Running head: SOCIAL MEDIA IN EDUCATION

Social Media in Education

Lori Bevan, David Lord, Timothy Masters, Francine Porter, Maryellen Tissandier, Holly Witte
Liberty University
EDUC-639
Dr. Courduff
November 29, 2014

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Abstract

As the locus of education transitions from a teacher-centered approach to a more studentcentered approach and blended learning, a scrutinizing look at how social networks can be used
to further engage students is being met with both intrigue and skepticism. This purposeful
literature review demonstrates the full spectrum of how social networks, from Twitter to
Facebook, can be utilized to inform, engage, and teach in K-12 education and corporations. In
the classroom, collaboration skills are being fostered along with writing techniques while
students participate in blogging and Twitter and Facebook remains a popular choice for
administrators keep communications flowing throughout an organization. Academically, students
grow cognitively while becoming important members of an educational community as
demonstrated by the theories of Community of Practice and Community of Inquiry.
Consequently, students make connections amidst the influx of information while instructors shift
from being providers of knowledge to facilitators of knowledge.

Key Words: Social media, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogging, social networking, education,
corporate education, Community of Inquiry, Community of Practice, Connectivism
Collaboration

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Introduction
Social media involves using Facebook, Skype, Twitter, blogging, Google+, and many
others not for personal use, but for educational use. Today's youth uses social media daily to
communicate with others. Faculty and administrators are seeing that the integration of this tool
may be useful to enhance student learning. When using social media in the classroom, teachers
must teach the students how to properly use it in the classroom just as they would any other
material. By allowing the use of social media in the classroom, educators can give an exciting
new opportunity to connect with students in a manner that continues to provoke a thoughtful
discussion outside of the classroom. Educators have begun to see the trend and because of this
they are creating blogs, wikis, podcast and using social networking websites in the classroom
curriculum. The students of today are tech-savvy and rely on technology at all times, therefore,
incorporating social media may also have the potential to draw students attention away from the
lecture content. Because of this, studies have been completed to decide if using social media can
help improve engagement and understanding of the content. The majority of student perceptions
regarding the use of social media in the classroom are positive. Likewise, many educators seem
to be aware of the different types of social media and how it may be used in the classroom (Abe
and Jordan, 2013).

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Key Terms
Twitter
Twitter is one way that social media can be used in the classroom where students
Tweet to contribute to a class discussion. Another way to use this technique in the classroom is
when students are physically, financially, or geographically unable to travel to classroom.

Skype and Google Hangouts

Students or educators can use Skype or another teleconference source to meet with a
group for a project or conference. Educators can also use these programs to meet with other
classrooms around the world.
Facebook
Facebook is another form of social media that can be used in the classroom by both the
educator and student. Through this technology tool students have the opportunity to engage with
other students and educators through chats and comments.
Blogging
A teacher can use blogs to relay information to parents and students about what is
happening in the classroom. By having a classroom blog, parents are able to instantly see what is
happening in the classroom when the teacher posts and can discuss this with their child. Also,
students can use blogs to improve their writing skills and show self-expressions as well as gain
literacy development through storytelling and dialogue. Similar to Twitter and Face book,
blogging in the classroom can improve students' literacy skills as they are writing in short blurbs
and can focus more on grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

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Social Learning Theories

A shift in education is placing instructional emphasis on the student versus the teacher as
we gravitate towards a more student-centered learning approach. The student-centered learning
approach aims at creating more student interest, engagement and responsibility in participating in
an education that is more interactive and collaborative. This approach involves teaching students
how to think opposed to what to think and focuses on student interactions including cooperation
and collaboration with peers and teachers. This type of learning allows students to develop their
own learning goals, thereby filling in gaps in their knowledge or understanding (Seng, 2014, p.
146) while working best when students work collaboratively with peers during group work.
Connectivism
Using social media in education is in agreement with several learning theories that claim
that there is value in social learning. As in a student-centered learning approach, Connectivism
learning theory focuses on the available technology, the vast informational database available
and information processing that is essential when evaluating connections between different
sources of information. This theory acknowledges that the student seeks out information and uses
prior knowledge combined with new knowledge to make connections for the purpose of learning.
Conceptually, learning involves the connecting and strengthening of links between concepts and
ideas; socially, learning involves interacting with other individuals across technological
networks (Dunaway, 2011, p. 676). In theory, a pedagogical look at Connectivism would
consist of a diverse collection of information resources or networks from which students can
learn and create knowledge. The primary focus of Connectivism is on developing knowledge of
individuals and groups through the acquiring of online data. Connectivism is characterized by the
concept that a persons understanding is directly linked to the extent that they are connected, and

