Social networks are an integral part of our daily life. They are an effective medium for social interaction, but they found their way in other spheres as well. In education, these platforms are a useful tool for facilitating online collaboration between classmates and instructors. In the wake of the coronavirus crisis, which forced many schools to switch to distance learning mode, this proved to be a tangible benefit.
This article covers some of the most valuable advantages of social media in the teaching-learning process.
Effective Communication
Social media is an excellent way for educational institutions to keep an open line of communication with their students. These channels can be used to share the latest announcements, campus news, or useful educational info. They are also good for advertising upcoming events, helpful do my paper platforms, new courses, research programs, or internship opportunities.
Social networks are not only seen as an online notice board. They help to establish a two-way conversation between faculty members and the student population. They foster user engagement and feedback through comments, reactions, and sharing features. This way, students stop being mere content consumers. Instead, they become actively involved in handling student-related issues. They can take part in surveys, online polls, and discussions and thus influence the decision-making process.
Forming Connections
Universities use social media to connect to learners, faculty members, researchers, and other institutions. But so do students. They can use such platforms to interact with their peers or instructors about class-related topics.
Online relationships work not only at the college level. The global expansion of social media encourages students to build international partnerships. They can work with peers studying the same subject at other institutions. This gives rise to fruitful exchanges of experience. It also helps aspiring professionals to learn how to manage work and coordinate with teams in a virtual environment. Such a skill set will enable them to meet the needs of the 21st-century workplace.
Knowledge Sharing
Social media offers an interactive space for exchanging helpful information and enriching the knowledge base. For example, students can share their academic work via specially designated blog posts. Such assignments help to develop short-form writing and critical thinking skills. Instagram can be a perfect means to test presentation aids and practice digital storytelling. Pinterest boards are a useful tool for managing digital resources for research projects. Youtube, SlideShare, and other media-sharing spaces provide engaging online tutorials for students at any educational level.
Virtual communities, such as Facebook Groups, can bring together current students, alumni, and college enrollees. Recent graduates can provide some valuable advice for their younger peers enrolled in the same course. Community members can also share study materials for classes and tests. Prospective students might check out the school’s online groups to get some tips on writing an admission essay or the acceptance procedure.
Promoting Learning
Social media platforms are an intrinsic part of the modern educational process. They help teachers and students to remain connected off-campus. Instructors can present their course materials via live streaming, webinars, or pre-recorded lectures. They can also allocate extra meeting time to answer participants’ inquiries and clear their doubts. And if students need some extended support, they can easily text their professor via Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp.
Social networking allows students to join learning groups, internet communities, and other educational systems. This feature promotes in-depth learning and extends study hours beyond classroom sessions. With instant chat functions, video conferencing, and discussion forums, learners can get any information on the topic in a blink of an eye.
Social media provides students with the ability to connect with experts in their area of study. Following the authority in your sphere is a great way to stay on top of things. It also enables students to find the answers they are looking for and get useful content firsthand.
Research Opportunities
Social media are not only the best services for engagement and enhancing online learning strategies. They also pose as a vast area of analysis, opening up a new avenue of research. There are two approaches scholars can take when working with social media sources:
- Object of study. Social media are perfect for observing the activity, content, and information produced online. They help to gain valuable knowledge on the trends and insights that emerge in the virtual environment.
- Research tool. Social networks help to understand how the general audience relates to various topics. This way, researchers can figure out how people feel about a particular subject or specific events. They can extract current data posted in real time in social media groups, online forums, and personal blogs.
Summary
Social media has become an invaluable tool for communication, collaboration, and resource sharing. Students use them to get instant information, quick feedback, and solutions to their problems. Social networks are also a medium for building professional networks. Undergraduates can use them to establish useful connections for their future careers.
Educational institutions exploit these channels to interact with their audience and increase engagement. These platforms are also a great means to raise the organization’s brand awareness. Universities all over the world use social media for marketing purposes. Increased online presence is a perfect strategy to reach out to prospective students.
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