Twitter, primarily a social media outlet, has recently started foraying and gaining a foothold in higher education. Written from a student perspective, this paper attempts to explain and critically discuss the usage and popularity of Twitter as a tool of active learning in higher education. The author writes about her student experience of using Twitter in her Public Relations Communications graduate class. The paper explores and scrutinizes the social media channel within the theoretical framework of connectivism.
Tag: student perspectives
The Role of Educators in Preparing the Confident Graduate Student
With large numbers of non-BSW graduates gravitating toward MSW programs of study, BSWs must demonstrate their ability to handle the rigor of graduate school in order to remain competitive in the classroom and field. This study utilized an online survey of MSW students (N=107) from four different universities to examine how well students believe their particular undergraduate degree program prepared them to meet the academic demands of the MSW programs. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed and results indicate BSW graduates feel more prepared than non-BSWs to complete their MSW program. The exception for BSWs was found in areas of research and statistics when compared specifically to those with psychology bachelor degrees.
Convincing Students That Their Groupmates’ Success Can Increase, Not Diminish, Their Own Success
Both theory and research support the use of group activities to aid student learning. However, some students are reluctant to learn with peers for fear that the peers will gain more. The article attempts to address this fear. This article provides educators with explanations to give their students as to why, even in norm referenced assessment environments, by helping their groupmates, students are positively, not negatively, impacting their own success on assessments. The article opens with a review of assessment options: norm referenced, criterion referenced and ipsative. Next, Social Interdependence Theory is explained for the insights it might offer as to how students view their peers’ success. The article’s third section summarises some of the research on peer learning, in particular research on what forms of peer interaction might best promote learning. Finally, the article examines three contexts in which norm referencing is applied – standardised exams, class grades and class ranking – and concludes that the chances are small of groupmates’ success diminishing the success of students who have helped their groupmates. This conclusion is reached based, first, on mathematical calculations and, most importantly, on the research based premise that when students provide elaborated help to groupmates, the helpers are likely to boost their own scores.
“Office Hours are Kind of Weird”: Reclaiming a Resource to Foster Student-Faculty Interaction
Office hours reserve time and space for student-faculty interaction, a benchmark for engaging students in educationally purposive activities. Our study finds a mismatch between the institutionally intended purpose of office hours and student perceptions of office hours. We examine student perceptions of office hours with results from a survey administered at a public research institution. We conclude that it is necessary for institutions — large public research institutions, particularly – to do more to demonstrate to students the value for interacting with faculty and to consistently support the development of relationships between undergraduates and those who teach them.