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backs the concept that networks are crucial to true learning. There is, also, the belief that
Connectivism can be used to implement another pedagogical technique that accommodates the
demands of modern day students (Courduff, 2009).
Community of Practice
In addition to using technology and social media to connect knowledge to expand
knowledge bases, the Community of Practice theory states that when a group of people share a
concern or passion for something they do, they will learn how to improve upon it when they
interact regularly (Tarr, 2010). In a community, there is shared domain of knowledge and
practice in which mentoring relationships develop naturally and informally. As students engage
in social media of Twitter, Facebook, or Blogging in an educational setting, theory states that a
community of practice will develop. As students become comfortable with one another, they will
begin mentoring each other and work together toward a common goal while increasing their
knowledge. Within these communities are bonds between members that would naturally form in
the physical community, however, these bonds often extend past physical boundaries of space,
attracting members from different geographical areas but forming common bonds and purposes
amongst them nevertheless.
Community of Inquiry
The Community of Inquiry (CoI) concept is based on the social, cognitive, and teaching
presence within an online community (deNoyelles, 2014). The social presence is visible through
the sharing and collaboration of group members, as well as an emotional expression. And the
social presences makes way for cognitive presence as the group learns to work together to
construct new knowledge. The cognitive presence cycles through a series of functions where
there is an event or issue that is needed to examine and the group works together during the

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process connecting their base knowledge with the new knowledge. Finally, the teaching presence
is marked by instructional design, facilitation and direct instruction (deNoyelles, 2014). There
are strategies that make synchronous and asynchronous discussions more successful that develop
these three presences. Modeling social presence in ways of addressing students by name or
offering encouragement are effective in nurturing positive interactions within the group.
Introducing problem-based and project-based prompts that require higher thinking and forces the
community to collaborate can encourage cognitive presence. In addition, debates can also be
used to facilitate cognitive presence in the community. The teaching presence may, perhaps, be
the most demanding and critical in asynchronous discussion. Prompt feedback, group facilitation,
and guiding the group in establishing clear roles within the community, specific goals, and
maintaining deadlines all support the group in a teaching presence. When all three presences are
developed within the community, the community of inquiry can create a functioning, purposeful
group that works and learns together.
Social Media and Administration
School officials, similar to their government and corporate counterparts, are learning that
social media tools are exceedingly more effective than they realized. In regards to
communication, administrators often encounter concerns and problems relaying information to
stakeholders. A research by Cox and McLeod was conducted to understand the practices and
perspectives of social media-savvy school principals (2013). The research found that school
administrators simply could not afford to ban social media and not use this important tool to
communicate to parents, community members, staff, and students. Superintendents and
administrators will have to adapt their best practices to include social media tools as a form of
communication. Technology is continuing to be more advanced and prevalent in society, that this

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tool has many advantages to sharing information instantly with others. Cox and McLeod found
through their study that blogs, Twitter, social networking sites, podcasts, and online videos were
found to be effective communication tools that would allow schools to engage their stakeholders
in two-way conversations (2013).
Seven Pillars of Digital Leadership
Eric Sheninger discusses seven pillars of digital leadership in his book, Digital
Leadership. The pillars of digital leadership allows for new ideas and practices to evolve in order
to improve schools and instructional strategies within the school system (2014). The Seven
Pillars of Digital Leadership include: communication, public relations, branding, professional
growth and development, student engagement and learning, opportunity, and learning
environment and spaces. When the administrator, educational technologist and other school
leaders incorporate these pillars into a school and school system, technology will be infused in
lessons across the curriculum.
Communication
Communication is a critical piece in all areas of education. Communication is important
between administrators and staff, staff and parents, staff and stakeholders, and between teachers
and students. Communication in the form of technology should be differentiated just like
teachers differentiate work for their students. Forms of communication that schools used to use
to reach stakeholders would have included emails, newsletters, mail, and flyers. To continue in
the 21st century, schools have moved their forms of communication to include Twitter,
Facebook, Blogging, Google Apps for Education, and other social media avenues. By using
social media as a communication tool, parents are able to instantly receive messages and

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information about school functions and information.

