Ed de Quincey has written a post for Greenwich Connect on the use of Twitter for Learning and Teaching, in which he talks about the findings from his and Avril Hocking’s use of Twitter with their students and shares a guide on the use of Twitter in education.
In this post, we add the thoughts of two other Greenwich academics, who kindly agreed to share their experiences with us.
David Watson, a senior lecturer in Web Design and Landscape Architecture and a programme leader in MA Web Design and Content Planning , Faculty of Architecture, Computing & Humanities, University of Greenwich.
Caron Jones, a Visiting Lecturer in Public Relations, Faculty of Business, University of Greenwich.
Academic context
Caron Jones
“I used Twitter as an internal tool with my MA Public Relations programme, in an attempt to foster quick, fast communication between them on a focussed topic. I did have some initial concerns about asking the students to use an open social media feed for academic work so we discussed this in the class. I didn’t want any of them to feel exposed. But every one them was already using Twitter in order to communicate within the group – which is partly what gave me the idea to use it with them. So they were entirely comfortable with using Twitter in an academic context and we chose a hashtag together.”
“I used Twitter as an internal tool with my MA Public Relations programme, in an attempt to foster quick, fast communication between them on a focussed topic. I did have some initial concerns about asking the students to use an open social media feed for academic work so we discussed this in the class. I didn’t want any of them to feel exposed. But every one them was already using Twitter in order to communicate within the group – which is partly what gave me the idea to use it with them. So they were entirely comfortable with using Twitter in an academic context and we chose a hashtag together.”
David Watson
“The subject area – Web Design – is incredibly well represented on Twitter … many of the important conversations within the industry are going on in Twitter at the moment … most of the names in Web Design tweet regularly… it is important for our students to become aware of those industry leaders and follow them.”
“The subject area – Web Design – is incredibly well represented on Twitter … many of the important conversations within the industry are going on in Twitter at the moment … most of the names in Web Design tweet regularly… it is important for our students to become aware of those industry leaders and follow them.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEgKPd0CxAw&w=400&h=200]
Using Twitter
Caron Jones
“I asked each student to post on Twitter about critical perspectives in Public Relations and Internal Communications. I wanted the students to understand that it is possible to distill aspects of complex intellectual ideas into just a single line.”
“I asked each student to post on Twitter about critical perspectives in Public Relations and Internal Communications. I wanted the students to understand that it is possible to distill aspects of complex intellectual ideas into just a single line.”
David Watson
“In the induction week we give students a list of core people to follow and they start building on that … To reinforce that we begin every session with a “This week on Twitter” discussion … We get them to analyse their digital footprint … This has really been useful and powerful addition to the course… [and it has been] a real eye opener for the [students].”
“In the induction week we give students a list of core people to follow and they start building on that … To reinforce that we begin every session with a “This week on Twitter” discussion … We get them to analyse their digital footprint … This has really been useful and powerful addition to the course… [and it has been] a real eye opener for the [students].”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1H1CaXJaFw&w=400&h=200]
Educational benefits
Caron Jones
“My starting point was that, sometimes, I had felt that students tend to shy away from critical perspectives and to focus on simpler, practitioner-focused, frameworks. I wanted them to read critical theorists, and to get to the heart of these ideas. In written work, I wanted them to debate, concisely, rather than reproduce wodges of text.”
“My starting point was that, sometimes, I had felt that students tend to shy away from critical perspectives and to focus on simpler, practitioner-focused, frameworks. I wanted them to read critical theorists, and to get to the heart of these ideas. In written work, I wanted them to debate, concisely, rather than reproduce wodges of text.”
David Watson
“It is a way of encouraging students to engage with industry at a really early stage in their work … Students actually feel confident in engaging in those conversations that are happening… A few of our students have made personal contacts with those names and that has improved their job prospects … It is a good way of networking … “
“It is a way of encouraging students to engage with industry at a really early stage in their work … Students actually feel confident in engaging in those conversations that are happening… A few of our students have made personal contacts with those names and that has improved their job prospects … It is a good way of networking … “
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho6BFFNB3Wc&w=400&h=200]
Challenges
Caron Jones
“My aim was to generate discussion, and to encourage students to respond to ideas presented by others. In practice however, many in the group Tweeted about their own favourite theorists, without considering what had gone before”
“My aim was to generate discussion, and to encourage students to respond to ideas presented by others. In practice however, many in the group Tweeted about their own favourite theorists, without considering what had gone before”
David Watson
“[Direct messaging] is tricky … but there isn’t a massive amount of difference between direct messages and personal emails because you do have a record … It is also the case that not all students want to engage with those channels either … There [is] a small proportion of students who simply do not want to engage with Twitter, social media … whatever the reason is. So it is not just the case of teaching staff not engaging [with Twitter]”
“[Direct messaging] is tricky … but there isn’t a massive amount of difference between direct messages and personal emails because you do have a record … It is also the case that not all students want to engage with those channels either … There [is] a small proportion of students who simply do not want to engage with Twitter, social media … whatever the reason is. So it is not just the case of teaching staff not engaging [with Twitter]”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KttNzRxmkeQ&w=400&h=200]
Impact of the use of Twitter
Caron Jones
“We discussed the exercise, and its outcomes, in class over the two following weeks. Students said that it had given a focus to their reading, and made them more motivated to tackle the recommended texts. Almost all of the students joined in, including those who might be less inclined to contribute in class”
“We discussed the exercise, and its outcomes, in class over the two following weeks. Students said that it had given a focus to their reading, and made them more motivated to tackle the recommended texts. Almost all of the students joined in, including those who might be less inclined to contribute in class”
“This was a very small scale exercise; I intend to further develop it next year. Depending on the success of that, I may share what I’ve learned with colleagues in the Business School.”
David Watson
“In our MA team everyone in the teaching team is active on Twitter … Students can get in touch with any of us via Twitter … When staff or students pick up something interesting they will retweet it so everyone else gets to hear about it.”
“In our MA team everyone in the teaching team is active on Twitter … Students can get in touch with any of us via Twitter … When staff or students pick up something interesting they will retweet it so everyone else gets to hear about it.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5U-WcUxrsQ&w=400&h=200]
Recommendations
Caron Jones
“I intend to develop the use of Twitter further next year.”
“I intend to develop the use of Twitter further next year.”
David Watson
“Those of us who are in the vocational subject areas should get to know what the industry is using as a communication platform/channel. As tutors we have to agree with students what our main channels for communication are going to be and that is a mutual agreement. I think [lecturers] have to be responsive to a) what is happening in the industry and b) what is happening with your students.”
“Those of us who are in the vocational subject areas should get to know what the industry is using as a communication platform/channel. As tutors we have to agree with students what our main channels for communication are going to be and that is a mutual agreement. I think [lecturers] have to be responsive to a) what is happening in the industry and b) what is happening with your students.”
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3G9-Vk75co&w=400&h=200]
More resources on the use of Twitter in Higher Education:
Twitter in a higher education classroom: an assessment
How the top 10 UK universities use Twitter
Engaging higher education students using Twitter
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_kLpoTgdPY&w=400&h=200]