Investigating instructional strategies for using social media in formal and informal learning

Baiyun Chen,Thomas Bryer

doi:10.19173/irrodl.v13i1.1027

Abstract

Despite the high popularity of personal use of online social media, a low percentage of students and instructors use them for educational purposes. This qualitative study explores the use of social media among faculty in the discipline of public administration in the United States. Eight instructors participated in telephone interviews about their experiences and perceptions of using social media for teaching and learning. Instructors perceive that informal learning using social media could be facilitated by instructors and integrated into formal learning environments for enriched discussions, increased engagement, and broad connections. This study provides qualitative empirical support for social learning theories while offering strategies for and examples of how social media can be used to connect formal and informal learning.

Highlights

The use of social media has surged globally in recent years
Based on individual companies’ statistics in July 2011, Facebook passed 750 million users (2011); LinkedIn had over 100 million members (2011); Twitter hit over 177 million tweets per day (2011); YouTube reached three billion views every day (2011)
Our research focuses on understanding the use of social media tools among higher education faculty, strategies they use to integrate social media in formal learning, concerns they have, and their strategies to mitigate those concerns

Summary

Introduction

The use of social media has surged globally in recent years. Based on individual companies’ statistics in July 2011, Facebook passed 750 million users (2011); LinkedIn had over 100 million members (2011); Twitter hit over 177 million tweets per day (2011); YouTube reached three billion views every day (2011). Social media are infiltrating the educational arena. The online social networks are increasingly being used by college students, and by instructors for different reasons (Mazer, Murphy, & Simonds, 2007; 2009). Understanding the way individuals behave on such sites is a potentially valuable source of information for educators and researchers. Investigating Instructional Strategies for Using Social Media in Formal and Informal Learning Chen and Bryer

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