How are teachers using social media for learning in school?

Social media is used by people to interact and for entertainment. Social media is not just social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, it also includes blogs, interactive media, video sharing and photo sharing sites, online forums or discussion forums and many more.

Statistics reveal that in 2021, 4.26 billion people across the globe were using social media. This social media usage is estimated to reach 6 billion by the year 2027. Not just individuals, but even firms use social media for marketing and other purposes. But, in the education sector, it is used for a different purpose, it is used for learning. Teachers are using social media for providing the best-in-class learning experience to students.

How the teachers are using social media for learning is presented below.

Discussions and live lectures

Teachers are using social media platforms to form study groups that aid in discussions. This helps students to communicate and enriches their engagement. Also through such study groups, the teachers provide reminders about assignments.

Live lectures are streamed on social media platforms such as Facebook. This is being accessed by students anywhere, anytime. This is particularly useful for students who cannot attend school.

Guest lectures by experts

Industry experts from different parts of the world provide valuable insights and impart knowledge to the students by connecting over Google Meet or Zoom. Guest lectures or videos available online such as on YouTube are used to enhancing the knowledge of students and to make learning interesting.

Collaborative learning

Social media promotes collaborative learning. Students can easily share and discuss with peers and teachers about the subjects and clear their doubts. Social media also allows students to work in groups.

Go beyond curriculum

Reading and learning only from prescribed books is an old trend. Teachers share and suggest articles, online books, videos and many more that help students to learn beyond the curriculum. Through social media extended learning is made possible and the students’ knowledge is improved.

Channel for communication

Students view social media as a channel to communicate with peers and teachers. This extends the communication beyond the classroom. Also, it serves as an effective tool to socialise with people and improves the communication skill of students.

Research revealed that 94.8% of 34,000 school children surveyed in India use messaging applications, smartphones and internet devices for referring to study materials, online classes and learning. With the pandemic driving the trend, teachers should adapt and start using social media for teaching. Schools should also invest in incorporating social media to provide an enriched learning experience to students.

Social media used in learning and teaching is beneficial to students and teachers. Integrating social media with the technologies such as learning management systems for helping students learn with vigour and zeal. However, it is imperative for the parents and teachers to make sure that the students use social media for a constructive purpose.

Reference

https://www.statista.com/statistics/278414/number-of-worldwide-social-network-users/