We’re fortunate enough to live in a time when we’re always connected, even if we are across the globe or unable to leave home. As communication has evolved, different types of learning have evolved with it. We now have the ability to learn anytime, anywhere. This type of ubiquitous learning isn’t just subject to courses and classroom-style education, it could encompass almost any subject one can think of. I live in a large city and one of the coolest things about that is no matter what your interest is, it’s always happening here. It’s the same with information online, except the audience doesn’t have to be physically present.

Due to recent circumstances, many of us have been confined indoors, and classrooms have shifted to online only. I’ve heard of educators struggling with engagement and distraction. Because of the nature of remote learning, access to the internet could be a double-edged sword, but I don’t think it necessarily has to be. Many people find social media to be fun and if used properly, perhaps it could spark an intrinsic desire to learn more about many subjects. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit give us instant access to articles, videos, and even activities to try at home. In particular, Facebook has billions of users. Creating a Facebook group for a class could be an excellent way of keeping in touch and building a rapport with students, and starting the conversation on any number of topics.

It’s been said that “Email is where knowledge goes to die.” (French, 2003) That is, email has traditionally often been meant for one person and is a linear correspondence. In contrast, social media gives users the power to selectively respond to certain ideas or comments all at once and in real-time. Humans are social learners, and even with the physical distance separating us, I believe this is still the case.

This course is already encouraging learners to use social media for good in the form of the Scholar site. I’m excited to see what other ways we’ll learn to engage users through the rest of the course.

References:

Bill French, April 2003

Norman, Stephanie. “5 Ultimate Tricks Of Using Social Media As Learning Tools” Elearningindustry.com

https://elearningindustry.com/5-ultimate-tricks-using-social-media-learning-tools (accessed April 25, 2020).

Buckler, Laura. “Teach, Learn, Share: the Role of Social Media in eLearning” Shiftelearning.com

https://www.shiftelearning.com/blog/teach-learn-share-the-role-of-social-media-in-elearning (accessed April 25, 2020).