Public Relations
Public relation is closely related to communication, as some of the tools will also be used
in public relations as they are used to communicate to stakeholders. Technology leadership and
public relations is about building the capacity to create a solid foundation for a positive
relationship and communication efforts. Leaders will become storytellers and tell the story of the
school through social media and other public relation technologies.
Branding
When one thinks about brands, they would relate a brand to a type of clothing or a type of
food, or even a company. However, branding in educational technology means something similar
but also different. A school wants to develop a brand of their own and have a digital relationship
with the schools stakeholders. Schools and educators need to develop a brand to build
relationships and connections with those who they work with and teach. A teacher could
accomplish this by having a Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn account.
Professional Growth and Development
In the 21st century, professional development is taking over in a new way.
Administrators and teachers can use digital tools and social media to grow professionally as well
as participate in professional development sessions. Administrators and teachers can turn to the
Internet to explore topics of interest, educational technology, or other relevant information to
become more effective teachers. A professional learning network (PLN) has become very
popular in regards to educational technology. Administrators and teachers are building PLNs on
Twitter, Facebook, and other social networking tools.

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Increasing Student Engagement and Enhancing Learning

Technology has a defined role in a variety of school functions and is used to increase
student engagement and enhance the learning in the classroom. Leaders in educational
technology have to transform a schools culture in order to have technology use in the school to
be effective. Educators and students should be provided with the knowledge to use technology so
that they can be confident and succeed in the future. Authentic learning experiences should be
involved in the classroom when using technology. This will enhance student learning and allow
for differentiation in the classroom.
Rethinking Learning Environments and Spaces
The space that a student learns in is a crucial aspect to the way a student behaves and
learns in the classroom. Educators and leaders have to establish a vision of the classroom and the
learning environment. The school building needs to strengthen and open up the wireless network
to allow for more computers and mobile devices to be able to connect to the Internet.
Discovering Opportunity
Another great way that leaders in educational technology can empower technology in the
school is by building partnerships and discovering opportunities for the school. A partnership
with the county or city that the school is located in is important to build a sense of community
and digital citizenship. Partnerships can also be made with universities, social media, or the
military community (Sheninger, 2014).
Utilizing Social Networking in Elementary Schools
Twitter has grown since it began not only for personal use but also especially for use in
the education. Many teachers and school districts have started using Twitter for motivating
practices and to help students learn and become more media savvy. Similar to all online activity,

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students need to have lessons on how to use Twitter appropriately. Micro blogging allows users
to share updates through real-time and asynchronous communication using very brief texts.
When using Twitter, users have to be short with their updates, 140 characters, and this is called a
tweet. Students can micro blog on Twitter or other related sites to share resources,
communicate with peers, inquire about specific materials, and follow experts in a particular
subject matter. Although Twitter and other social media resources are very popular and educators
are using them, very little research has been conducted. Of the research that has been conducted,
researchers are confident that this form of communication has strong potential to enhance
learning.
Twitter helps improve students skills in reading and writing. When communicating with
safe followers, students learn the value of social media and how collaborating with peers can
motivate student interactions (Morgan, 2014). Twitter can be used as a classroom tool that allows
students to communicate with parents about what they are doing in class. This engagement keeps
parents informed and connected with their childs school day as it unfolds. Interchangeably,
Twitter is also a professional development tool that connects teachers and educational
professionals to available tools and techniques that are valuable in the classroom. Kist et al, 2010
examines all of these uses within a 2nd grade classroom. Twitter teaches students how to
communicate, collaborate, and use technological tools to create learning networks that will
enable them to become more successful learners in the 21st century (Kist et al, 2010). In
addition, academically, students have authentic writing opportunities and to connect with
classrooms around the world and learn about them by asking their own questions.
Safety is always the priority concern, however, and there are ways to ensure that students
are participating in Twitter in a manner that protects them. According to Kist (2010) by utilizing

