Integrating Social Media in Education
Introduction
This paper is a review of the article by Hadewijch Vanwynsberhe and Pieter Verdengem dubbed “Integrating Social Media in Education”. Essentially, the article proposes that education on social media is paramount for contemporary students based on the premise that they are social media users. Centrally, the inclusion of social media education in the curricula would be benched on four main objectives. First, so that the students can be capable of searching for information on social media sites and more importantly, they can be able to deal with the information that they encounter in such sites. Secondly, that students require social media education for the sole purpose of enabling them to communicate with others through social media platforms. Thirdly, so that students are capacitated with the ability of being able to create content on social media sites. Lastly, the objective of social media education for students is to combine the combine the knowledge gained in the above mentioned objectives in enabling the students to deal with the consequences that are as a result of their use of social media.
The review correlates the findings of the article with other literary works on the topic to develop an analytical analysis of the soundness of the ideas presented in the article in line with other literary works. Moreover, the analysis presents detailed discussions on the similarities and differences between the article and research conducted by other scholars. Fundamentally, the objective of this analysis is to provide clear evaluation of the proposition that social media studies should be integrated into the curriculum and provide conclusive results as to the justification for this or lack of it thereof. The subsequent section presents an analysis of the article ‘integrating Social Media Education’ in relation to other literary works.
Literature Review
Ruth Revnard is of the idea that social media education inclusion in the curriculum is an inevitable outcome waiting to happen. As a matter of fact she proposes that educators should rather advocate for the use of social media as a tool to educate students rather than control the use of social media by students. These sentiments echo those furthered in the article under review concerned with the dynamic nature of the society. It postulates that the manner in which people socialize is changing moving away from the past where people were predominantly accustomed to belonging to fixed groups and social interactions. Today however, the networks that bring people together are immense. People are increasingly engaging in networked individualism through social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. The inevitability of the inclusion of social media in student curricula in the future as Ruth Revnard puts it is like‘trying to stop an oncoming train’ .
Similar sentiments are advanced by Kurlkela (2011) who is of the view that the inclusion of education on the use of social media has implications that pertain to networking in universities. He continues that e-learning developers should take advantage of the possibilities that social media presents to ensure that they make good of the educational benefits that arise from student’s profound knowledge of internet use. In a study conducted Reynol Junco to find out what students really did online; it was established that Facebook social networking was a favorite for the students where they spent most of their time.
The frequency with which the use of social networking has become a part of students’ normal lives is alarming given that students are taking social networking to the classroom. This poses a danger especially when multitasking as they lose concentration. Interestingly, students would go to an extend of lying about how much they use Facebook only to be found to buy more time that they in turn spend socializing on the site. On this regard a study that put social media site Twitter to the test in integrating learning outcomes among post-secondary students, it was found that the social site’s usage had the effect of improving outcomes where it was apparent that student engagement and understanding improved through the use of the social networking site Twitter.
On the other hand research related to multi-tasking that is done by students while class is in session revealed that this impaired their capacity to process information in class. Ultimately, they were found to perform poorly as their results were reflective of their lack of attention and concentration in class. Similar results were obtained by Reynol Junco in a project investigating the relationship between multiple indices of Facebook use and academic performance. Nonetheless, in a study where integration of social networking site Twitter was used to teach college students it was found that students and the faculty in general were highly engaged in the learning process in ways that transcended traditional classroom activities.
In addition, there is need for e-learning developers to be aware of the related pedagogies in terms of possibilities, competencies and attitudes among students, teachers, and tutors. These concerns resound those in the article under review particularly in relation to the three elements that social media education should encompass especially with regard to the affective aspect of social media.
In relation to these concerns are the diversities that are eminent among contemporary students in higher education institutions who are also differentiated in their issues if interest. Social networking studies should place this diversity into consideration given that connecting with people differentiated by color, religion, sexual orientation etc. becomes quite difficult face-face but by generating debate on an online platform the debate quickly picks up pace perhaps this is attributable to the safety of the distance separating people on social sites which assures them of security while sharing their opinions. Further, this attributable to the assured sense of no direct confrontation.
