Feliz, 2016;Shabgahi, Shah, & Cox, 2013;Tang & Hew, 2017). Microblogging is a type of lightweight online application that allows a burst of multimedia content to be published and shared with others worldwide on the web (Java, Song, Finin, & Tseng, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Microblogging-Based Learning Environments

Luo

Clifton

2017

JITE:Research

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Aim/PurposeThe purpose of the study is to provide foundational research to exemplify how knowledge construction takes place in microblogging-based learning environments, to understand learner interaction representing the knowledge construction process, and to analyze learner perception, thereby suggesting a model of delivery for microblogging. Background Up-and-coming digital native learners crave the real-time, multimedia, globalinterconnectedness of microblogging, yet there has been limited research that specifically proposes a working model of Twitter's classroom integration for designers and practitioners without bundling it in with other social media tools. MethodologyThis semester-long study utilized a case-study research design via a multidimensional approach in a hybrid classroom with both face-to-face and online environments. Tweets were collected from four types of activities and coded based on content within their contextual setting. Twenty-four college students participated in the study. ContributionThe findings shed light on the process of knowledge construction in microblogging and reveal key types of knowledge manifested during learning activities. The study also proposes a model for delivering microblogging to formal learning environments applicable to various contexts for designers and practitioners. FindingsThere are distinct learner interaction patterns representing the process of knowledge construction in microblogging activities ranging from low-order to high-order cognitive tasks. Students generally were in favor of the Twitter integration in this study. Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction 366 Recommendations for PractitionersThe three central activities (exploring hashtags, discussion topics, and participating in live chats) along with the backchannel activity formulate a working model that represents the sequential process of Twitter integration into classrooms. Impact on Society Microblogging allows learners omnichannel access while hashtags can filter the global noise down to meaningful bytes of information to target formal and informal learning. When shared amongst global users for participatory communication, it gives access to collaborative knowledge. This study gives practitioners and designers a working model to leverage microblogging and connect to their tech-savvy learners for more connected learning. Future ResearchFuture research may include experiments of this proposed model for delivering microblogging in: prolonged studies; compared to other microblogging methodologies; in non-hybrid delivery models such as asynchronous-only; in other academic or professional disciplines; or in other educational age ranges.

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Ask an anatomist: Identifying global trends, topics and themes of academic anatomists using twitter

Marsland

Lazarus

2017

Anatomical Sciences Ed

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Social media (SoMe) is increasingly used in higher education (HE) to access knowledge and enable global communication. The SoMe platform Twitter is particularly beneficial in these contexts because it is readily accessible, easily searchable (via hashtags) and global. Given these advantages, the twitter platform @AskAnatomist was created to foster a global weekly tweet chat, where students and academics can ask and address anatomy-related questions. The aim of this study was to identify themes arising in the early stages of the @AskAnatomy Twitter community to gain insights into current needs/key areas for academic anatomists, students, and other followers. A qualitative analysis of tweets including the hashtag #AnatQ, (the associated @AskAnatomist hashtag), was undertaken to achieve this aim. Thematic analysis revealed three core themes arising in the formative stages of the @AskAnatomist Twitter site: (1) anatomical education modalities, (2) specific anatomy content, and (3) research motivations. These themes reveal controversies within the field of anatomical sciences, areas for potential education resource improvement and research, as well as the humor of anatomists. Though the original intent of the @AskAnatomist site was to engage the general public in anatomy content and knowledge, tweet analysis suggests that academic anatomists were the primary active "tweeters". Interestingly, this analysis reveals that the @AskAnatomist site progressed into a web-based community of practice (CoP), suggesting an additional benefit of SoMe communities in the field of anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 11: 270-281. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

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Using Twitter for education: Beneficial or simply a waste of time?

Cited by 197 publications

References 54 publications

Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review

Applying Best Practice Online Learning, Teaching, and Support to Intensive Online Environments: An Integrative Review

Examining Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Microblogging-Based Learning Environments

Ask an anatomist: Identifying global trends, topics and themes of academic anatomists using twitter

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