Social Media n Learning

Let me first explain what ‘Social Media’ is and then explore the possibilities of using them for enhancing learning.

 

Social Media represents the online tools that enable anyone to interact in one-one, one-many and many-many conversational format deviating from typical one-way broadcasting options offered by media. The real-time, borderless interaction offered to participants provide an opportunity to make use of 3Cs Collaboration, Community, Communication effectively to enhance learning and pave way for innovation.

 

Various Social Media Tools for Learning are:

 

• Blogging
• Microblogging
• Social Networks
• Podcasting
• Wiki, Google Docs

Why should you Use Social Media for Learning?

 

According to Lave & Wenger, 1991, “Learning is an integral and inseparable aspect of social practice”. Since we are moving towards a Knowledge-era model, where social networks provide an opportunity to community and individuals to share, construct and reconstruct knowledge, we should make full use of the opportunities offered by social media to enhance better understanding of concepts.

 

Various Applications of Social Media Tools for Learning

 

 

Blogging: Can be used for publishing purposes. In case of group work, blogs can be made use of to share, edit information. The final outcome of group work, after filtering not so important things can be finally published, which can be shared easily. For blogging one can start with Blogger, WordPressand TypePad

 

Micro Blogging: Twitter plays an important role in enabling short communication of 140 characters among users. It can be used for exchanging reference links and to inform about important announcements such as events, conferences to users.

 

Social Media Networks: Here Ning lets you join and create new networks based on your passion and interests.

 

Podcasting: Podcasting is a new type of online delivery where one can publish audio files via internet and enable your users to subscribe through an RSS feed to receive new files. The sites listed in the link accept podcast submissions. Expert lectures by professionals can be recorded (ofcourse with their permission) and can be podcasted.

 

Sharing & Editing Tools:  Google Docs, Wiki (PBWorks). These tools enable one to share and edit information. Hence can be used for announcing assignments for students and monitoring their progress by offering useful suggestions.

 

Thus Social Media with Web 2.0 capabilities has made the world a flat one. It is in the hands of educationists to use them effectively to enhance learning.

 

Comments

[EduTek_SocialMedia Consultant]

Thank you very much for taking time to share your views.

Dr. Kumuda Gururao

[E Learning]

"Since we are moving towards a Knowledge-era model, where social networks provide an opportunity to community and individuals to share, construct and reconstruct knowledge, we should make full use of the opportunities offered by social media to enhance better understanding of concepts." - Very nice, you said it very well. I do agree with this. We need to move forward for the better.

[Dr Kumuda Gururao]

Hi Jagan,

Thanks for your comment about social media. The You Tube ppt on Concept Maps was meant to be a text only ppt.

Next as far as concept maps are concerned, I'll try to improve the resolution of the concept maps.

[Jagan Mantha]

Dr Kumuda, Nice intro article on social media. Is there anyway you can improve the resolution of the Concept maps you are putting up at the site. I did check out the You Tube ppt on Concept Maps, firstly i expected to hear some commentary alongwith the ppt, but i did not. Was it meant to be text only ppt. There too, the resolution could have been better !!!