Gordon Millner and Lyn Lall, Regional Support Centre (East Midlands)

Dawn Maplethorpe, Boston College

Aim of the session

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Quick question

Ask yourself …. Typically just how much do you use social media ……

Another question

Ask yourself …. typically just how much do your students or children use social media ……

So other than what the numbers are telling us ….

Why should we use social media in the class or at work ?

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Social media platforms

First ….

Let’s take a look at Facebook with Dawn Maplethorpe from Boston College

INSIGHT INTO SOCIAL MEDIA

SO, WHO AM I ?

LEVEL 3 HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE TUTOR AND A LECTURER AT BOSTON COLLEGE

WORKED IN TEACHING AND LEARNING SINCE AUGUST 2010

REGISTERED NURSE

TEACH ACROSS LEVELS 1 THROUGH TO 5

PROUD OWNER OF A KINDLE, WON AT STAFF AWARDS IN JULY 2013 FOR INNOVATIVE USE OF ilT FOR FACEBOOK

SO, WHY

• AS A TUTOR THE BIGGEST ISSUE I FOUND WAS THAT OF SITTING ON THE NEST. TUTORING REQUIRES TIME THAT DOESN’T EXIST, STAMINA THAT LACKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE MEMORY TO RECALL AND MONITOR RETENTION, SUCCESS, ACHIEVEMENT. All AT THE SAME TIME!

• TO BE AN EFFECTIVE TUTOR YOU NEED TO BE A GREAT JUGGLER AND A GREAT COMMUNICATOR, AS WELL AS TEAM MEMBER, TEACHER AND A FACILITATOR OF LEARNING.

The solution

• Recruit the right learners for the right courses

• Apply the right amount of pressure at the beginning of the course to test motivation, commitment and ability.

• Nurture THE GROUP TO GROW A STRONG, SOLID, OPEN AND SUPPORTIVE GROUP OF LEARNERS.

I.T that learners are confident with

MoodlMoodle e

Facebook Facebook

GETTING THE WHEELS IN MOTION

• PERMISSION GRANTED FROM MY LINE MANAGER WHO WAS A CURRICULUM LEADER

• A MINI TRAINING SESSION WITH THE COLLEGE’S ILT DEPARTMENTAL HEAD

• SOLD AS A ‘DEPARTMENTAL PILOT PROJECT’

TIME

• SET UP WAS APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES PER GROUP (ONCE I KNEW THE ‘KNOW HOW’)

• WRITTEN LETTER WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEW LEARNERS AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CODE OF CONDUCT

SIGNING UP

• PRIOR TO LEARNERS JOINING THE GROUP A TUTORIAL WAS HELD ON INTERNET SAFETY AND THE APPROPRIATE USE OF Facebook.

• Learners signed a code of conduct whereby they agreed to its proper use or disciplinary proceedings will be initiated.

HOW USED – THE EARLY DAYS WHAT

• LEARNERS GIVEN ENTRY TO CLOSED FACEBOOK GROUP AT ASSESSMENT DAY

• BEING PART OF A CLOSED GROUP WITH PEERS

• TASTER INFO OF ASSIGNMENT BRIEFS AND THOUGHT PROVOKING COMMENTS

• Ask questions and polls

IMPACT

• KEEPS LEARNERS ‘WARM’ UNTIL ENROLMENT

• SUPPORTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF PEER GROUPS

• PROMOTES AND ENCOURAGES INTERACTION BETWEEN LEARNERS AND LECTURERS

• GATHER INFORMATION

HOW USED – THROUGHOUT THE COURSE

WHAT

• REMINDERS OF RELEVENT TV/DOCUMENTARIES TO SUPPORT STUDY

• UPLOADING OF GROUP WORK; POWERPOINTS, FLIP CHART PAPER

• GROUP PICS OF THE FUN STUFF

• SHARING INFORMATION VIA PRIVATE MESSAGING OR ON THE WALL FOR A GROUP AUDIENCE

IMPACT

• SUPPORTS TEACHING AND LEARNING

• PEER TEACHING

• DEVELOPS SENSE OF GROUP IDENTITY

• CREATES A SUPPORTIVE FORUM TO SHARE INFORMATION, CONCERNS OR SUCCESSES

• GREAT TOOL FOR COMMUNICATING

Now • Every group has its own Facebook group page

• All lecturers and learners are part of this group (over 100 learners)

• Retention and success for 2013 completers was 100%

• This year for learners who started in sept 2013 at level 3, will be 94% retention

• The page is accessed every day, by learners and teaching staff alike.

• Some learners commented that this forum is one of the core strengths of our course.

The pit falls • Its mobile. Access to you can seep into your personal life

• Improper use (we have had one incident)

• Lack of access for learners without a smart phone or internet access at home (we have not come across this, yet!)

Any q’s

Just a few ideas for some other platforms - Youtube

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Just a few ideas for some other platforms – Twitter

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Just a few ideas for some other platforms – Pinterest

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Just a few ideas for some other platforms – Blogs

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So it does seem IMPORTANT that we should encourage the use of social media in the class and at work

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Let’s summarise by getting

some ideas together …

Type in the Chat Pane

If you’re currently using social media with your students ….

What are you using it for?

Type in the Chat Pane

So now you’ve heard what social media can do …..

What are going to take away and do now for your learners?

Hopefully food for thought and ….. Additional Resources

We have a lot of resources, webinar recordings, etc on our Moodle VLE …. No login required

moodle.rsc-em.ac.uk

Our thanks go to Dawn ……

Contactif you have any questions or would like a visit from the RSC to

discuss further any plans you may have then

Contact me:

Gordon Millner

01509 618120

07811 241451

gordon.millner@rsc-em.ac.uk