Tweets, blogs and Academic success: the role of social media in higher education

Chris BuddleMcGill University@CMBuddle

Special thanks to Crystal Ernst

What is “Social Media”?

…digital content and interaction that is created by and between people

S. Decker, massrelevance.com

…the online technologies and practices that people use to share content, opinions, insights, experiences, perspectives, and media themselves.

H. Greenstein, Social Media Club-NYC

Forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content

Merriam-Webster

Communication, collaboration, community

…tools for ‘outreach’ activities

Social media tools for Academics

• YouTube/i-Tunes• Video or audio delivery of content

• Blogs• Longer format writing, typically with embedded

links/video/photos• Content-rich• Individual or collective

• Microblogging• Tumblr, Pinterest• Often humourous, pop-culture oriented

• Facebook• More ‘social’• Groups can be effectively used for Academic purposes

• Twitter• 140-character limits• Short updates, photos, links

Time Investment

Low

High

Social Media Glossary• “Posts”

• Any new update to a blog, twitter, etc• A “Tweet”

• A post to twitter (140 Characters)• RT, MT• “Hashtag” – aggregator on Twitter (e.g., #PhDChat, #HigherEd)

• “Meme”• Images, video, concept that goes viral on the Internet

Key features of social media:• Dynamic• Engaging• Conversational• Network• User-friendly• User-driven• Open, accessible• Knowledge filter• Free

Benefits: Skills

• Social media facilitates skill development in areas that are not traditionally part of an Academic’s training• Networking more than conferences!

• Regular writing, for a global audience of thousands, is good practice!

• Honing communication skills for a more general readership/viewership• Transferable to journalists, media offices, lecturing

Benefits: Teaching

• Engagement with students and among students and instructors

• Expanding the institution’s walls – making the course content relevant to others

• Innovation: dynamic teaching rather than static

Podcast assignment:

Undergraduate Field Biology Course

Natural History Projects• Students (in groups) prepared blog posts and fact sheets about local

species, and were asked to tweet about their species• Rationale:

• Breaking down the classroom barriers• Communicating science to a broad audience• Writing for more than the Prof/TA• Using social media for more than the ‘social’• Interaction with the broader scientific community

Student Quotes:• “I really like that what I

am learning has a relevance beyond the classroom”

• “I can’t believe people out there are interested in our work, it’s cool”

• “Wow, a Professor in the UK asked us questions about Beech Bark Disease over twitter”

Benefits: Networking & Collaboration

• Larger group of colleagues• academic, industry, amateurs• no geographic limitations• Escape from solitary pursuits

• International “hallway talk”• Feedback on ideas

• Research Collaborations

Grad students, undergraduate students, research scientists, post-docs, other Professors, and more…

Connecting (with twitter):

What Hashtags do I use?….Discussions about research & Academia:

Savvy scientists must increasingly engage with blogs and social media… Even if you choose not to blog, you can certainly expect your papers and ideas will increasingly be blogged about. So there it is – blog or be blogged.

Paul Knoepfler, Associate Professor, UC Davis

Expand your audience

75 citations

Social media -> Research success?

Research collaborations

Bioscience Education

Leveraging social media for research:

Benefits: Giving back (& Institutional value…)

• We have a duty to share & report in an accessible way• Social media is an easy and effective way to reach a larger

audience• Helps to answer “what is the value of Higher Education?”• Get noticed by students, faculty, journalists, general public

• Cost-effective• Not having a social media strategy will get noticed

Most Universities have ‘mission statements’ that include ‘service to society’….social media is an effective way to facilitate this kind of service

A social media profile for Academics & Universities

• Institutional benefits:• Showcase that Professors are “real people”

• Get a glimpse into everyday lives of Academics• Rethink stereotypes of Universities (and their

employees)• Better understanding and appreciation for teaching

and research endeavours

Have you been Googled?

Take control of your on-line profile.

SEARCH COMMITTEES WILL GOOGLE YOU.

… There are basically two outcomes ... 1. they will find something that is neutral or positive and it will not really affect their decision or 2. they will find something ridiculous that will negatively affect their decision.

Gerty-Z, scientopia.org/blogs (“Balanced Instability”)

Be proactive (instead of reactive)• Social media is pervasive; Academics and their institutions must

take part• Control your internet profile

• Student and Faculty recruitment remains critically important to most schools• An effective social media strategy can help• Not having one can hurt.

• Effective content could include:• Positive and student-driven initiatives• Dynamic highlights of research and teaching activities

It’s not all rosy:

Be careful what you write.

Don’t be an idiot.

There are few incentives for outreach activities because…• Institutional cultures are not changing with the times, nor

have they been built with ‘outreach’ in mind• Tenure & Promotion based on research and teaching

• There is a lack of understanding about social media, and a fear of the unknown• The media, and pop culture, paints social media as only ‘social’

• There is sometimes a sentiment that Academics are too important to engage with outreach activities

• Some of my colleagues have been reprimanded for engagement in outreach activities• Focus on research papers and grant-writing!

Should Academics & their institutions value outreach activities?

Is so, how?

Incentives for Outreach• The STICK: Require

Academics to perform ‘community service’ on a regular basis

Incentives for Outreach• The CARROT: Give a

pay raise to Academics who do outreach activities

The carrot cake• Outreach activities

become fully integrated into the institutional culture.• A core value

• This will require a paradigm shift at all levels

Engagement in Social Media takes time. And you CANNOT forget about:

Teaching.

Research.

Committees.

Your family.

Finding time.• Make social media part of

your daily routine• Write when you can

• Write to relax?

• Eventually, it saves time:• Blog posts relevant for a

research group• Use social media to facilitate

meetings (e.g., Google +)

• Find ways increase productivity

Using social media takes training:• Outreach must become a core activity for

Academics• Tools for outreach, including social media,

should be part of this training• Bottom-up and top-down support is required

1. Start a Blog• Blogs are valuable for individuals and institutions, and allow

varying levels of commitment• Determine type of blog

• Multi-authored, with administrator? Individual blog?• Determine target audience

• Prospective students? Colleagues? General public?• Read many, model the good ones

• Good blogs have themes so that readers know what to expect• Regular content is the key to success

• 1-2 per week is essential• Must have weeks of content ready before launching

2. Network and market your blog with Twitter / Facebook• Twitter / Facebook can be effective for both individuals and

institutions • University Twitter feeds• Scholarly Societies, Journals• Departments, Universities

• Twitter / Facebook are effective at promoting high quality content

• “lurk” for a long time before venturing into the Twitterverse

3. Let it grow (but pay attention)

• Comment, view comments, engage, share• Effective use of social media means content and networking

must be given the freedom and flexibility to grow• A shifting paradigm for Academics and their institutions

• Add content!

Social Media in Academia: Caveats

• Initial time investment is significant• Social media is risky and requires ‘letting go’• Broad shoulders are required• Social media is not a podium – it is about conversation• Every Academic should do outreach activities

• But not everyone should engage in social media• For group / institutional efforts, there must be sustained

support for social media• Training is required• Social media should complement and not distract from core

duties of an Academic

Social media has changed my life.

Professional

• Filter for information• Community engagement• New collaborations• New opportunities• Communication skills

Personal

• Broadened perspectives• Got me out of my bubble• Giving back• Validation• Fun!