According to a study, teachers around the world are incorporating social media into their classrooms to engage pupils online and in person. Social media is helping to shape and influence how pupils learn and interact daily.
The involvement of social media whether through live-streaming of an event, a like, or comment on a post seems to excite pupils more than a traditional classroom set-up. Pupils are using online tools to enhance their learning. It would not be wrong to say that social media and education go hand-in-hand in the modern world.
Sakina Qasim Zaidi of The International School lists three ways of using social media in education:
1. Use social media platforms to stream live lectures and host discussions.
Teachers can create class groups and stream live lectures, post discussion questions, assign homework and make class announcements. Parents should also be included in the emails to maintain transparency while using social media.
2. A stronger community through social media
The school administration and principal can use social media as an effective channel of communication, for example, sharing school news and achievements via social networks, holding online meetings with parents, or even using a social media platform for launching new initiatives and projects for the school.
Parents looking for a school for their children usually check out the school’s activities on its social media pages so this is a good opportunity for the school to advertise itself.
3. Learning management systems
LMS is a networking software that delivers educational programmes for schools and colleges. Social media learning in LMS can include instant chat functions, video, forums to share information, and other lesson resources to help pupils.
Other social media learning benefits are live conferencing systems, webinar capability, shared group reviews, blogs, and more.
See IOL’s Maths Lit past papers 1 & 2 below: