Social media and student engagement: An example of Twitter as a learning adjunct in a practical based topic

This presentation outlines the promotion and use of social media to supplement learning and teaching within a practical based topic of a paramedic science degree. By introducing Twitter and a hashtag at the start of the semester, and encouraging students to post and take pictures of classroom activities, there has seen a sharp rise in the number of students with Twitter accounts. The creation of topic/subject specific hashtags means that certain content is directed toward specific cohorts, and a record of class-related tweets is created. According to Greenhow and Lewin (2016), use of social media aligns well with Social constructivism and connectivism in terms of learning, with varying attributes of formality and informality. This use of Twitter has afforded the opportunity to supplement traditional teaching methods by providing resources in a platform which is extremely relevant to the cohort, adding to the immersive nature of practical teaching. Students are constantly on their PCs and smart phones, and
so educational opportunities are right at their fingertips at all times of day. This emerging field of scholarship is cost-effective, instantaneous, easily accessible, and has been well received by the student cohort, and could impact on the way assessment is undertaken. Student engagement with social media is increased when they believe it may impact upon their grades (Dommett 2018).