Embedded research approach used in Students, Social Media & Schools Project. For more info see: Dennen, V.P. & Rutledge, S.A. (in press). The embedded lesson approach to social media research: Researching online phenomena in an authentic offline setting. TechTrends, and/or visit http://studentssocialmediaschools.com

1. Embedded research approach used in Students, Social Media & Schools Project. For more info see:
Dennen, V.P. & Rutledge, S.A. (in press). The embedded lesson approach to social media research:
Researching online phenomena in an authentic offline setting. TechTrends. and/or visit
http://studentssocialmediaschools.com
Students, Social Media & Schools
Overview and 3 Day Agenda
Three 50-minute class sessions were used to teach students about social media
concepts and simultaneously collect data from the students about their social media
networks and use in the school and other community contexts.
Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
• Identify multiple categories of social media tools.
• Describe the difference between a network and a community
• Describe the ways that social media tools support both networks and
communities
• Define context collapse
• Describe positive and negative outcomes of context collapse
• Identify ways to mitigate context collapse
Day 1: Use of tools + why
• Review study information and complete assent forms
• Distribute name cards
• Introductions (10 min total for above)
• Powerpoint – overview of social media tools (10 min)
• Survey about social media tool use (10 min)
• Small group discussion (20 min – 10 to discuss guiding questions in small
groups, 10 to share)
Day 2: Communities, schools, tools, overlap
• Debrief survey findings (whole group discussion, 15 min)
o Why do you think we see a difference between boys and girls?
o Why do you think we see a difference between 10th and 12th grade?
o Why do you think se see a difference between tool use now and a few
years ago?
• Powerpoint – brief lesson on community and networks (10 min)
• Community activity (worksheets + small group discussion, 25 min)
Day 3: Context collapse + identity
• Debrief day 2 – repeat questions from end of community activity with whole
group discussion (10 min)
• Powerpoint – brief lesson on context collapse + social media tools (10 min)
• Tool network activity (15 min)
• Discussion (15 min; 10 in small groups, 5 whole class debrief)