e-Learning Ecologies MOOC’s Updates
LearningThrough Social Media
We’re fortunate enough to live in a time when we’re always connected, even if we are across the globe or unable to leave home. As communication has evolved, different types of learning have evolved with it. We now have the ability to learn anytime, anywhere. This type of ubiquitous learning isn’t just subject to courses and classroom-style education, it could encompass almost any subject one can think of. I live in a large city and one of the coolest things about that is no matter what your interest is, it’s always happening here. It’s the same with information online, except the audience doesn’t have to be physically present.
Due to recent circumstances, many of us have been confined indoors, and classrooms have shifted to online only. I’ve heard of educators struggling with engagement and distraction. Because of the nature of remote learning, access to the internet could be a double-edged sword, but I don’t think it necessarily has to be. Many people find social media to be fun and if used properly, perhaps it could spark an intrinsic desire to learn more about many subjects. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit give us instant access to articles, videos, and even activities to try at home. In particular, Facebook has billions of users. Creating a Facebook group for a class could be an excellent way of keeping in touch and building a rapport with students, and starting the conversation on any number of topics.
It’s been said that “Email is where knowledge goes to die.” (French, 2003) That is, email has traditionally often been meant for one person and is a linear correspondence. In contrast, social media gives users the power to selectively respond to certain ideas or comments all at once and in real-time. Humans are social learners, and even with the physical distance separating us, I believe this is still the case.
This course is already encouraging learners to use social media for good in the form of the Scholar site. I’m excited to see what other ways we’ll learn to engage users through the rest of the course.
References:
Bill French, April 2003
Norman, Stephanie. “5 Ultimate Tricks Of Using Social Media As Learning Tools” Elearningindustry.com
https://elearningindustry.com/5-ultimate-tricks-using-social-media-learning-tools (accessed April 25, 2020).
Buckler, Laura. “Teach, Learn, Share: the Role of Social Media in eLearning” Shiftelearning.com
https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/teach-learn-share-the-role-of-social-media-in-elearning (accessed April 25, 2020).
I think there's been a lot of discussion around automation that is being fed bit by bit to the general audience. Social media might change a lot, and it has already, with recommendations, playlists and what you need to know working as hyperlinks. I often get lost in this kind of micro-macro analysis, especially because most educators want to know what the students like talking about but are expected not to go that far in asking, but at the same pace need to make them understand what the bigger task is and maybe collect some references that are actually worth remembering. It's definitely not easy!
I appreciate your suggestion that social media could spark an intrinsic desire to learn more about many subjects. I am a high school educator faced with implementing the sudden shift to distance learning for my students. I would love to use social media more in our lessons in order to have students engage more. I'm also concerned, though, that the users of social media in a compulsory education setting may be the most challenging students to inspire. I think about how I am part of this course, taking part in social learning. Yet, I have joined of my own free will and most of my classroom students are forced to take my course. I wonder if there are ways in which to give students freedom to pursue their interests while still meeting my educational objectives. Could my younger students manage the affordances and distractions of e-learning? I am also excited to see what other ways we will learn to engage users in this course.