The use of social media in education simplifies the work of parents and instructors when offering support to students. It offers a platform for learners to interact with each other within and beyond the school. They find useful learning resources and stay in touch with educators. Apart from learning, social media allows administrators to market the institution. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook can be turned into collaboration tools for promoting engagement in learning. They allow the sharing of knowledge between learners and faculty. Instead of relying on classroom learning only, lecturers can upload resources such as audio and videos including e-books to promote learning.
Benefits of using social media and education
Social media and education aid growth in knowledge by availing a wide range of learning resources. It creates an extension of learning opportunities. Students may connect with alumni, tutors, and online writing resources. Here are the benefits of social media for education.
- Collaboration. Students may experience different levels of difficulties during the learning process. Sometimes they may need to reach out for support from educators or colleagues. Social channels allow them to share documents, chats, and ideas.
- Engagement. Social media for schools offer interactive features that drive students to keep sharing ideas or asking questions. If there’s an area the learner does not understand, they can send hashtags or threads and get massive responses.
- Sharing knowledge. Social media education motivates students to share information that increases knowledge. They may post short clips, infographics, or pictures with educational themes. Educators can use such content to explain difficult concepts.
- Networking. Students are no longer limited to taking traditional courses only. They may enroll in online learning or use course platforms. Social media for students allows them to create extensive networks that make learning enjoyable and easier.
Unlike in the past, students today learn in a highly interconnected society. Educators may use multiple channels for teaching in school. Due to this, the importance of effective writing and the power of communication are critical. Writing skills are not going obsolete any time soon. They have the potential for branding and telling stories in content. Using student help online is a smart strategy for students to write like professionals. The platforms create literary texts that contain formal tones and convey the intended information systematically. Social media is another platform that can help promote writing skills and education. However, if students want to improve their writing abilities quickly, they can use an essay service to order papers. This prepares the ground where they learn from professionals. And with these learnings, they grow as good writers.
Examples of using social media in the classroom
Some educational institutions have successfully implemented social media in the classroom. They build strong networks of social media in the classroom and invite all learners to join. Here are examples of successful implementation of social media in the classroom.
Live sessions
Virtual classrooms offer a friendly learning environment online. One institution can create a virtual classroom and invite students from other institutions to join. They set aside specific days for engagement. Many institutions invite experts in the education sector to teach specific topics.
Students may ask questions and get expert answers. For example, Harvard University runs live lessons on Facebook. During the lessons, they broadcast lectures live. At times, they perform panel discussions where participants share insights and deliver teaching.
Virtual classrooms
Virtual classrooms may engage students in pre-recorded resources. Lecturers may record lectures and post them on the platforms. They may write course/course materials and post them for download or sharing. Social media in higher education is specifically important for promoting virtual learning. For example, lecturers at the University of California share a lot of educational content on Instagram.
Use of social media chatbots and live chats
Some learners feel shy to ask questions in the classroom. They may ask chatbots any question without fear. They may also use chat platforms to communicate with real humans for continued learning. For example, the X platform offers a chat channel that educators may leverage to promote academic courses. Some important chat hashtags include #Scicomm and #Edchat.
How social media can be used to promote learning
Social media for higher education can be used to harness learning in many ways. Educators and learners need to agree on the method that benefits them. Different platforms online serve specific purposes. However, social media serves multiple purposes and education promotion is one of them.
Connect with experts. In the past, it was rare to get opportunities to connect with experts online. Students using social media are for opportunities today. The university may organize lecturers and they give learners a chance to participate in life events,
Organize virtual events. Social media provides a means of fast communication. Education social media can be used to facilitate the organization of online events. Such events bring educators and learners into a time of discussion. They may be engaged in a session where they ask questions and get answers. They may be engaged in events such as virtual conferences and webinars. Social events in education help improve education quality and participation.
Provide learning resources. Social media for higher education can be an excellent platform for the distribution of learning materials. Both educators and learners may distribute essays and resources to complement the curriculum. It lets students learn to do research and go through the education process smoothly.
Create a supportive community for students. Many types of student communities exist. They include student associations, clubs, and political, and spiritual communities. There are sports clubs, cultural clubs, and media. Students across social media channels congregate to form large virtual communities. They support each other on matters of education and personal lives.
Promote educational institutions online. School administrators seek different ways to advertise the school and attract more applications. Social media has proved to be a worthy channel for institutional promotions. They create ads and use ads strategy to extend their reach to audiences. They advertise the schools as excellent places for learning. The channels are useful for attracting leads in the education sector.
Increasing the pace of learning. Traditionally, teaching was delivered through a generalized strategy where every learner received instructions at the same level. Teaching has changed today into learner-centric learning. The vast amount of information available online promotes teaching focused on the individual learner. Students can adopt their pace and follow along. Teachers may adopt unique ways of teaching that accommodate every learner through social media.
The potential of social media to revolutionize education
The benefits of social media for students are many. The channels have the power to drive education into a revolution. Learners may share resources to get feedback from peers and professionals. However, every resource posted extends digital literacy in learners. Educators may use the channels to post homework and send reminders about deadlines.
Social media for education keeps students engaged. They get encouraged to share knowledge and seek help whenever needed. Additionally, social media is an excellent channel for mentorship. They offer opportunities for improvement and creating innovative ways of teaching and learning.
For instance, a massage therapy school program can greatly benefit from social media marketing. They can share their holistic dimension to wellness education initiatives, promoting self-care practices and stress management techniques among students and educators alike.
Conclusion
Studies show 98% of students in traditional schools use social media. The studies show the channels provide communication tools for real-time collaboration and engagement. They are great for networking and giving/receiving feedback. Users may post educational resources or participate in live sessions and virtual classrooms. The channels create strong supportive student communities. They have the potential to cause an unprecedented revolution in the education sector.