| Brief Overview: |
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| Social media create online communities that enable the interaction and exchange of information and ideas, and can be used to help develop an individual or group’s online presence and in creating engaging learning activities . |
Using Social Media
What
Decisions about whether or not to use social media, particularly in teaching, have to be considered carefully. Issues such as sharing data with external providers, digital footprint, student sign up to external resources, and longevity of apps and tools need to be considered.
- There is useful guidance on using social media in teaching on LinkedIn Learning.
What
Facebook is a social networking service and website that allows users to create a profile, share photos and videos and message each other. Many people are already members of Facebook so the interface is familiar to both staff and students. It is a useful tool for creating an online identity for individuals or groups, and is an easy way to share and comment on messages, links, images and videos.
How
ResearchGate and Academia.edu
What
ResearchGate and Academia.edu are two well known professional networks for researchers. They enables members to connect with colleagues, build their network and collaborate with one another. Every user is provided with a space to create a research profile as well as a personal publication index and a library for journal articles, conference proceedings, book chapters and patents.
How
What
LinkedIn is the largest business orientated social network site. Users can build a professional profile and connect with other professionals. LinkedIn can also be used to aggregate content from other social networking sites to showcase work and interests. It is useful for building an online profile and keeping up to date with information and news. It is a good way of making and following contacts outside the university.
How
What
Twitter is a well-known micro-blogging tool that enables its users to easily write and instantly share 140 character posts from almost anywhere on almost all devices, including smart phones, tablets and desktop computers. You can make tweets show up in searches more easily by using hashtags # before keywords. Twitter can be used to develop an online academic profile, as well as being used as a learning and teaching tool.
How
- Twitter Essential Training on LinkedIn Learning
Using the Discussion Board in My Studies
What
A discussion board or forum is an area where a topic or a group of related topics are discussed. Within each forum, there can be multiple threads which include the initial post and any replies to it. Posts can be made over an extended period of time, and participants can access and contribute to the discussion from any location. This supports contributions from participants who are not confident about speaking in face to face situations. Using the Discussion Board in My Studies means that the discussions can be monitored by tutors and form part of assessed work, and, unlike other social media platforms, the University retains control of all of the data.
How