Introduction
Several influential national organizations have documented the need for innovation in education for healthcare professionals. Social media is one innovative strategy that has been used to promote learning. In particular, socal networking sites are being increasing used as a strategy to engage learners. A commonly used networking site for varied educational activities is Twitter.
The purpose of this activity is to introduce nurse educators to Twitter and it's potential educational uses. If you are already a Twitter user, select a tool that you do not have experience with and join another group.
Click on the "Task" bar (above) to proceed.
Task
Identified need:
Your organization has identified the need to examine social media as a strategy to engage learners. They specified the desire to start with Twitter. Your team has been selected to explore how social media can be used in education and to propose an example of how Twitter could be incorporated into a current course.
Click on the "Process" tab above for instructions and resources to assist you.
Process
Instructions:
- Review the resources listed below
- Sign up for a Twitter account and post a Tweet
- Analyze examples of how Twitter (and other Social networking sites) have been used for education.
- Propose a strategy to meet the identified need on the previous "Task" page
- Prepare to share your findings with the larger group of participants
- Proceed to the "Evaluation" tab
Suggested Resources
- Video regarding impact of social media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jottDMuLesU (2:18)
- List of educational uses: http://www.edudemic.com/100-ways-to-use-twitter-in-education-by-degree-of-difficulty/
- How to Tweet: https://support.twitter.com/articles/215585
- ANA Social Networking Principles Toolkit: http://www.nursingworld.org/socialnetworkingtoolkit
Evaluation
Discuss among your group if this was a helpful exercise. What challenges did you face? What benefits could it provide? How might this be used in your teaching environments?
Plan to share/show your Tweets to the larger group of participants and describe how Twitter might be used in education settings.
Credits
Jobeth Pilcher EdD, RN-BC