Study | Twitter to become your future teacher

Micro-blogging can help teachers-students engage better

·         The study finds that 93% of students surveyed think Twitter enable them to interact and share perspectives with a global audience outside the classroom

·         The study shows the potential benefits of using Twitter as a pedagogical tool based on survey results, interviews, and classroom observations of eighth-grade students in science classes, according to researchers from University of Vermont in the US.

·         Students reported significant increases in four key areas that contributed to their learning—exposure to reputable science and leaders, in real time; a broadening of the audience for their work outside the classroom; more opportunities for connecting science to their own lives; and new ways to communicate about science.

·         Particularly motivating was the ability to interact via Twitter with leading organisations such as National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and science-related programmes, researchers said.

·         “NASA, and scientists that I follow, tweet a lot about cool science stuff,” said one student. Researchers suggested to another student who was interested in black holes that she reach out via Twitter to well-known and popular astrophysicist Katie Mack.

·         Mack tweeted back to the student and included her in a conversation about black holes with other experts and students, researchers said.

·         The study found that 93% of students surveyed think Twitter enabled them to interact and share perspectives with a global audience outside the classroom.

·         “When I have something important to share about science that I like, as many as 52 people (Twitter followers) can see what I tweet instantly,” said one student.

·         Another student said they use Twitter for academic support by tweeting with other students about concepts, assignments and projects, researchers said.

·         As many as 91% said Twitter helped them make connections between science and their own lives and interests, they said.

·         “Twitter has made me think about things that I like and had me think about the science related to them,” said one student.

·         Others said Twitter helped them learn about science in new ways that related to their everyday lives, researchers said.

·         Around 81% of students agreed that Twitter helped them think creatively about new ways to communicate science, they said.

Study Published | Middle School Journal

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Pralhad Jadhav

Senior Manager @ Library

Khaitan & Co

Best Paper Award | Received the Best Paper Award at TIFR-BOSLA National Conference on Future Librarianship: Innovation for Excellence (NCFL 2016) on April 23, 2016.  The title of the paper is “Removing Barriers to Literacy: Marrakesh VIP Treaty”

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