6.1 How some lecturers are using social media

The possibilities that social media technologies have brought to communication and collaboration has resulted in a rapid adoption of these platforms as tools by some staff working in higher education.

Utilising technology in new and innovative ways can develop new pedagogies and approaches to developing learning. Moving beyond the desktop screen and keyboard with the widespread use of mobile technology allows everyone to integrate with the university environment in new and creative ways. (Remember to only contact members of university staff on social media if they have invited you to do so.)

For example, one way students can be supported through social media is by activities led by the university or teaching staff during the induction period. For example, Challen (2019) describes using Facebook Live to support community building in students studying Arts and Humanities degrees by inviting all enrolled students to join a Facebook Live event before they arrive on campus.

In this 20-minute event, students were given an overview of the campus and taken on a live tour before being introduced to key people and features of their degree programme. This social media induction reached 12,650 people through the Facebook page and hundreds showed active engagement with comments or likes. Challen and her colleagues believe this event helped reduce student drop out in comparison to previous years.