The eruption of both social media sites and their popularity has coincided with another digital phenomenon. Undergrads are now taking some or all of their courses online, and schools are slowly but surely adapting their instruction modes to blend with their students’ communication habits. One of the more promising marriages of social media and instruction is the targeted delivery of content and resources through audio-visual chat features, making the pursuit of a bachelor degree a more personal, collaborative process. Here are a few examples of how social media is shaping the college experience and growing the value of social media as an accepted part of everyday interaction.

Google+

Since its full release in early summer, Google+ has established itself as a competitor, if not alternative to Facebook. While the two have several comparable features, Google+ arguably has the better audio-visual component, Hangouts. With this element, up to ten Google+ users can chat simultaneously. Hangouts is being employed for useful educational applications like study sessions, small group activities, class projects and the introduction of outside expertise.
Circles, the drag-n-drop grouping aspect of Google+, allows for the flexible grouping of students necessary for differentiation. By placing contacts in multiple circles and moving contacts out of circles, instructors can tailor content based upon user ability, speed or interest.

Facebook

Facebook, the dominant social media site with over 800 million users and near universal penetration of the college student population, has several benefits for its use in college classes. Predating Google+ Circles, Facebook has had Lists—groupings of Friend contacts by which you can restrict content to only certain recipients—for a couple of years. It wasn’t until Circles received great reviews that Facebook promoted the little known feature to users, easing the way users could assign Friends to particular Lists. The educational uses are identical to those of Google+, and for many students, the greater familiarity with Facebook than Google+ may make this a better option if you don’t plan on many face-to-face chats.
Like Google+, Facebook does allow users to hold audio-visual chats. Last year, Facebook teamed up with Skype to allow Friends to chat with one another. Like Hangouts, Facebook’s option to use Skype within the platform allows for collaboration.

Social Media and Calculators

If you want to look at progress in perspective, compare social media and calculators in education. Today, the widespread acceptance of social media in colleges and many secondary schools occurred much faster than other technologies of the past. When the calculator became widely accessible for students, it took years before many instructors even allowed them in the classroom, this despite early evidence that student use of calculators improved learning.
By tapping into the tools already embraced by students, the thoughtful application of Facebook, Skype and Google+ only scratch the surface of the value social media has in just this one industry. Creative minds will no doubt expand upon current uses and generate whole new strategies for using social media in education, and of course, the world of business.


About the author: Derrick Cruise is a professional writer living in the Indianapolis area. He specializes in writing articles dealing with social media and education technology.