Social Media and Education Perceptions and Need for Support Article Essay

Social Media and Education Perceptions and Need for Support Article Essay

Social Media and Education Perceptions and Need for Support Article Essay

Summarize the article BRIEFLY. (1-2 paragraphs)

  • Identify the research problem. Analyze the article, examining the strength of its thesis/hypothesis, method of investigation, analysis of data, and conclusions (4-5 paragraphs)
  • How does this research fit into the big picture? Connect your article with the lessons from the week or the course as a whole. (1-2 paragraphs)
  • Discuss your educated opinion on the research. Can you apply this research to “real life?” (1 paragraph)

Explanation & Answer length: 750 Words1 attachmentsSlide 1 of 1

UNFORMATTED ATTACHMENT PREVIEW

RESEARCH PAPERS SOCIAL MEDIA AND EDUCATION: PERCEPTIONS AND NEED FOR SUPPORT By DANIEL MOURLAM University of Northern Iowa ABSTRACT Social media has become a way of life. Society has become very connected, yet the classroom still remains quite isolated, from other teachers, students, experts, parents, the community, and a host of others who could potentially enhance learning. There are a number of different ways by which schools and teachers could open their classrooms to the rest of the world, and social media constitutes one of those ways. This study sought to examine one of those ways through the implementation of a Facebook Group in a high school social studies course to determine student and instructor perceptions, as well as to better understand how social media could be implemented in the educative process. The results of this study indicate that, there may be a potential for social media use in the teaching and learning process, but only if the innovation is supported throughout its implementation. Keywords: Perceptions, Social Media, Support INTRODUCTION Young people today appear to be very capable with social Social media and social networking sites are often used media and technology. Generation is defined as interchangeably with each having different meanings. individuals born between the early 1980s and the late Anderson (2005) defined social media as being quite 1990s (DeBard, 2004; Vie, 2008). This group is broad, including everything from email to SMS text characterized as fascinated by and highly comfortable messages. Shirky (2003) defined it as a software that can with technology (Vie, 2008), and approximately 70% of support group interaction. Social media works by allowing teenagers are active users of social media (Lenhart, Purcell, communication and networking between people and Smith, &Zickuhr, 2010; National School Boards Association, groups, where group members are kept updated on group 2007).Yet, this does not mean they have developed the activities and have the ability to share resources and capacity to leverage it to learn (Chen & Breyer, 2012), information (Minocha, 2009). Although over time many although it is a place where they do ask questions about types of social media have evolved, they all have one school related material (National School Boards common thread, that social media amplifies or expands Association, 2007). our social capabilities (Shirky, 2003). While this evolution has Social media use has also started to penetrate taken place in the public forum, social media has the educational institutions. A common use has been the potential to be quite valuable for education. Anderson implementation of You Tube videos and podcasts into the defined educational social media as “networked tools that learning experience, either during class or asynchronously support and encourage individuals to learn together while outside the physical classroom (Moran, Seaman & Tinti- retaining individual control over their time, space, Kane, 2011).This has changed the nature of the learning presence, activity, identity, and relationship” (Anderson, environment, as communication is no longer only an 2005, pg. 4).For this study, social media is defined as activity between students and faculty within the course, but including all forms of social media, social networking sites, also with experts beyond the classroom. This has occurred social networking software and Web 2.0 websites. through a variety of social media, including: Twitter, Skype, i-manager’s Journal on School Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l December 2013 – February 2014 23 RESEARCH PAPERS and blogs (Chen & Breyer, 2012; Davis, 2010; George & media, as well as other educational technologies (George Dellasega, 2011), and has led to the development of ad- & Dellasega, 2011; Kleiner et al., 2007). It is incumbent, hoc networks, where students create spaces within social then, to find ways for educators to leverage social media in media to collaborate and share knowledge around course the classroom in pedagogically purposive ways as topics (George & Dellasega, 2011).Implementing social opposed to using social media for its own sake (McLoughlin media into the learning process requires that not only & Lee, 2010). According to McLoughlin and Lee, this students receive assistance in developing their abilities to purposive user equires the creation of personalized learn with and through social media and technology, but learning experiences where students develop their also development for faculty. Development should knowledge independently as they interact as part of a restructure the learning experiences in faculty courses to community, which is a keystone of social constructivism allow for more collaboration, communication and content (Vygotsky, 1978). sharing (Chen & Breyer, 2012), which should be ongoing The question then is, Why do faculty hold these negative once the implementation is underway (Berends, perceptions of certain social media? Is there anything that 2000).Paramount beyond ability, is the perception of both can be done to change these perceptions to make them faculty and students having social media in education, more favorable? In addition to these questions that the and will now be discussed. author has wrestled with for some time, Aydin (2012) has For most people, awareness of social media has been indicated that this is an area where further research should limited to being seen as only an entertainment technology be conducted and is the basis of the study that took place used outside the learning environment (Chen & Breyer, at a Mid western secondary high school in the United 2012). However, the line between personal entertainment States, which will now be described. and professional and classroom use is blurred as more and Methodology more educators use technology for non-personal, nonentertainment purposes. Moran et al. (2011) explained that for most contemporary social media, many educators are aware of and use these sites personally, professionally, and to varying degrees within the learning process. Yet not all social media are created equal. Moran et al. (2011) found that different types of social The genesis of this project came as part of a discussion with a secondary social studies teacher who was struggling to have students complete their homework. The teacher had reached the point of frustration and was willing to try new methods of reaching students. In his capacity as technology director, the author suggested the use of social media, specifically the use of a Facebook Group where media are used at greater rates than others. They found homework assignments and reminders could be shared that, almost all faculty use video based social media like with students. Approximately 16 of 25 students indicated YouTube, but

