using twitter to enhance your research & teaching: a brief introduction for academics &...
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Using Twitter to enhance your research and teaching: A brief introduction for academics & postgraduate students
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer
Research FellowCentre for Health Practice Innovation &Australian Institute for Suicide Research and PreventionGriffith UniversityE: [email protected]
November 2013 @Siobhan_ODwyer
Individuals or groups have Twitter accounts from which they send tweets
A tweet is a small burst of information restricted to 140 characters
Tweets can be accessed by signing up for a free Twitter account at www.twitter.com
Twitter is a “real-time information network that connects you to stories, ideas, opinions,
and news”
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
When I log in to my account, this is what I see…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Tweets from people I follow, in real time
Suggestions for who to follow
Topics that are trending (i.e. lots of people are
talking about) on Twitter right now
Links to lists of my tweets, my followers & the people
I’m following
Link to a list of my interactions with other people on Twitter
Link to modify account settings
Search for people or topics
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
If I click on the ‘Connect’ tab, this is what I see…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
A real-time list of people who have• Re-tweeted one of
my tweets• Responded to one of
my tweets • Marked one of my
tweets as a Favourite• Followed me• Mentioned me in one
of their tweets
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
If I click on the ‘Me’ tab, this is what I see…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Links to lists of • My tweets • The people I’m
following• My followers • Tweets I’ve marked
as ‘Favourites’• Lists of of people I’ve
grouped together by topic
Link to options for editing my profile
Recent photos and videos I’ve tweeted
All of my tweets and my responses to other
people’s tweets, in real time
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
When you first sign up for Twitter, you’ll need to create a Profile
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Tips for a Great ProfileName / HandleShould be factual, easy to remember, & easy to spot in a list of search results
PhotoShould be high quality, reasonably attractive, & consistent with your professional persona
Description (max. 160 Characters)Should describe your credentials & reflect the content of your tweets. Consider the pros & cons of naming your employer
LocationShould be factual, but general. Safety & privacy are a priority
WebsiteShould link readers to a site with more information about you or your work. I link to my latest paper
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Once you have a profile, you can start tweeting
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Tips for Tweets
140 CharactersThe length of a tweet is strictly limited to 140 characters
LinksYou can include links to websites. Shorten links with bitly.com
PhotosYou can attach a photo or video to your tweet, but the link is included as part of your 140 characters
HashtagsYou can use hashtags to make a point or highlight the topic of your tweet. Use sparingly
ContactsYou can include someone else’s twitter handle in the tweet in order to connect with them or introduce your followers to them. Be kind
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Then you’ll be wanting people to read your tweets…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Tips for Getting FollowersFollow peopleReciprocity is the key to a successful Twitter experience
Respond to other people’s tweetsStarting a conversation with someone is the fastest way to get them to notice you
Mention other people in your tweetsThis lets them know: (a) that you exist and (b) that their work is of interest
Be consistent and reliable in what and how you TweetThis is the ‘if you build it, they will come’ rule of Twitter. Get a reputation as a consistent & reliable source of information, and the followers will flock
Tweet regularly But not too regularly! I have ‘unfollowed’ people because they are too prolific
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Retweets (RT)To RT is to send someone else’s tweet out to your followers without modifying it. You can do this by copying the person’s handle and their text into your own tweet and putting RT before it, or by simply clicking on the ‘Retweet’ link underneath their tweet.
Modified Tweets (MT)An MT is when you send a modified version of someone else’s tweet out to your followers. You can do by this by putting the person’s handle and the modified text into your own tweet and putting MT before it.
Favourites ( )★There are two main reasons to mark a tweet as ‘Favourite’. (1) To let the person who sent it know that you like it . (2) As a way of archiving tweets for later perusal. Tweets marked as ‘Favourite’ are kept in a list in your account.
Direct Messages (DM)If you want to correspond with someone on Twitter, but don’t want that correspondence to be public, use the DM function.
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Kanye West , Kim Kardashian and a ridiculous number of cats are all on Twitter
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Lots of intelligent, interesting, kind-hearted people & organisations are there too!
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Twitter is useful at every stage of the research process....
Findings jobs
Generating ideas and questions
Identifying funding opportunities
Recruiting participants
Collecting data
Disseminating findings
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Department name (edit in View > Header and Footer...)
Supports professional development *See Spotlight
Enhances community engagementShare your research with the people who are the most likely to benefit from it and the least likely to read an academic journal article
Enhances media engagementIf a journalist can’t find you on Twitter, they can’t find you!