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Twitters listing tool, a school can set up a list of classrooms that can be followed by parents and
teachers, as well as mandating students from deviating from these lists. In addition, private
versus public accounts ensures a shroud of protection from adult discussions, languages and
possible predators. He also suggests setting up a global account that students can only access at
school so no posts are made from home. And a last recommendation by Kist is that names are
never used but replaced by initials. Even with safety concerns, a recent study involving over
1000 principals, librarians and teachers provided a general consensus that there is a high value in
social networking in education and worth the effort and time to implement it effectively
(Howard, 2013).
The use of blogs in the classrooms represents a new approach to teaching writing that is
developing and changing daily (McGrail & Davis, 2011). In an elementary classroom, blogs can
be used for creative expression using the Lets Blog tool where students can share ideas,
stories and feelings. Since the blogs are informal, students overcome insecurity issues that they
have with spelling and writing. (Kist et al, 2010). Literacy development can be accomplished
through storytelling and dialogue that encourages self-expression. For this reason, blogging has
an academic place in elementary education. Since writing development occurs over time as
writers learn the processes of composing and critiquing their own writing, blogging becomes a
time recorded record of the progress that a student achieves. In addition, research suggests that
an awareness of an audience can correlate with the quality of writing (McGrail & Davis, 2011).
A qualitative class study discussed by McGrail and Davis (2011) further looks at how blogging
can influence the interpretation of literature and the literacy development. Researchers examined
blogging activity, classroom observations, and teacher interviews to collect data for triangulation
of findings in a 5th grade elementary classroom. Blogging was introduced to the class in a web

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quest activity and a class blog was created in which the teacher modeled blogging
communication to a larger audience. Consequently, students adjusted their writings so that they
could continue to connect with their audience. And students were challenged to experiment
writing styles such as using idioms and figurative language. While new styles were tested, they
took on a sort of raw appearance but the writing was often more engaging to the reader.
Utilizing Social Networking in Middle School and Secondary Schools
The year is 2014, and lets be honest, almost every middle school and high school student
has a Facebook and uses it daily. Many educators have personally witnessed middle school as
well as high school students using Facebook in class. According to Cortesio (2014) ? If social
networking is one of the biggest distractions during class time, maybe we should figure out a
way to harness that obsession." What is the way? Of course it would be to implement it into the
curriculum.
Using Facebook in the classroom
The study created a way to use Facebook and the results might shock you! A Facebook
page was created for a research class. The page was a relevant way to share and see course
assignments and curriculum. Most of the students loved the page and starting using it frequently,
while some of the students felt the need not to participate in the social media experiment.
Cortesio (2014) found "The students quickly formed study groups outside of class, exchanged
articles and helped each other. Overall, they performed better than the non-participating
students."
Even with these great results there were still concerns. One of the biggest concern was
privacy from the public. They did not want to be judged by others.

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One of the biggest pros of using Facebook in and with the classroom is that since it is so popular
students will use the page.
Using wikis in the classroom
Another great way to envelop social media into the classroom is through a wiki. There
are many benefits to setting up and contributing to a wiki. A wiki is like a form of a website for
students without the knowledge that is required of actually building a website, which is much
harder. Since the students are creating a real website they feel like they are really creating
something special. According to Teehan (2010) Because they view the wiki creation as
important, the assignment can become significant to them in the sense that they are likely to pay
special attention to the mechanics of grammar and spelling, and it gives them a natural outlet for
creativity and the higher-level thinking skills of analysis and synthesis of content material.
In addition to wikis being an important assignment to the middle and high school student they
also have the opportunity to collaborate together to create their wikis. Since their peers are the
ones reading and pondering on the wiki the student feels a sense of urgency to create a great
product.
Social Media in Higher Education
Learners in Higher Education/Distance Learning
When looking at the use of multi-media resources in higher education, a consideration
should be taken as to the differences between the higher-education students and those of primary
and secondary institutions. These learners have their own set of characteristics and other
considerations that should be taken into consideration. In higher education, there are many who
will register for a distance-learning program. These programs can be of help in overcoming some
of the challenges that adult learners may face.