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Social Media and Education Perceptions and Need for Support Article Essay

Summarize the article BRIEFLY. (1-2 paragraphs)

  • Identify the research problem. Analyze the article, examining the strength of its thesis/hypothesis, method of investigation, analysis of data, and conclusions (4-5 paragraphs)
  • How does this research fit into the big picture? Connect your article with the lessons from the week or the course as a whole. (1-2 paragraphs)
  • Discuss your educated opinion on the research. Can you apply this research to “real life?” (1 paragraph)

Explanation & Answer length: 750 Words1 attachmentsSlide 1 of 1

UNFORMATTED ATTACHMENT PREVIEW

RESEARCH PAPERS SOCIAL MEDIA AND EDUCATION: PERCEPTIONS AND NEED FOR SUPPORT By DANIEL MOURLAM University of Northern Iowa ABSTRACT Social media has become a way of life. Society has become very connected, yet the classroom still remains quite isolated, from other teachers, students, experts, parents, the community, and a host of others who could potentially enhance learning. There are a number of different ways by which schools and teachers could open their classrooms to the rest of the world, and social media constitutes one of those ways. This study sought to examine one of those ways through the implementation of a Facebook Group in a high school social studies course to determine student and instructor perceptions, as well as to better understand how social media could be implemented in the educative process. The results of this study indicate that, there may be a potential for social media use in the teaching and learning process, but only if the innovation is supported throughout its implementation. Keywords: Perceptions, Social Media, Support INTRODUCTION Young people today appear to be very capable with social Social media and social networking sites are often used media and technology. Generation is defined as interchangeably with each having different meanings. individuals born between the early 1980s and the late Anderson (2005) defined social media as being quite 1990s (DeBard, 2004; Vie, 2008). This group is broad, including everything from email to SMS text characterized as fascinated by and highly comfortable messages. Shirky (2003) defined it as a software that can with technology (Vie, 2008), and approximately 70% of support group interaction. Social media works by allowing teenagers are active users of social media (Lenhart, Purcell, communication and networking between people and Smith, &Zickuhr, 2010; National School Boards Association, groups, where group members are kept updated on group 2007).Yet, this does not mean they have developed the activities and have the ability to share resources and capacity to leverage it to learn (Chen & Breyer, 2012), information (Minocha, 2009). Although over time many although it is a place where they do ask questions about types of social media have evolved, they all have one school related material (National School Boards common thread, that social media amplifies or expands Association, 2007). our social capabilities (Shirky, 2003). While this evolution has Social media use has also started to penetrate taken place in the public forum, social media has the educational institutions. A common use has been the potential to be quite valuable for education. Anderson implementation of You Tube videos and podcasts into the defined educational social media as “networked tools that learning experience, either during class or asynchronously support and encourage individuals to learn together while outside the physical classroom (Moran, Seaman & Tinti- retaining individual control over their time, space, Kane, 2011).This has changed the nature of the learning presence, activity, identity, and relationship” (Anderson, environment, as communication is no longer only an 2005, pg. 4).For this study, social media is defined as activity between students and faculty within the course, but including all forms of social media, social networking sites, also with experts beyond the classroom. This has occurred social networking software and Web 2.0 websites. through a variety of social media, including: Twitter, Skype, i-manager’s Journal on School Educational Technology, Vol. 9 l No. 3 l December 2013 – February 2014 23 RESEARCH PAPERS and blogs (Chen & Breyer, 2012; Davis, 2010; George & media, as well as other educational technologies (George Dellasega, 2011), and has led to the development of ad- & Dellasega, 2011; Kleiner et al., 2007). It is incumbent, hoc networks, where students create spaces within social then, to find ways for educators to leverage social media in media to collaborate and share knowledge around course the classroom in pedagogically purposive ways as topics (George & Dellasega, 2011).Implementing social opposed to using social media for its own sake (McLoughlin media into the learning process requires that not only & Lee, 2010). According to McLoughlin and Lee, this students receive assistance in developing their abilities to purposive user equires the creation of personalized learn with and through social media and technology, but learning experiences where students develop their also development for faculty. Development should knowledge independently as they interact as part of a restructure the learning experiences in faculty courses to community, which is a keystone of social constructivism allow for more collaboration, communication and content (Vygotsky, 1978). sharing (Chen & Breyer, 2012), which should be ongoing The question then is, Why do faculty hold these negative once the implementation is underway (Berends, perceptions of certain social media? Is there anything that 2000).Paramount beyond ability, is the perception of both can be done to change these perceptions to make them faculty and students having social media in education, more favorable? In addition to these questions that the and will now be discussed. author has wrestled with for some time, Aydin (2012) has For most people, awareness of social media has been indicated that this is an area where further research should limited to being seen as only an entertainment technology be conducted and is the basis of the study that took place used outside the learning environment (Chen & Breyer, at a Mid western secondary high school in the United 2012). However, the line between personal entertainment States, which will now be described. and professional and classroom use is blurred as more and Methodology more educators use technology for non-personal, nonentertainment purposes. Moran et al. (2011) explained that for most contemporary social media, many educators are aware of and use these sites personally, professionally, and to varying degrees within the learning process. Yet not all social media are created equal. Moran et al. (2011) found that different types of social The genesis of this project came as part of a discussion with a secondary social studies teacher who was struggling to have students complete their homework. The teacher had reached the point of frustration and was willing to try new methods of reaching students. In his capacity as technology director, the author suggested the use of social media, specifically the use of a Facebook Group where media are used at greater rates than others. They found homework assignments and reminders could be shared that, almost all faculty use video based social media like with students. Approximately 16 of 25 students indicated YouTube, but

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