More concern rages with regard to the influence that social networking sites have on the general framework and the foundations of traditional forms of communication as we known it. It goes without saying that those born in the era of technology consider it the norm and hence depend on it. However to the older generation this is abnormal to a level that they see the end of social set-up as they have known it. This is the case with the advent of social networking, those who are born into this social dynamic regard it as a necessity and a norm while the old have trouble adopting to it to a point where they have to deal with it. Perhaps the most affected individuals are marketers, politicians, and educators who feel the impact of this transformation. Therefore as much as marketers must find ways to reach out to consumers in social media, in the same way educators must find new ways of teaching their students through social media.
Concerns of such a revolution however have more to do with the privacy of information. As the article under review proposes, the more the networks are created through social media the thinner the boundary between what is considered private and that which is public information becomes. Andy Miah shares these concerns especially with the introduction of the Twitter Journal-an issue where peer reviewed papers by students would be posted on the social site Twitter for all to see. Posing the question as to whether one would be comfortable to post their project, essays and term papers on the social site; although the idea received support for the most part people were apprehensive of the security of their intellectual property once it is posted public for all to see and access.
Another issue raised in the article pertains to the affective nature of social networking in building relationships between individuals. The article is concerned with the emotional connections that individuals make while on social media platforms. Essentially, the justification of the inclusion of social media education on this concept is such that the individuals can have knowledge of how to cope with the emotional connections that they make online. Similar sentiments are developed by Biocca Harms & Burgoon (2003, p. 456) who also note that the theory of spatial presence that allows emotional connection between strangers in a social network require analysis and further research to comprehend. Although they do not recommend inclusion of social media education in the curricula it is apparent that the remedy to guard against emotional attachment that may pause danger is to educate social network users about fraudsters in the social networks.
In close relation, the article addresses the issue of inequality with regard to knowledge about social networking sites pointing out disparities between know how. The discussion proposes that social media education is a means to fill up this gap of inequality of knowledge. The same concerns are raised by Junco (2013, p. 2328) when he notes the disparities that are eminent in the use of Facebook. This concern he says can be addressed appropriately through access to Facebook by these disadvantaged group but access alone cannot be sufficient as they require knowledge as well on how to make use of Facebook.
Discussion/results
The in depth analysis of the literary items above have related the contents of the article titled ‘Integrating Social Media Education’. For the most part the literature reviewed presents evidence in support of the ideas in the article on various issues. Foremost, literature reviewed agrees with the article that social media is a trend that is changing the shape and pace with which communication is taking place in contemporary times. More importantly, that it is paramount that appropriate adaptations be made in various sectors of the economy to integrate social media in ensuring sustainability of social, economic and political networks. Centrally, the relevance that the inclusion of social media education in the curriculum has propped up once too often throughout the literature reviewed.
Notwithstanding, the literature has also reviewed a couple of reservations that authors have forwarded with regard to social media. The most profound one involves the dwindling rate of performance of students multi-tasking in the form of social media networking while classis in session. This places social media as a danger to education in general. However, the literature also notes that inclusion of social media platforms as an avenue to educate students was found to work as students paid more attention in class through more engagement in comparison to traditional forms of teaching.
Generally, the analysis of the article in question in relation to the literature review finds that the advent of social media and social networking sites is remarkable invention that presents more opportunities than it does challenges. Moreover, it is left to the interpretation of individuals as to what challenges or opportunities that social media can bring forth. Ultimately, the paper finds that it is inevitable that social media studies must be included in the curriculum in future. This is because of the trendy and dynamic nature of the technology to infiltrate every aspect of human social existence. Therefore, the transformation of human beings social circles depends on an understanding of the use of social media platforms, hence paramount that these studies be included in students’ curricula.
Bibliography
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