Reference:
Junco, R., & Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The
effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27
(2), 119-132. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=2&sid=9367a513-cac8-4003-aca0-1fca4b00dfc7%40sessionmgr115&hid=106&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=59268352
The article I read discussed using
social media, specifically Twitter, to increase student engagement in college
courses. Engagement covers areas such as
energy put forth in the class, participation, and out of class activity related
to the material. The main idea behind
increasing student engagement in college is to assist students in achieving
their ultimate goal, which is often a degree in a specified field. If student engagement increases, logically
this would mean students are more successful in terms of grades, and thus more
likely to continue to pursue their degree.
The study sought to answer these two questions: 1. What effect does
encouraging the use of Twitter for educationally relevant purposes have on
student engagement? 2. What effect does encouraging the use of Twitter for
educationally relevant purposes have on semester grades? The study was conducted with seven sections
of a one credit introductory seminar specifically taken by pre-health majors. Thus although the sample was somewhat diverse
in terms of ethnicity, it did not have a diversity in regards to varying
majors. This is one of the limitations
of the results of the study that will be discussed later. There were four experimental sections that
used Twitter during the semester, and three sections for the control group. Both groups used Ning, a social networking
site that replaces a learning management system that is typical of other
colleges. There were 125 students in the
study to begin, and seven dropped out as the semester progressed. The ages of
the students were all between 17-20, and this is another important aspect of
the sample used.
The method of the study was to introduce
Twitter to the experimental groups, which included the basic training for how
to use Twitter. Then throughout the
semester, particularly assignments were completed or enhanced using Twitter. Some other aspects of the semester also
transferred to Twitter, such as class updates, arrangement of study groups,
academic supports, etc. The students
used Twitter for assignments to post responses to required readings, ask
questions about the course, and comment on other student’s opinions. The average number of tweets sent out by a
student in the experimental group during the semester was 48.20.
Several results were seen at the
end of the study. In relation to the two
main questions that were asked before the student began, there were positive
results to share. For the first question
about student engagement, students in the experimental group had significantly
higher scores in favor of positive engagement.
These scores were obtained by a pre and post-test that asked students to
answer questions about their engagement for the course. Also for the second question, students in the
experimental group ended the semester with GPAs that were significantly higher
than the control group. Thus it seems
that Twitter may have a beneficial impact on the overall learning outcomes of a
college course.
Some reason behind why the results
may have been so positive is that Twitter alleviated several issues for
students that they typically face in a college course. Twitter was able to make students feel more
connected to their instructor and the course.
Since the course was only one credit, it is difficult to create a
community with such a short amount of time.
Twitter allowed students to interact outside the classroom, in a very non-threatening
manner. Thus Twitter significantly
deepened the discussion the students were able to have in regards to required
readings. In addition, student
relationships developed much faster through Twitter, because were less afraid
to share their opinion. Also Twitter
gave students a sense of relief because through the channels of Twitter they
were able to voice their anxiety about course material. Once students started realizing that they
were not the only one who was having issues, that bonded together to form study
groups. This is likely the reason for
the increase in GPA for the semester, because these students also took other
classes together since they were all pre-health majors. Thus the benefit of Twitter quickly spilled
over into other academic areas.
There are several important
implications about this study. One of
the biggest issues in college is student attendance and participation. Twitter appears to be a tool that would allow
students to interact more often, creating an education community that they can
rely on to assist them in the completion of their courses. When students feel engaged, they are more
likely to show up for class. This
becomes a snowball effect, as the community and attendance spur on more
success. The second big implication
about this study is that instructors can extended their course outside of class
time. In order for students to be
successful in many courses, they need to be thinking about the subject more
than just the few hours of class time.
Assignments through Twitter create more opportunities for students to be
engaging in the material of the class.
The more immersed a student can become, the better the chance that
student is successful and continues on in their program of study.
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