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Research shows that those who enter a distance education program are adults between the
ages of 25 and 50. In making the decision to return to school, these adult learners must weigh the
cost of their education against the gains they are expecting to achieve. They have differences
from what is considered a traditional college student due to their responsibilities to their families
and their jobs. They are more task-oriented and have a high degree of motivation, but must
manage their academic schedules around their other responsibilities. These learners want to
learn, but these considerations can have a negative impact on their motivation to learn and could
interfere with the learning process (Cercone, 2008).
Higher education online courses are experiencing a steady increase in the numbers of
students registering for them when compared to on-line campus courses, but suffer a higher
attrition rate than classroom based courses (Poelhuber, Roy & Anderson, 2011). This has created
a pressure on institutions to retain students and improve not only their first year experience, but
the overall education environment (Galindo, Meling, Mundy & Kupczynski, 2012).
Institutions must devise an accepted mission statement and purpose that depends upon
increased support from both faculty and student services before the retention of students can be
addressed. The limits that institutions of higher learning face must also be identified. After
collaboration between the departments of student and academic affairs is established, the college
or university can initiate the use of social media to aid in the retention of students (Galindo,
Meling, Mundy & Kupczynski, 2012).
Social media can be defined as a tool that is internet-based and allows users to share
content information. It can create an association of learners who share information and ideas.
The shared information that comes from these sites can produce alternative perspectives and
creative resolutions (Peck, 2014).

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The use of social media and social networking for informal education can support the
engagement of learners within learning communities. Further, they can aid students in taking on
self-directed and independent actions towards learning projects. When combined, these can be
incorporated using social media/networking into the curriculum in higher education. This will
increase a sense of ownership in the learners education through an experience of engagement
and interest and ensuring better communication between faculty, students, families, and other
stakeholders. Collaborative and independent interactions are good models when combining
social media into a learning community that exists inside an institution of higher learning. As a
sense of engagement develops due to these interactions, an increased retention should also
develop (Galindo, Meling, Mundy & Kupczynski, 2012).
Numerous articles and studies show the uses of social media tools are an effective
pedagogy, which helps students to develop an understanding of professionalism, ethics, and
communication. Even with these findings, which show that, social media can enhance the
educational setting; standards of appropriate use are just starting to be written (Peck, 2014).
Social media must be used for a purpose for its use to be effective. The use of SMART
(Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-oriented, Timely) goals is one suggestion for the
inclusion of social media into the classroom. Social media should not be used to follow a trend,
but only when there is a wanted effect in mind (Peck, 2014).
Social media has become commonplace in the worlds of business, private lives, and
education due to the ability to share information with others. Social media also imparts skills to
an individual which include the technological ability to navigate the internet, self-teach, the
ability to discern and learn nuances in reference to software programs, read, write, and edit at a
language level consistent with the media (Lu, Newman, & Miller, 2010). The advantages of

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social media have a large amount of potential, with significant documentation that shows the
exceptional power for increased creativity, innovation, and bringing about change (Peck, 2014).
Social Media Use Other than in the Classroom
Colleges and Universities have used social media to network, distribute information, and
offer services to support students during their first semester and throughout their time at the
institution. The offices of admissions, alumni relations, sports and athletics, the library, as well
as marketing/communications and student services have changed the way they operate due to the
use of social media (Hrastinski & Denned, 2012).
The use of social media can serve as an exercise in building experience in networking,
which would help the student from applying for internships or job opportunities through the
contacts and relationships that they built with alumni and other professionals in the community
(Chen & Bryer, 2012).
The influence that social media has on higher education has allowed institutions to
promote project themselves through alumni relations, athletics, special events, conferences,
marketing, and the recruiting of students (Lu, Newman, & Miller, 2010).
Social Media in the Classroom
For any innovations that you, as a proper pedagogical theorist, may wish to introduce
will have to compete with, replace, or otherwise modify the folk theories that already guide both
teachers and pupils" (Bruner, 1996 p. 46). The folk theories Bruner mentions is defined, by him,
as the views that teachers have in regard to how they instruct their students are determined by
theories and assumptions how children learn. These theories are echoed in many of the beliefs
that teachers have about how children learn (Bruner, 1996). Social media, having the negative

