Introduction and guidance

Introduction

How would you like more time to study? Almost all students would say YES!

But do you think you are making the most out of the free time you have available to learn? More specifically, if you are a student at university who is using social media as part of your studies, are you getting the most out of the time you spend on these apps? Or are you wasting valuable study time browsing Facebook, Instagram, or other social media platforms, reading unrelated content, or watching videos of other students tidying their desks when you could be learning things for your course? Evidence would suggest that for most of you the answer is still yes!

Social media engagement in education can be useful. Students have used it to connect with their peers, to check details relating to the course, to discuss ideas and common interests and to gain a sense of motivation. It can also be used to connect with networks at other institutions or professionals working in your chosen field. However, it can also be a waste of valuable time that you could use more productively.

If you are a student in HE (higher education) it can be hard to avoid using social media entirely. The role played by social media in Higher Education increases year on year. It is being used by many students to enhance their overall educational experience, allowing them to connect with others in ways that were simply not possible even a decade ago.

Research shows that while many students enjoy using social media as part of their learning experiences, some struggled to make decisions about how to best engage with it for their personal learning journey, whilst others had objections (Mallon and Dresden, 2023).

While there are undoubtedly a range of benefits to using social media as part of your learning, there are also a range of drawbacks. Social media use in education also comes with some risks, you may experience bullying or witness unpleasant exchanges but feel you can’t leave the groups because you have FOMO (Fear of missing out).

You might also be exposed to material that you shouldn’t be. For example, sometimes students share information on social media that could be interpreted by university staff as a violation of academic conduct rules, which could be seen as cheating or gaining an unfair advantage. In these cases, you might be uncomfortable with the details that are being shared but don’t know what to do about it.

It is important to be comfortable with your use of social media as part of your Higher Education. You need to reflect on your usage to make good decisions about when it might enhance your experience, and when it might detract or distract you from your studies.

This free course, Making social media work in Higher Education is designed to help you do this, it will help you reflect upon the decisions you make about how to use social media as part of your Higher Educational journey.