Using Social Media in Academic Practice: A Student-led Training Initiative

Using Social Media in Academic Practice: A Student-led Training Initiative

Andy Coverdale & LeRoy Hill

University of Nottingham

Overviewxxx

• Sessions in social and participative media• PhD students and Early Career Researchers• Supported and hosted by the Jubilee Graduate Centre

Rationalexxx

The effective use of social and participative media is increasingly becoming a key requirement in 21st Century academic practice and professional development

Key Drivers

‘Gap’ in formalPhD training provision

Promotion ofstudent-led initiatives& professional development

Participation inpeer-supported activitiesTeaching opportunity

Graduate Centresxxx

5 Graduate Centres (3 Faculty-based / 2 campus-based)xxx

Core Objectives• Faculty-specific training• Cross-disciplinary interaction and collaboration• Social and careers events, and work placement programmes

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Researcher-led Events• Develop researchers’ own skills• Support and develop peers• Enhance employability potential

RCUK Joint StatementXxx

Training Requirements for Research StudentsXxx

• Research Management: identifying appropriate resources and acquiring data effectively

• Personal Effectiveness: demonstrating creativity, innovation and initiative, able to identify own training needs, motivation, use of sources of support

• Communication Skills: articulation of ideas and arguments to wide ranging audience, supporting the learning of others

• Networking and Team Working: developing co-operative networks and relationships

• Career Management: taking ownership of career and improving employability, awareness of transferable nature of research skills

The Sessions: Overviewxxx

• Three lunchtime sessions (2 hours each)• Limited to 20 people per session• Multi-disciplinary• Pre-survey and Twitter feed - attendees’ interests, experiences and

expectations• Interactive - discussion activitiesXxx

Online Resource• Tools: annotated links to key social media• Resources: annotated links to guides, tutorials and best practice examples

The Sessions: Key Aimsxxx

• Finding common ground between Web 2.0 ‘core values’ and academic practice

• Addressing wider concepts - digital identity, Open Access / Education models, collaborative practices etc.

• Aligning with social learning concepts and models - communities of practice, network theories etc.

The Sessions: ProgrammeXxx

Key ConceptsKey Processes / TechnologiesKey Tools / Platforms

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• Session One: Introduction to social media, underlying concepts, values and technologies

• Session Two: Blogging, Twitter, tagging and social bookmarking, resource sharing

• Session Three: Social networking and collaboration, aggregation and syndication, Personal Learning Environments

Key Outcomesxxx

Observations• Limited awareness and use of social media for academic purposes• Strong respect of / reliance on traditional forms of research practice,

discourse and dissemination• Cultural differences in social media adoption across disciplinesxxx

Student Feedback• Value opportunities for sharing good practices and experiences• Concerns over time-intensiveness of using social media in studies

Some Feedback Comments

"I can't believe that I have been in the dark for so long, its almost like discovering word processing..I've been struggling with the PhD by myself for so long, with tutors who just haven't got the time or inclination to discuss my ideas. I have been trying to achieve something on my own that is essentially collaborative in nature.  All the pieces now begin to fit together."

"A good overview of the content, nature, function and uses of social media It will make me think about my online presence and how I would develop it I realise that this can become part of my repertoire This stimulates me to put my work through the channels of social media Will start building a webpage"

it could be longer!Not that interactive

Key Training / Policy Issuesxxx

Training Issues• Disciplinarity - engaging with multi-disciplinary audiences• Addressing inequalities in skills, competencies and experiences

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Policy Issues• Integration of student initiatives into formal graduate training provision• Inspiring further student-led initiatives

Current and Future DevelopmentXxx

• Repeat sessions at Jubilee Graduate Centre• One-day session at the Engineering Graduate Centre• Participation in JISC Digital Literacies Materials Pilot programme• Towards integrated programme - open workshops, seminars, online

community development etc.• Integration into formal PGR training programme?• Sustainable models for shared practice

SummaryXxx

• Relate to traditional academic practices - publishing, conferencing etc.• Identify challenging and augmenting properties of social media adoption• Adopt holistic perspectives of social media• Focus on academic and professional community / network development• Recognise the need for coping strategies• Promote critical and reflective approaches

Thank You!Questions, Comments, Suggestions?

LeRoy Hill Andy Coverdale

email: [email protected] email: [email protected]

twitter: @leroyh twitter: @andycoverdale