=Paper=
{{Paper
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|title=Social Media based learning from a European perspective: A Framework for Social Innovation
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1154/paper21.pdf
|volume=Vol-1154
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/biiml/MitchellP14
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==Social Media based learning from a European perspective: A Framework for Social Innovation==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1154/paper21.pdf
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Ideas in Mobile Learning symposium - 1000 word 'idea' paper abstract
The project “Learn to teach by Social Web”:
A Framework for Social Media based Learning in the
Classroom
Stuart Mitchell* & Dr Bastian Pelka
Gloucestershire College, UK & Technical University of Dortmund, Germany
Stuart.mitchell@gloscol.ac.uk, pelka@sfs-dortmund.de
*corresponding author
This paper presents our experience in developing an online curriculum
dedicated to promoting the use of social media in an educational
context on a European scale. We describe ‘social media based
learning’ as a new form of using old technology. Our focus is not based
on the technology itself but rather the engagement with technology
that positions this as a social innovation. The term “social innovation”
describes new intentional social practices that are aiming at better
satisfying or answering needs and problems. “An innovation is therefore
social to the extent that it is socially accepted and diffused (…)”
(Howaldt, J. & Schwarz, M. 2010, 26).
We employ this perspective to discuss the new form of connected
social learning, using social media as a social innovation – not as a
technology - that allows people (even those with low ICT skills) to
interact, create and alter content. We set out our understanding of
social media as a learning environment, as a space and concentrate
on the question how this “space” changes learning, teaching and the
world of labour. This space is then shared with others as a communal
collaborative environment, and we understand this sharing as learning.
We are mindful that this space does not simply appear, and as if by
magic is all at once engaged with as intended, but rather that a
degree of support is required to facilitate engagement. If we follow
Rogers (1995) in his analysis that the diffusion of innovations can be
supported by professional change agents, we can employ his model of
innovation diffusion to the social media based learning by styling
teachers and students as change agents that fulfil the task of bringing
acceptance and competences to learners. Within social media this
role differs from the traditional approach of a classroom bound
teacher, as social media based learning will set up a demand for
specific communicative skills, ICT skills and reflection on the process of
co-operation. We argue that social media based learning requires
other types of competences – both from student and teacher. More
than that, social media based learning will also dissolve the time border
between “school” and “leisure” and the role expectations between
Ideas in Mobile Learning symposium - 1000 word 'idea' paper abstract
“expert” and “learner”. Zimmer et al expand the role of the teacher in
open communication situations:
“people need enough individual support, so that they feel safe
enough to engage in open communication, so that they can
arrive at enough shared vision, to be able to do things together.”
(Zimmer, Harris & Muirhead, 2000, 3-4)
This is true whether those participating are self acknowledged novices
or experts in social media learning.
Starting from these assumptions, we designed the ongoing EU funded
Comenius project “Learn to Teach by Social Web” (L2T –
www.learn2teach.eu) which sets out to exploit the educational
potential that social media offers teachers in engaging their learners in
contextual development of skills and knowledge through an
‘alternative’ or unfamiliar learning paradigm. In this case the use of
social media becomes the ‘alternative’ collaborative tool that allows
participants to engage in innovative learning environments, existing
both inside and outside of the classroom.
The discussion held within this project is clearly aware that social media
have been in existence for many years, and furthermore that our
learners have been engaged in their use for as long. The ubiquitous
nature of mobile technology has infiltrated all aspects of our lives. We
also recognize however that this does not suggest that either learner,
or teacher is comfortable with using such technology in a learning
environment. Social media are widely accepted by students as leisure
instruments and mobile technology providing an extension of their
social world; only rarely being used as learning devices. Even more so
for teachers; as illustrated by our small scale research in 2012 (253
respondents across 7 European countries) where we found over two
thirds of new or trainee teachers were not confident in the use of e-
learning platforms (such as Moodle or BlackBoard) and over three
quarters felt uncomfortable with the use of social networking (such as
Facebook and Twitter). This indicated to us that there was little or no
correlation between our perceived engagement in social/personal use
of technology and engagement with technology for learning.
