Tweet and Learn: Twitter as an Educational Tool

Twitter has been growing in popularity (although not as a money-making venture), and is one of the most used social media tools. While many still use it to connect with friends, follow the antics of celebrities, and keep up with family members, the use of Twitter as an educational tool has also been emerging for several years, especially in the health sciences. Teaching about the tools and skills to use social media to its full advantage is a perfect role for librarians. We can advocate for the inclusion of these skills in the curriculum, teaching students to use social media professionally and also how to avoid pitfalls and address privacy concerns.1, 2 For students in the healthcare professions, using Twitter can teach them to connect to colleagues, to share research, to keep up with developments in their field, to learn of publishing opportunities, and to collaborate. It can be used as a current awareness tool and to “virtually” attend conferences if they can’t be there in person, via the use of hashtags.  Journal and book clubs are also popular on Twitter and can be found in various specialties. Articles or books are chosen in advance and a discussion takes place online at a scheduled time. A recent article analyzed a Twitter journal club for medical radiation professionals and concluded that, “Twitter journal club can provide an authentic learning environment with all the cognitive dimensions afforded in a formal classroom or face-to-face journal...
Source: Dragonfly - Category: Databases & Libraries Authors: Tags: Training & Education Source Type: news