Taxonomy of Social Media for Learning

Why a Taxonomy of Social Media for Learning Matters

A Taxonomy of Social Media for Learning (TSML) is a framework for revolutionising teaching practices by effectively integrating social media to improve student engagement and learning outcomes by adapting teaching methods to the demands of the digital age, emphasising metacognitive processes and higher-order thinking skills. It facilitates interactive learning experiences, bridging traditional and modern technologies and creating inclusive, accessible, and engaging environments. By providing a structured approach to organising learning objectives and aligning curriculum, TSML helps educators identify critical issues and exploit overlooked opportunities, significantly advancing digital pedagogy and virtual learning environments. This innovative approach promises to reshape the future landscape of learning, offering valuable insights and tools that can lead to more effective teaching and enriched learning outcomes, thus contributing significantly to the body of research and practice in education.

How to implement TSML across all categories of a course

The learning process can be conducted on a proper social media platform through TSML by transferring the content of a subject to social networking sites. Here is how we can do that as follows:

Viewing

During the viewing, a lecturer introduces a content and supporting documents on the group page, including presentations, resources and readings related to the course. Viewing is an opportunity for students to review and explore the content of a course on a social media page before they begin to learn.

Posting

Posting is the process of teaching. It is the second level of the TSML that gives meaning to the viewing level. After familiarising students with the content of a topic or activity and announcing its resources on the class page, lecturers then share and explain all the concepts and related ideas, clarify the details and any relevant subject criteria.

Interacting

In this third level of the TSML, students are required to formulate a concrete material plan in their minds and encouraged to consider working in a group with their peers. They need to outline the problem themselves and then discuss it with their peers in their team, generating and sharing ideas and interacting with their lecturer.

Analysing

At this level, students gain an opportunity to use their critical thinking skills to understand how and why different concepts relate to each other, make connections between ideas, identify causes and find evidence to support a statement. They are given time to analyse the ideas and critiques collected from their peers to apply them to their own work.

Evaluating

Evaluation is a leading element in the TSML and facilitates creativity as students can identify the strengths and weaknesses of their work. Students are required to take a picture of the materials, upload them to the group page, present and assess themselves according to self-assessment criteria. The rest of the class are asked to comment and provide feedback to each other according to peer assessment criteria.

Curating

After the evaluation, each student revises and reorganises their material considering the critiques and opinions received and displays on the group page. They examine the displayed material to determine whether their objectives have been successfully met. Next, to curate content that students enjoyed, a lecturer gives students freedom to use hashtags such as #great work, #innovative, and #learning.