In order to address the gap between the potential pedagogical
added value of social media and the societal need to manage
competences in mobile communication on one side and the lack of
these competences in schools on the other, the L2T project developed
a curriculum that provides examples of how to use social media in a
range of teaching environments, from the classroom to the workplace
to leisure activity. This vocational training curriculum aims at teachers
that have never before used social media for educational purposes. To
shape this in the most positive way, the curriculum was developed by
Ideas in Mobile Learning symposium - 1000 word 'idea' paper abstract
active teachers – many of whom had never used social media before
engaging in the project. So our intended outcome is a practice report
from teachers for teachers that provides both a sociological
introduction into the societal role of social media and very practical
lesson examples as inspirations for actual teaching and learning
experiences, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Within the project, we utilize different mobile and social media
applications (such as wikis, Twitter feeds and Facebook pages) to
provide users, both teachers and, through facilitation, the students
themselves, with the support required to participate in the
collaborative activity of developing effective teaching and learning
environments. This runs parallel with Kaletka and Pelka’s description of
social media in general suggesting it as:
“social innovation that has the potential to influence the way
people work, communicate and participate. Furthermore, it fits
the upcoming challenges of modern information society with
work that has to be fast, cooperative, incremental and dialogue
based.” (Kaletka, C & Pelka, B. 2011, 273)
This is a theme at the heart of the ‘Learn 2 Teach by Social Web’
project, offering a space for teachers to communicate their feelings,
apprehensions, insights and stories with others across a wide range of
subject areas and locations throughout Europe. This dialogue is one
that the project aims to develop beyond the life cycle of the
curriculum itself, again relating to the nature of social innovations
shaping the future. This is possible through the use of mobile technology
in allowing participants opportunity to share ideas via a range of
different media.
The curriculum does not aim at explaining how specific applications
work (e.g. “how do I set up a Facebook page for my class?”), but links
to external resources that handle these questions. It concentrates on
inspirational examples for actual teaching, as this is what our research
showed teachers demand most. The curriculum lays out a very “hands
on” approach to use the pedagogical added value of social media
for teaching (i.e. “What benefits does Twitter bring for my lesson?”). The
whole curriculum offers a workload of about 100 hours of e-learning,
however, modules can be considered separately in order to prepare
for specific lessons or focus on the use of specific mobile technology.
Our research – from 2012 – suggested that the curriculum should cover
the following topics:
1. Social media as a social innovation and conclusions for a
pedagogy of social media
2. Specific applications (such as wikis, blogs, social network sites)
3. Specific hardware (such as tablets, mobile phones)
Ideas in Mobile Learning symposium - 1000 word 'idea' paper abstract
4. Social media in specific school subjects (math, foreign
language…)
Each module of the curriculum follows a simple structure, allowing a
fast overview and supporting very concrete examples for individual
learning units. Each module offers evidence-based arguments for the
background of a topic, its application and further resources for the
teacher to follow.
In conclusion, the curriculum enables teachers to employ social media
for teaching purposes and so contributes to satisfying the need for
structured education in ICT based communication and the need to
reflect on the pedagogical added value of social media and mobile
learning for educational purposes. It aims at the target group of those
who are inexperienced in the use of mobile technology and social
media and provides arguments, methods and examples to empower
their understanding and development. As a main motive it builds on
the argument that school is the best space to empower young people
to become ICT competent for a living that will strongly be shaped by
ICT mediated communication in both respects of being mobile and
social.
References:
Howaldt, J. & Schwarz, M. (2010) ‘Social Innovation: Concepts,
research fields and international trends’, IMO International Monitoring
(available at
http://www.internationalmonitoring.com/fileadmin/Downloads/Trendst
udien/IMO%20Trendstudie_Howaldt_englisch_Final%20ds.pdf)
Kaletka, C & Pelka, B. (2011) ‘Web 2.0 revisited: user‐ generated
content as a social innovation’, International Journal of Innovation and
Sustainable Development, Volume 5, Numbers 2-3, October 2011 , pp.
264-275
Rogers, Everett M. (1995): Diffusion of Innovations.
Zimmer, B., Harris, R. & Muirhead, B., 2000 ‘Building an Online
Community’, in Higgison, C. A. (ed.), Online Tutoring e-Book, chapter 3.
Available online at: http://repository.alt.ac.uk/781/