3.1 Social technologies for promoting community

Figure 4.7 Social media tools can give learners an easy way to communicate with each other.

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A photograph of a mobile phone on a grey background. On the phone screen, against a bright screen wallpaper, the words ‘Social Media’ are above a block of social media apps.

Figure 4.7 Social media tools can give learners an easy way to communicate with each other.

Some social media tools can be used to enhance communication and cohesion among a group of online learners. Some examples are:

• Collection tools such as Pinterest can help learners discover a topic collectively and share their findings or ideas.
• Social bookmarking tools such as Diigo can broaden learners’ research skills, connecting them with resources they had not previously discovered.
• Content curation tools such as Scoop.it allow learners to create boards of curated content and to share their thoughts on that content, while connecting with others who have similar interests.

Simply using appropriate technologies will not force a sense of community and shared learning to develop in any given cohort, but it will give it a chance of happening. If Facebook is available to all members of a cohort, the creation of a class Facebook group can give learners an easy way to communicate with each other, as well as providing educators and collaborators/support staff with an opportunity to provide prompt scheduling reminders, and to share relevant resources. Coughlan and Perryman (2015) have written about the use of student-led Facebook groups and their role in facilitating learning and achieving educational inclusion.