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connotations that have been ascribed to their use, has to overcome these preconceived ideas of
their harm to the learning process.
The use of social media in the classroom has met with mixed feelings from teachers and
administrators. Some fear that social media and social networking sites could harm learners by
leaving them incapable of independent critical thought. Recent studies have shown these fears to
be based on feelings other than fact. These studies indicate that using these new forms of media
have a history of increasing high performance and collaborative efforts in students (Okoro,
2012).
There are several concerns about using social media as a tool for teaching and learning,
the negative effects on academic performance being one such concern that has been expressed.
This seemed to be bolstered by a study that showed that Facebook users having a lower GPA
than non-users when they were compared (Chen & Bryer, 2012). However, a question that has
been identified by researchers is, if more instructors could facilitate social media activities
based on the connectivist pedagogy to alter how the technologies are used, could social media be
a beneficial learning tool? (Chen & Bryer, 2012 p.91)
According to Chen and Bryer (2012) to achieve desired learning outcomes, building and
training is necessary for teachers and administrators to make the best of social media and make it
work for the successful outcomes of the students. This was also a good point. With the rate of
students who participate in social media, this training will allow the educational system to adopt
the best strategies for implementing social media.
Inside the classrooms, social media has been integrated into formal and informal learning.
An example of this is where some faculty members using Facebook to identify problems students

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are having with homework. Also, using social media, students are encouraged to build a portfolio
outside the learning management system (LMS) (Lu, Newman & Miller, 2010).
When looking at how public administration faculty used the different social media tools,
Chen and Bryer (2012) found that most of those in their study did see added learning advantages
in using them. They urged their students to use social media due to the creativity and social
connections benefits that existed with social media. Still others did not see any benefits at all
towards academic use, or considered the use of social media as something that only related to the
lower-level classes in undergraduate programs (Chen & Bryer, 2012).
By embracing social media as a teaching tool, institutions strategize to improve student
learning, integration, involvement, and commitment to the college experience. For example,
students can create and manage cloud based learning spaces that facilitate their own learning
activities, provide for their reflections on lessons, and build relationships with their peers and
experts in their field of study without the boundaries of geography (Lu, Newman & Miller,
2010).
Institutions of higher learning must formulate guidelines in relation to social media use.
As the use of social media grows in the educational setting, staff can look for the social media
policy for their institution that governs the appropriate degree of disclosure concerning social
media sites. If there is no policy, then they can speak out and support the development of rules
addressing social media use in the organization (Peck, 2014).
Social Media in Corporate Education
Education in the workplace changed drastically in the last decade. Modern technology
advances occurred so rapidly that often times a new technology would be obsolete before the
year ended. Just the wide variety of technologies available had made it difficult to track the

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usage of technology in the workplace (Schrum, 2010). Training software, presentation tools, and
the acceptance of distance education methods were a part of that technology growth over the last
decade. Some corporations were able to keep up with the pace of modern technology advances
and to find ways to incorporate those new technologies into the classroom but there were still
plenty of organizations in the United States that had struggled to keep up with the times. Some
organizations struggled with security concerns. As many as 25% of business blocked employee
access to social networking websites over concerns about time wasting, confidential information
concerns, and concerns over computer viruses (Francois, Hebbani, & Rintel, 2013). Even for
those organizations, which did have the latest and greatest technologies at their disposal and had
overcome security concerns, they still struggled to recognize and/or find a way to integrate that
new technology into the corporate classroom.
Social media was big a game changer for the Internet and it changed how people spent
their time on the Internet. Those individuals with internet access on their mobile devices
suddenly had access to their long lost friends and co-workers via social media apps and the
people to people interactions skyrocketed with the growth in technology. In 2014 many school
districts and universities had begun to acknowledge social media sites as a possible learning tool.
Social media could also have a future presence in corporate education.
Supplement Classroom Instruction
Classroom instruction was the primary form of educating the workforce in modern
America. Most often a trainer or manager would reserve a conference room or clear out the
employee lunch room to hold training sessions on work related topics. The amount of training
needed for a corporations workers depended upon the unique applications and functions of that
corporation. For example, a pizza diner would have a less stringent curriculum than a chemical

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company. However both the smaller and bigger organizations would still need to conduct
employee training in the classroom.
Social media usage could be utilized as a tool to supplement classroom training. Research
found social media to be an enabler that brought the learning community together and provided a
framework that allowed teachers and students to harness the power of collaborative and personal
learning (Powers, Averbeck, Alhussain, & Warner, 2012). The employer could create a course or
site-specific Facebook page or Google Hangout where students could interact with each other
during a live physical training session in the classroom. Some social media sites had the
functionality present where the instructor could create polls and quizzes that could be taken by
students while they were in the classroom. Modern working adults in the United States could
carry smartphones on their persons and would be capable of downloading social media
applications on their personal smartphones. Participation could even be voluntary but most
importantly classroom participation could be enhanced with the inclusion of social media in the
physical classroom.
Supplement Distance Education
For those corporations who had started to utilize distance education as a means of
educating their workforce, proper inclusion of social media sites could likely enhance worker to
worker interaction. Many of the major general industry companies in the United States started to
utilize distance education to train their employees. One of the more popular methods was the
usage of Computer Based Training (CBT). A company would create a CBT module specific to a
needed topic of study and then issue that training module to their workforce. An employee could
then log-in to the companys CBT training software and take the course from any computer at
any location.

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Social media usage could help to enhance the learning experience for employees who
participated in CBTs and live distance education sessions. Much like the physical classroom
example, the inclusion of social media sites in distance education models could provide an easily
accessible path for workers to engage in classroom discussion beyond the classroom. Possible
uses included the ability to follow others in similar fields, posting links to useful articles, inform
students on classroom related events, posting photos, messaging, and Tweet summaries (Hirst,
2011). Trainers could be more accessible and also utilize social media sites to send employees
updates on class information, send employees relevant links, or just to send out general words of
encouragement.
New Employee Mentorship and Development
While studying the 2013 research performed by Chun Nam Mak among a small group of
workers in Hong Kong, it was found that social media usage in the workplace had a substantial
impact on worker relationships. The study showed how the small group of workers had created a
Facebook page where they would interact both during and after working hours. The workers
accessed the page often and the social media usage bonded the group beyond what the physical
workplace setting could offer (Mak, 2013). The study followed the first five months of a new
employees life on that worker Facebook page and tracked the interactions that followed. The
study did not intend to promote the usage of social media sites as an educational tool in the
workplace but it did cause this author to ask the question, Could social media sites be used to
mentor and develop new hires?
The question would need a study of its own to come to a conclusive answer but the
possibilities seemed positive in nature when just thinking about how social media sites could be
used to mentor and develop a new hire. Using a social media site such as Google Hangouts each

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new hire could be assigned to a veteran employee and given a Hangout where the new hire
could have instant access to the veteran employee. Conversations could range from everyday chit
chat to the new hire seeking guidance on a work related issue. The point being that the new hire
would always be connect to an educational resource in the veteran employee. The new hire
would no longer have to worry about asking a silly question among their peers or their bosses
and such inclusion of social media could potential get the new hire up to speed faster than
traditional initiations.
Challenges for Corporate Trainers
Trainer Headcount
Companies in the United States usually had to struggle with tracking and maintaining
employee headcount. Many of the larger corporations had a specific formula that would generate
a number as to what the employee headcount should be at a specific location or department
within the company. Those numbers were difficult to change so for corporate training
departments that were already maxed out in headcount encountered barriers to hiring new
training staff.
The inclusion of social media into a corporate training program would require the
training department to expend time into researching effective ways to incorporate social media
sites into an organizations existing training program. The cost would not likely be substantial as
the most popular social media sites were free to use but time has always been considered just as
valuable in the corporate world. The major challenge for trainers in the general industry setting
was company purse strings and that they felt as if they were always having to sell a new idea
to management (E.J. Stephenson Jr, personal communication, November 11, 2014). The existing
training staff would need to come up with a business case for including social media sites in the

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corporate education program.

Practical Application Training for Trainers
Continued education for trainers was just as important of a need as continued education
for non-trainer employees. In order to gain the optimal learning experience from the inclusion of
social media into corporate training programs then corporate trainers would need additional
training. The training would need to include the discovery and learning of social media sites
available and then also how to incorporate the features and functions of those social media sites
into their existing employee training programs.
One method of training could be to hire an outside source to come in and train a
corporations existing training staff. Such an option would likely provide specialized training
from one expert to another. However the costs associated with the outside source option would
be more than option two. Option two for training a corporations existing training staff on social
media inclusion in the employee training program could be to form a small team that consisted of
existing trainers. Those trainers would then take on the task of researching social media options
and discovering practical applications relevant to their organizations.
Conclusion
Education has changed drastically since the beginning of teaching and learning. Teachers
and students have also changed in the way that they learn and teach. Technology a few decades
ago looks a lot different than technology today looks like. When walking into a classroom at any
age students are working on computers or interactive whiteboards. Students can also working
collaboratively on projects from different areas of the school, city, state, or even country.
Teachers will also work collaboratively through social media and create projects that involve the
use of technology. A person might also see teachers and students using tablets or accessing the

