Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn: The Pros And Cons Of Social Media In Education

Pros and Cons of Social Media in Education Social media is growing and not going anywhere. Many schools are now embracing the move. By understanding this movement, schools can make better choices on how to utilize social media in education. Types of social media schools use Key 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009 In the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth's latest Social Media Adoption study, 100% of colleges and universities studied are using some form of social media. Usage continues to rise for the most popular tools. Twitter 84% 59% Facebook 0% Microblogging allows schools to send up-to-date announcements to students. 98% 87% in 61% Linkedin Facebook is the most used social media tool in higher education. 47% 16% 0% Admissions professionals are now using LinkedIn. Blogging 47% 46% BULLETIN Message Boards BOARD 48% Blogging continues to be embraced by colleges and universities 37% 38% 36% The use of message boards have remained nearly the same level each year. 2 How schools use social media Here is a look at how schools can and are using social media: In the classroom School pride Colleges create mascot Facebook pages to Class announcements and discussions are shared on sites like encourage school spirit. Twitter. Professors share learning materials and more on blogs and networking sites. Free school swag and materials are offered online. Potential students Professional Development Colleges offer virtual tours that include 360° images and videos. Instructors learn more about their industries through social venues. General Outreach Colleges can reach out to potential students who mention them on They can network with other professors. Twitter or comment on the school's blog. Alumni groups can connect and grow. Social sites provide a platform to promote activities, receive feedback and start conversation. 31 This generation spends the most time online. Finding ways to meet students' interests and their expectations is key. Schools can reach out to parents and keep them up-to-date. Social media can engage students and keep them informed. It keeps students interested and gives them information they may not have known about the school. How well are schools using social media? While some schools excel at using social media, others are still learning and accepting it. Here are some of their successes and challenges: Successes Challenges Making safe communities Lack of knowledge Some sites allow teachers to control A school's social media account must be managed by someone who understands social media and is passionate about the school. Otherwise students will feel it isn't authentic. the online environment. With monitoring and approving content, the dangers associated with social media. can be avoided. free Collaboration is encouraged Lack of features The lack of engagement for students Students can critique and comment on each other's assignments. They can easily work in teams online, and asking teachers questions or starting a discussion is easy. can make them feel as if the school doesn't care. Even a good webpage is useless if there aren't features that include one-on-one connection. Invitation to produce content More than a presence 8+ It's not enough to simply have a profile on a site like Facebook -- it requires daily maintenance and interaction with students. Students, current and potential, will judge the school based on their experiences with the school's Social media can invite students and faculty to produce content for both enrolled students and prospective students. This can show the personality of the school. Universities should have a focus and a clear idea Share on what they want students to see when they Google the school. social media accounts. The top social media colleges according to Student Advisor These colleges use Facebook, HubSpot, Twitter, iTunes, and Youtube. TATE KUNIVE 1. NERS ENO TAS EALACU ITARVARD Johns Hopkins University Ohio State University Columbia University in the City of New York Harvard University of Notre Dame University f likes: 16,976 f likes: 1,281,596 f likes: 52,569 f likes: 407,848 f likes: 33,321 * grade: 100 grade: 100 o grade: 100 * grade: 100 grade: 97.4 E followers: 4,324 e followers: 95,352 B followers: 5,014 3 followers: 25,111 k followers: 2,426 views: 89,501 views: 1,292,259 views: 153,575 views: 116,127 Tobe views: 184,071 *Statistics current as of 2/2/2012 Sources:Student Advisor | Mashable | CNN | uMass | eSchool News | Connected Principals | Information provided by: http://www.onlineuniversities.com/ i j OnlineUniversities.com