Improves writingParticularly for grant applications which often have strict character limits
Enhances the conference experience *See Spotlight
Twitter also....
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Professional Development
Twitter Communities of Practice allow you to engage with like-minded
professionals from across the world and share information & experiences.
They also facilitate professional development & evidence-based
practice
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
ECRChat – A Twitter Community of Practice
Started by two early career researchers @snarkyphd @KL_Wheat
Fortnightly Twitter discussions on topics related to the post-PhD experience
Hashtag #ecrchat allows tweets to be collated (via Storify)
Hashtag also used to alert ECRs to articles of interest between discussions
Accompanying website provides more information http://ecrchat.wordpress.com/
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Hello My Name Is – A Twitter Community of Practice
Started by Elderly Medicine Registrar & cancer patient @GrangerKate
Designed to improve the quality of care provided by medical staff, by encouraging them to introduce themselves to patients
Hashtag #hellomynameis allows staff and patients to share their experiences and facilitates improvements in practice
Accompanying website provides more information http://drkategranger.wordpress.com/
Share information with followers who can’t attend
Engage with delegates you might not otherwise have met
Provide immediate feedback to speakers & conference organisers
Conference Hashtags
Twitter….
Is useful for sourcing up-to-the-minute, real world examples for use in teachingIncluding international events in the news, politics, movies, music, and memes, just to name a few
Can be used to boost engagement during lectures *See Spotlight
Improves student writingBrevity and clarity are essential writing skills, and Twitter fosters the development of both
Is useful for linking students with reliable online sources of information and communities of practiceMost of your students are on Twitter anyway, why not help them maximise its potential?
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Using Twitter in Lectures – The Pros
Students & staff can ask and respond to questions
Students & staff can give and receive feedback
Staff can use Twitter polls to assess student understanding in real time
Less confident students can offer opinions without having to speak in front of a large group
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Using Twitter in Lectures – The Cons
It isn’t suited to all teaching stylesIf you can’t do it well, don’t do it at all
Discussions can be unruly or get off topic
Too much information too fast can be hard to curate
Affordable access to technology is an equity issueNot all students have access & data download costs on smartphones can be prohibitive
Twitter is a gateway drugStudents who are online for Twitter can be easily distracted by other shiny things online
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
An example of Twitter in the Lecture Theatre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6WPVWDkF7U8
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
So you’re ready to embrace Twitter, but before you do, here are a few tips for young players…
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Stay Classy
Your tweets should be 90% Professional, 10% Personal
Reveal enough about yourself so that your followers can you see are human and
approachable, but not so much that they know what brand of shaving cream you use
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Your tweets should be 90% on-message, 10% general interest
Your ‘on-message’ tweets should stick to the topics outlined in your Profile
Stay ‘On Message’
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
90% of your tweets should be in your own words, 10% should be RTs
Your Twitter account is your brand and people follow you because they are interested in what
you have to say…
But hogging the limelight is just not cool!
Don’t Bogart the Spliff
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Aim for 90/10 and you’ll achieve 70/30
Aim for 70/30 and you’ll end up an honorary Kardashian
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
A few quick Dos and Don’ts
Do engage with peopleIt’s called ‘social’ media for a reason
Do support other people’s causesHelp promote their conferences, events, & information and they will promote yours
Do read websites, links, & documents before tweeting or RTingYou’re an academic, act like one. Put your evaluation skills to good use
Don’t say anything you aren’t prepared to defend in a job interviewAnything you say on Twitter is on the public record
Don’t feed the trollsEngaging in intellectual debates is fine, vitriol is not. If you are the subject of vicious or personal attacks via Twitter, report them, block them, and do NOT respond
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
Twitter is Addictive!
To ensure family and friends don’t have to stage an intervention…
Use hashtag searches to locate relevant content
Use Lists to group like people together & identify relevant content
Set times for checking/updating Twitter (and stick to them!)
Use platforms like Instapaper.com to archive websites of interest for reading later
ACCEPT THAT YOU CANNOT READ OR TWEET EVERYTHING
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013
For a list of interesting articles aboutusing Twitter in research & teachingplease contact me …
Email: [email protected]: @Siobhan_ODwyer
And don’t forget to check out my new account @SUWTues
Thank-you
Dr Siobhan O’Dwyer, Griffith University, November 2013