Social Media refers to a range of platforms and technologies which allow for communication, collaboration and social interaction. Examples include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, WordPress and many others. New technologies are being developed constantly and include tools for Personal Learning Environments.

“A key feature of a PLE is that the learner develops an online identity where the personalized learning environment provides cues (affordances or possibilities for action) that prompt the learner about what to share, what not to share, who they choose to share with, and how to effectively merge formal and informal learning.” (Dabbagh & Kitsantas, 2011)

Some of the most exciting possibilities of social media learning are the ability to enhance student engagement and the potential for ubiquitous learning. As Dabbagh and Kitsantas (2010) observe, it is dependent on students being motivated to attain goals.

My experiment was at a more basic level, to attempt to encourage young secondary school students to engage with Art through social media. This example was with a year nine art class (13-14 year olds). Almost all students in the class are constant users of social media. We visited the city Art gallery and students were encouraged to post an image on Instagram using a class hashtag. Students could respond to an artwork they saw at the gallery we visited, or something they have seen elsewhere, including online. The emphasis was on making a comment beyond “I like it” or “I don’t like it” and hopefully sparking discussion. An added incentive was a prize for the post with the most likes. Students could use additional hashtags to entice members of the public to ‘like’ their post.

While some students participated enthusiastically, others did not. There were some barriers to engagement that I had not foreseen. Firstly, some students were unsure how to make a public post because they comprehensive privacy settings on their accounts. Secondly, many students carefully curate their online profiles and feared that posting the types of images required would not make them look ‘cool’.

Perhaps a similar activity would work better with older students who are more invested in the subject area?

Dabbagh, N., & Kitsantas, A., Personal Learning Environments, social media, and self-regulated learning: A natural formula for connecting formal and informal learning, Internet and Higher Education (2011), doi:10.1016/j.iheduc.2011.06.002

Kitsantas, A., & Dabbagh, N. (2010). Learning to learn with Integrative Learning Technologies (ILT): A practical guide for academic success. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing.