Our family used to own three sets of encyclopedias. As someone who loves knowledge and learning new things, I read those encyclopedias from cover to cover countless times. Those encyclopedias were precious and popular in the 1990s, especially in a third-world country like mine.

On present-day, knowledge has become more available. YouTube, Blogs, Vlogs, Tiktok, among others can teach someone simple skills and fix things that used to be for professionals only. Learning is practically just a click away.

Ubiquitous learning by simple definition is extending beyond the walls of the classroom and the cells of the timetable. It means breaking free from the confinements of space and time. It aims to produce lifelong learners who are able to learn and to share knowledge throughout their lives, in all contexts, and grounded in those contexts. Memorization kind of learning in confined spaces has shifted to more authentic and relevant learning through borderless learning.

Social media learning is a very popular source of learning in my country. Social media can be accessed by anyone and at any time. It requires low data usage. It is easy to navigate. It promotes self-directed learning, which prepares students and workers to seek answers and make decisions independently. It allows students more freedom to connect and collaborate in many ways. Sharing posts and information with other students, rather than simply submitting assignments to the teacher, promotes deeper engagement and better performance from all students (Ashford, 2020).

In an article written by Willbold (2019), [students] can use such platforms via their smartphone, tablet or computer, and learners can exchange questions, make phone calls or video calls. Help is immediate as well. They can always communicate with their friends or tutors when they get stuck. Willbold added that social media promote learning by offering support with sharing documents as well such as via Google Drive Box, Google Docs.

Content creators are thriving in this day and age as they present knowledge in personal and creative ways. Ubiquitous learning through social media offers an increasingly personalized pathway of learning for each individual. I personally learned a handful of sewing techniques, make-up application, hair styling, plumbing, kitchen hacks, cooking, and travel hacks from YouTube. Among other ubiquitous learning modes are blended learning, e-portfolios and collaborative workspaces (such as paddle).

In the heights of coronavirus lockdown, these kinds of ubiquitous learning are thriving. This shift has been an abrupt but useful move in my country for the past three weeks. People, both students and workers, are compelled to move from a confined space to a borderless mode of learning and working. Social media learning proves to be a great advantage in distance learning, especially in third world countries. With the help of various online tools along with social media, modern educators are able to attract students through distance learning programs (Willbold, 2019).

Unprecedented situations like lockdown make educators, especially in my country, rethink learning and teaching towards more accommodating and flexible to any situation. Ubiquitous learning is becoming a compelling option and inseparable part of the modern educational system.

References:

AdrianaCárdenas, L. (August 2019). Ubiquitous learning: A systematic review. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0736585317308274

Ashford University Staff. (April 3, 2020). Using Social Media for Learning Retrieved from URL: https://www.ashford.edu/blog/online-learning/using-social-media-as-a-learning-tool

Bosankic, L. (Aug 29, 2017). Ubiquitous Learning — a primer. Retrieved from URL https://medium.com/leopoldbosankic/ubiquitous-learning-a-primer-2b5d1508ab9c

Kitchakarn, O. (October 2016). How Students Perceived Social Media as a Learning Tool in Enhancing their Language. Retrieved from URL: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1117631.pdf

Kolokytha, E. (2015). Social Media Networks as a Learning Tool. Retrieved from URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212567115000295

Willbold, M. (April 27, 2019). Social Media In Education: Can They Improve The Learning? https://elearningindustry.com/social-media-in-education-improve-learning

TeachThought Staff. (November 24, 2019). Why Learning Through Social Networks Is The Future. Retrieved from URL: https://www.teachthought.com/the-future-of-learning/learning-through-networks-is-the-future/