The space for social media in structured online learning

Gilly Salmon; Bella Ross; Ekaterina Pechenkina; Anne-Marie Chase

doi:10.3402/rlt.v23.28507

The space for social media in structured online learning

Gilly Salmon Office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education Innovation), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
Bella Ross Student Academic Support Unit, Monash University, Monash, Caulfield, VIC, Australia
Ekaterina Pechenkina Learning Transformations Unit, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, VIC, Australia
Anne-Marie Chase Australian Council for Educational Research, Camberwell, VIC, Australia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.28507

Keywords: MOOCs, social media, learning design, online identity, Facebook, Twitter

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the benefits of using social media in an online educational setting, with a particular focus on the use of Facebook and Twitter by participants in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed to enable educators to learn about the Carpe Diem learning design process. We define social media as digital social tools and environments located outside of the provision of a formal university-provided Learning Management System. We use data collected via interviews and surveys with the MOOC participants as well as social media postings made by the participants throughout the MOOC to offer insights into how participants’ usage and perception of social media in their online learning experiences differed and why. We identified that, although some participants benefitted from social media by crediting it, for example, with networking and knowledge-sharing opportunities, others objected or refused to engage with social media, perceiving it as a waste of their time. We make recommendations for the usage of social media for educational purposes within MOOCs and formal digital learning environments.

Keywords: MOOCs; social media; learning design; online identity; Facebook; Twitter

(Published: 15 December 2015)

Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2015, 23: 28507 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.28507

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Published

2015-12-15

How to Cite

Salmon G., Ross B., Pechenkina E., & Chase A.-M. (2015). The space for social media in structured online learning. Research in Learning Technology, 23. https://doi.org/10.3402/rlt.v23.28507

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Issue

Vol. 23 (2015)

Section

Original Research Articles

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