Ideas for incorporating social media in graduate study course

1. Implementing Mobile
Social Media Applications
in MDDE610: A Survey of Current Educational
Technology Applications
AMANDA SAITZ AND DYLAN RTK VASAS

2. The Role of Social Media
Online social networking is common in today’s
society.
Social media described as “becoming a part of
everyday connected life” and stresses that the
media be analyzed for its “teaching/learning
possibilities” (de Waard, 2014, p. 117).
Used to establish relationships, provide social
supports, and maintain communication for the
purpose of sharing ideas and information
Media has advanced to support complex group
functions allowing users to collaboratively and
individually create information, and both provide
and obtain feedback

3. Key Features of Mobile Social Media
Applications
Key characteristics of an effective mobile
social networking tool include:
◦ Convenience in any space
◦ Users’ familiarity with the software application
◦ Use both inside and outside the classroom
◦ Immediacy of ubiquitous access
◦ Functionality to meet social constructivist and
socio-cultural learning objectives

4. Proposed mLearning for Social Media Unit
PURPOSE
Expose the learners to social networking
software that will improve ubiquitous mobile
access due to available mobile apps
Use social media applications that are more
familiar to many learners on a global scale
 Facebook 1.32 billion monthly active users
 Twitter surpassed 255 million monthly active
users (Statistica, 2015)
Use social media applications to fulfill the
roles identified for social media in educational
contexts
APPLICATIONS IDENTIFIED
Facebook for social networking and group work
Twitter for microblogging and sharing with peers
Chen (2015) identifies that “Mobile Facebook has
been investigated to be a better learning
environment in higher education than other
commonly used learning management systems in
facilitating interaction, communication,
collaboration, and learning motivation” (p. 1).
Use of Twitter for microblogging enhanced
through shared links, precise postings, created
community, and improved class dynamics.

5. SWOT Summary for the Incorporation of
Facebook and Twitter into MDDE 610
Benefits Concerns
Familiar; simple to use Privacy issues
Part of daily lives; extends
beyond AU
Blurs distinction between
leisure and learning activities
Compatible and connected to
web 2.0 applications
Magnitude of scale
Upload and share content
easily

6. Activities in MDDE610
TWITTER
Use as a micro-blogging tool for
concise discussion on specific topics
MICRO-BLOGGING
FACEBOOK
Use the Group feature to create a
Group in Facebook for networking on a
social media project
GROUP NETWORKING .

7. References
Brown, I. (2009). Art on the move: Mobility – a way of life. In J. Herrington, A.Herrington, J.
Mantei, I. Olney and B. Ferry (Eds.), New technologies, new pedagogies: Mobile learning in
higher education (pp. 120 – 128). Wollongong:University of Wollongong. Retrieved from
http://ro.uow.edu.au/
Chen, Y. (2015). Linking learning styles and learning on mobile Facebook. The international
review of research in open and distributed learning, 16(2).Retrieved from
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/2038/3271
de Waard, I. (2014). Using BYOD, mobile social media, apps, and sensors for meaningful mobile
learning. In M. Ally & A. Tsinakos (Eds.), Perspectives onopen and distance learning: Increasing
access through mobile learning (pp. 113-124). Vancouver: Commonwealth of Learning and
Athabasca University.
Statistica: The statistics portal. (2015). Twitter: The number of monthly active users 2015.
Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/statistics/282087/number-of-monthlyactive-twitter-
users/