Rahul Rai http://www.urbanpro.com 4m 984 #socialmedia
The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
The Influence of Social Media on Education
In the last few years, the internet has drastically revolutionized the education sector. In addition to this, social media has added more interest by changing communication and creating an impact on education. Networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are used mediums to explore and market education. Today, students, professors, and education experts can connect with each other through social media and create awareness. The rising interest and availability among young students is an undeniable fact.
Social Media – A Primary Tool
Social media has now become a primary tool for education to reach every possible corner. With technology and social media going hand in hand, students from all corners of the world are getting a chance to acquire education in best possible way. Apart from this, it also plays a primary role for recruitment, marketing, public relations, alumni relations, and overall development.
Networking sites like LinkedIn and Pinterest are becoming the next tools to spread education for a target audience. Whether in India, or any other country, institutes are engaging more and more social media tactics to empower students and themselves. Teachers are using these tools to engage students more in educational resources and to avoid exposure to inappropriate materials, sexual predators, and harassment by peers.
In fact, there have been many cases where students have been caught using such tools for the wrong reasons, especially for plagiarism. This the primary reason why critics are calling for regulation and asking authorities to avoid students from getting exposed to social media.
Positive Effect on Students
There are profound benefits on students using social media for gaining education. As per the study conducted by University of Minnesota, it was found that students are benefiting from incorporating social media into the educational curriculum. Additionally, teachers are also able to increase student engagement with increased social technology to build better communication skills with each other.
In fact, the use of social media in classrooms has provided a real example of the positive reach. For instance, a 7th grade teacher in Portland started a pilot social media program, 20 percent of the students came up with extra completed assignments which carried no credits and the grades went up 50%.
In another study, students were asked to use Twitter for assignments. This increased their engagement over the semester and certainly shows how engagement in social network can help students to engage in communication with teachers and each other.
How can Social Media be integrated into the Education system?
Schools and colleges are taking a step forward to allow children to use social media for communication and assignment purposes. Let us now see how social media can be integrated with education with few positive steps:
Adding Value by Using Social Media Apps: There are number of social media apps which are specially designed for educational purposes. These apps allow students and teachers to communicate, increase vocabulary, and utilize other educational resources. Many apps even allow students to know the latest information in regards to education.
Getting Student Feedback: Seeking feedback from students is very important regarding certain issue or events happening in school or college. It is impossible to seek feedback from each and every student manually, but with these apps, students can enthusiastically participate in giving feedback on a particular event.
Classroom Through Social Media: Since social media sharing has become a great way to share knowledge and organize information, teachers are moving their lessons out of the classroom and posting assignments to social media for further knowledge and educational resources.
Internships and Exchange Programs: Presently, many colleges and schools are conducting online selections for foreign exchange programs. In this way, students get to discuss different elements of the syllabus and further studying opportunities. Moreover, internship programs are also discussed and shared online.
Technology Usage in Education
Technology along with social media is playing a major role in taking the education sector to a whole new level. Distance learning is the prime example of this achievement. Distance Learning Models have gone ahead of the game. Student from any part of country can complete Higher Educational Studies through Distance Learning programs.
To keep up with the pace of advancing technology, providers are using latest online techniques to share study materials and promote communication with their students. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are the latest phenomenon which also indicates that social media is having a positive effect on education. Skype is one such online tool that helps teachers and students to stay in touch and communicate visually through a web camera. Teachers can easily deliver lectures to students, which is much more easier and fun than a classroom session.
Blogging sites and forums are also encouraging teachers and students to communicate and share content and educational information. Forums are best example of how social media has an impact on education. Many educational forums help school and university students to get regular updates regarding exams, syllabus materials, and helpful tips. Forums are the best way to connect with students and gain more exposure towards the subject.
In the United States, more than 80% of college and university faculty use social media to reach their students. 50% use it for teaching purposes and 30% for communication purposes. Many schools across globe have already replaced chalk boards with internet-connected counterparts, tablets, and projectors.
The best thing about social media is that there is no hierarchy involved. Social media allows for direct interaction, easy-reach, and the spreading of education to a vast learning audience, which makes social media networking websites worth using. To put it simply, education is vast and complex, and to overcome this situation, innovative solutions are required in order to spread education throughout the world.
About the Author
This article and infographic content has been provided by UrbanPro.com, a stellar education marketplace where you can find a large number of qualified teachers and professionals for educational programs, fitness programs, etc.
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