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Internet to research a topic. Social media has begun to also take over in classrooms of all grade
levels. Students and teachers are on different social media websites such as Google+, YouTube,
Twitter, Facebook, and blogging websites. Social media is a tool that can be used in the
classroom to help motivate students to learn and collaborate with others.
Gaps/Future Recommendations
The authors of this review found that all of the articles and information read support that
social media is a great tool to use in the classroom. Social media increases collaborative skills,
cohesion in groups, communication skills and allows interaction beyond the classroom. In
addition, research is now examining the academic benefits to social networks in the areas of
reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. When used in conjunction with regular parentteacher meetings, social networks can help maintain communication between parents and
students and parents and teachers. As an ongoing support system, students also have a better line
of communication with their teachers. However, the authors did find that there are gaps in the
use of social media in education. Social media use in the classroom is still a new tool to use and
a lot of research has not been completed to develop the findings. Safety remains the priority
concern for students and maintaining safe networks is a tedious task still in its early stages.
Veteran teachers that have long taught in the absence of technology have a tendency to resist the
technological movement for reasons of fear, lack of knowledge, and the fact that students are
more informed in this area than them. Also, technology is changing the method of which
teaching has centered on in the past and a new student centered approach is emerging which
changes the teaching approach, pedagogy and classroom dynamics as a whole. More research is
necessary to determine the extent of the academic benefits of social networking in education
have on the student and the schools. In additions, research on the changing educational approach

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will help put in perspective how technology is truly effecting the way we teach. The 21st century
student has evolved and so much our approach to teaching.

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Final Exam Questions

1.

List and explain the seven pillars of digital leadership.

The Seven Pillars of Digital Leadership include: communication, public relations,
branding, professional growth and development, student engagement and learning,
opportunity, and learning environment and spaces.

Communication is very important. This gives everyone an opportunity to have a

voice and give input.

Public relations is like communication, however, the leaders will be the ones
communicating to the public to keep them informed.

Branding is brands. How does the school want to portray themselves? This is
what branding is.

Professional growth and development is the staff learning new and exciting things
using technology.

Student engagement and enhancing learning is what you get when you use
technology. So using educational technology will create a better learning
environment for the students and allow them to stay focused and engaged,
especially for differentiated instruction.

Learning environment and spaces is the space that a student learns in.

Discovering opportunity is building partnerships. Creating a partnership with the

community is one way this can happen.

2. After reading and watching the video about Facebook in the middle school and high school
section of the review, give an example of a project that you could do with your students. Please
be sure to include all the answers to the 5 w's.

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In an English class using Facebook could be very beneficial. As the teacher I

would create a Facebook page titled exemplary authors and their works. The
students will each be assigned to an author and be responsible for the complete
works of their author. They will begin their journey with a biography posted to
Facebook of their author. Each student will be required to comment on each
students post. Students are responsible for answering any and all questions. They
will then create a timeline of their author and their works. Once the timeline is
created that is what their entire project will be based upon. Each week over a nine
week period the students will add information in different forms of technology to
the page until they have completely gave the history of their author.

3. The use of social media has met with mixed feelings from teachers and administrators. What
harm to students do some of the teachers and administrators fear social media and social
networking sites could inflict on the students?

Some educators feel that social media can leave students incapable of independent
critical thought.

4. Do students who use Facebook have a lower GPA than Non-users?

No

5. In the section about Social Media in Corporate Education, what question was posed on the
subject of new hires?

A. Could social media sites be used to mentor and develop new hires?
B. Do new hires spend too much time on social media websites?
C. Should new hires be required to participate in workplace social media activities?

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D. None of the above

6. Twitter helps improve skills in what?

A. reading

B. writing

C. collaborating

D. all of the above

7. Social media tools are more effective than once thought in regards to communication.
Relaying important information to __________________ sometimes can be a problem.
A. parents, community members, staff, and students
B. parents, community members, staff, and administration
C. colleges, parents, community members, and staff
D. None of the above