Role of Social Media in Education

1. Teacher's informal learning

1.1. resource exchange

1.1.1. PD for new ideas and strategies, and resources

1.2. community building

1.2.1. leadership skills, meet emotional and social needs

1.3. individualization needs

1.3.1. individualized self-pace learning

2. Instruction practices, education research

2.1. digital traces

2.1.1. data collection, understanding user's behaviour on social media

2.2. scalability

2.2.1. data analysis

2.3. digital methods

2.3.1. discover opportunities for authentic and useful research of social media behaviour

3. Scholarly communication

3.1. opportunities for peer-review, interdisciplinary collaboration

3.2. Receive more in-depth feedback

3.3. negative consequences: harassment, flaunting, flawed information

4. Student's learning

4.1. enhance self-directed learning

4.1.1. discover interests, critical thinking skills, creativity

4.2. foster collaboration

4.2.1. Practice essential skills, incorperate social elements in learning with the support alongside with the technological support

4.3. increase community connections

4.3.1. expand thoughts and horizons, understand perspectives of different issues

5. Common features of social media

5.1. user generated item

5.1.1. posts using text, images, or videos

5.2. user-created profile

5.2.1. profile picture, biographical information

5.3. online social network

5.3.1. follow, subscribe, like, link, tag, share