The following tag cloud was generated from research I performed using Twitter in the classroom. It was an interesting study that allowed students to initiate conversations via Twitter and continue the discussion threads in the course management system. I plan to use a similar approach in an upcoming project management course, so we’ll see how that goes. In the meantime, below is the tag cloud and abstract for the paper, which was just published in the journal, Education and Information Systems.
Abstract
In this research we present a new design component for online learning communities (OLC); one that integrates Twitter with an online discussion board (ODB). We introduce our design across two sections of upper-division information systems courses at a university located within the U.S. The first section consisted of full-time online learners, while the second section met face-to-face twice a week. Guided by a working theoretical model for how individuals learn and interact within OLCs, we measure student perceptions of learning, social interaction and course community before and after our intervention. Initial findings were largely positive and students across both sections experienced high levels of learning, interaction and community. Our results pave the way for more integrated learning environments that incorporate online social networking (OSN) technologies.
Citation
B. Thoms, E. Eryilmaz, “Introducing a Twitter Discussion Board to Support Learning in Online and Blended Learning Environments,” Education & Information Technologies, v20(2), pp. 265-283, 2015.