Group items tagged

In a September 2012 post I briefly highlighted a number of studies documenting that most students don't multi-task well. When they're texting, looking at Facebook, or cruising on the Internet and listening to a lecture or discussion and trying to take notes, they aren't dealing with the content as well as they would be if they just focused on listening and note taking. And the evidence of that keeps accumulating, like the Kuznekoff and Titsworth study referenced here and described in detail in the January issue of The Teaching Professor. Using an intriguing study design, here's what they found: ". . . students who use their mobile phones during class lectures tend to write down less information, recall less information, and perform worse on a multiple-choice test than those students who abstain from using their mobile phones during class." (p. 251).

Web 2.0 applications are changing how educators interact both with each other and with their students. Educators can use these new Web tools daily to create, share, socialize, and collaborate with students, colleagues, and newly developed network contacts. School librarians are finding that Web 2.0 tools are bringing them more ways to embrace and promote new learning environments for the 21st-century learner.

The social media policy of All Saints Anglican School is one of many of the school's policies. This is a very detailed policy that outlines appropriate guidelines and procedures for the use of social media by the staff and students. This policy therefore would also encompass the library. The main aim of the policy is not to restrict staff and students from using social media but to protect them by making very clear what is considered appropriate and acceptable use. The following headings provide structure to the policy: purpose, scope, responsibilities, definitions, breach and conclusion. 

In a pilot study the author found the approach to social media access for school students and teachers differed according to sector. State schools had a "walled garden" approach while independent schools "empowered and managed". The differences were attributable to either risk aversion or bandwidth management or both. This was found to contribute to the digital divide between "information-rich and information-poor" with state students disadvantaged in the development of digital literacy.

Interesting article regarding mature-age students and Twitter in developing personal learning networks

Interactive guide to various social media tools and their effective use. Aimed at university students but has wider relevance.

Lisa Nielsen promotes the effective use of social media in education and is concerned that teachers do not fully understand their potential, nor best practice. She recommends conversation as an excellent way of supporting teachers in having a go. She provides two lists of conversation starters worthy of discussion in relation to particular contexts. While not promoting them as "Do and Don't" she has, however, divided them into Recommended, and Think twice before... Topics include: best practice for interacting with students; managing your online identity; role and responsibilities of parents, and managing online spaces. The lists provide an excellent basis for the development of a social media policy for schools.

In spring 2012, Rider University librarians heightened their collaboration with classroom faculty to teach students in core writing classes information literacy (IL) skills during IL instruction (ILI) sessions. This quasi-experimental study assessed four pedagogical approaches for single or multi-session ILI. The conventional approach, which involves lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on time, was used in both the control and the experimental groups.

Blogs are now an established part of the chattersphere/public conversation, especially in international development circles, but Duncan Green finds academic take-up lacking. Here he outlines the major arguments for taking blogging and social media seriously. It doesn't need to become another onerous time-commitment. Reading a blog should be like listening to the person talk, but with links.

An example of an actual policy, this is clearly written, in accessible language, and there is support for the use of online communities with students for educational purposes if the explicit procedures and expectations are followed. The policy for the personal use of social media clearly outlines what is and is not acceptable and there is excellent practical advice for teachers to consider in order to maintain professional standards. My only question is has this been reviewed? It is dated February 2011 with a review date of March 2012 but this is the only version available (from CEO Sydney website) as of January 2015.

Abstract: Purpose - Twitter is an important communication tool with college students. This article aims to emphasize that, while Twitter is useful for sharing information about the library, more can be learned from using it as a digital listening post. Design/methodology/approach - This is an essay style viewpoint. Findings - The paper reveals that Twitter is an important vehicle for disseminating information about a library to its community and as a means for maintaining good customer service. Originality/value - The paper provides useful information on an important communication tool for libraries. Keywords Twitter, Social media, Communication, Libraries Paper type Viewpoint

Not actually social media but about online courses for LIS students

Social Media Policy for the Australian Catholic University (ACU). This document provides clear guidelines for ACU staff and students.

This 23 page handbook limits the social media policy of the school to three lines on page 20. While this is an example of a very simple social media policy is makes very clear what is unacceptable behaviour and the consequences of said behaviour. This policy is directed at students and parents. While this policy may not seem as comprehensive as some other examples, it has the advantage of not confusing readers with terms, definitions, scope etc. that readers may ignore entirely and gives a very clear message.

Focus is on creating meaningful, and shareable content for schools. The focus is on how to use social media and create social media rather than focusing on negative and how not to behave. Schools needs to consider both social media for schools to market the ethos of the school but also how social media is used in schools by staff and students.

This is an example of a very simple policy that establishes purposes of social media and ICT within the school, guidelines for use, expected behaviours and consequences for deviating from expected behaviours. This policy comes in the form of an agreement to be signed by both parents and students to ensure the policy is understood and adhered to. The agreement links to a single page explanation of what the Facebook page is to be used for and the rights of the school to remove content as it sees fit. While not comprehensive, it is a nice, simple policy/agreement that sets some ground rules.

This policy informs Western Australia Department of Education employees of the potential damage their personal use of social media can directly or indirectly affect the Department. Specific areas of interest in this policy include the legitimate and non-legitimate use of social media, the identification of key risk areas, and the duty of care towards students.

Although this policy relates to American schools, it recognises that the same principles used for employee social media use in Australia are relevant everywhere. The policy includes a lot of the same information as the Australian examples, however, ends with a detailed Frequently Asked Questions section that would be extremely useful to employees seeking clarification in regards to general, personal and student social media use.