Grade 9 BTT Research Paper

By: Luxme Nirmalan, Crystal Dimov, Danika Mariam, Charlotte Blain, and Tony Mu
November 27
th
, 2013
How could social media be used to improve student
engagement in learning?
Social media is a global communicating instrument which takes part in our everyday life. It is
used everywhere and in many different ways for different purposes but is all linked to the term:
communication. Social media is especially used in education, which greatly impacts students in various
ways. It enables students to learn, develop skills to learn using different strategies, and it enables
students to develop an interest in their education. Social media can definitely affect an educational
environment, and therefore, how could social media be used to improve student engagement in
learning?
The most common websites that are known around the world are communicating sites. These
types of sites create a simple and easy way to communicate with one and another. This can be very
useful for students because it allows the students to self-express themselves and develop leadership
skills. Many sites also allow students to be more social, make new friends, become more confident and
outgoing. Students and colleagues can use social media for projects or to improve on their level of
knowledge academically and socially in general (OBrien, Why-Social Media). Nevertheless, another
advantage that students will receive is recognizing and knowing more people from school (Tariq et al,
The Impact-Students of Pakistan). Social networks can be accessed anywhere at any time; therefore,
students can use their cellphones, tablets, laptops, or any other device to use these sites for school work
(OBrien, Why-Social Media). Using these sites enable students to acknowledge the dangers and the
negative aspects of those particular sites and act appropriately, by using the site safely and responsibly.
By acknowledging the key properties of social media, many teenagers use social media for three
main reasons: chat with their friends, share pictures of themselves with friends, and share what theyre
doing with everyone (Lepi, Teacher vs Student). Although social media can enhance students to
become more socially active online, but it also encourages students in general to become more
academically active too. For example, instead of writing essays, writing weekly blog-posts about a given
topic would engage students and would create a more fun work environment. Writing tweets in the
point of view of characters from books that a student may be studying would also engage the students
personal interest in learning. Moreover, using Pinterest to make a board for a character from a book
would be an easier and more creative way to do assignments, than writing a character analysis. For
instance, when reading William Shakespeares play, Romeo and Juliet in class, students can make a
board for one of the characters from the book (Mott, Social Media in Your Classroom). This will
encourage students to become more knowledgeable about the technology we have today and will
create different learning styles or different ways to do an assignment (Blair, Best of Both Worlds in
Education). In addition, social media encourages students to use blogs, as it encourages them to write
regularly and can improve their writing and typing skills. Google Hangouts can help students to get
lessons or classes online for extra help or if they were absent on the day they got an important lesson
(Fee, 7 ways-Classroom) .
Social media also enables a students personal engagement in learning by approaching teachers.
For instance, teachers can use Twitter or Facebook, which are frequently used by students, to give
updates about what the class did during that particular class time and homework/assignments. Teachers
can make playlists of videos on YouTube so that students can watch videos based on topics they are
currently learning about in class. In addition, teachers can record lessons and post it on YouTube so that
students can watch the video if they have any trouble understanding or have forgotten to write
something in their notes. Finally, teachers can use social media as an advantage by posting homework
assignments on social networking sites so that students who were absent can keep up with the work,
what their learning in class, and most importantly, dont fall behind (Lepi, Social Media into
Education). Sites like these enable teachers to have a better understanding of each student they deal
with, and acknowledge the different work habits of each and every student. In addition, using social
sites, help students to truly connect with their teacher and develops a friendly relationship between a
teacher and a scholar. The uses of social media websites help create a safe workplace environment to
share, learn and communicate about educational topics.
In most places around the world, 80% of teens have access to at least one form of media.
Therefore, even if social media is a great plus for students, it can easily be a weakness for students too
(Diaz Evans Gallagher, Anti-Social Networking). For example, many learners get distracted by social
sites on the internet and can cause less concentration on school work. Many kids from ages eight to
eighteen use social media sites for various purposes for about a minimum of six hours or over every
single day. This can interfere in a students education or any other task that a person performs. For
instance, a lot of multitasking is done when using media: texting, chatting, listening to music, checking
messages on a cellphone while doing homework or even crossing the road. Many accidents on the road
occur due to people who are lost in technology and dont pay attention when crossing the road and
arent cautious about what is happening around them. Many dont focus on the fact that it is being used
especially for educational purposes and their learning. This can create a barrier between students and
their personal engagement in learning (Connolly, Benefits and Drawbacks of Social media in
Education). When using these sites, the students mindset should be focused on only one thing: an
enjoyment in learning new things in a positive manner. Those who form a type of interest or deep
preference in learning can overcome some of these disadvantages of social media to succeed in school.
Some use social media for educational purposes, however, some mistake social sites as a source of
entertainment and become severely attached to it.
In conclusion, social media is a great resource that is used very frequently by many people
around the world for one main reason: communication. Therefore, many can communicate about
anything they want to anyone one they want. Although many mistake social media for an entertainment
purpose, like for socializing, many students also take advantage of it by using it for important tenacities
like a students personal aspiration to learn. So why not use it for educational purposes too? Social
media is a great place to communicate about education, since it allows many students to be able to
discuss about what theyre learning. Students will also create a really strong interest in their education
which will enhance them to embrace learning. Social media is a great way to stay connected with
friends, family, and teachers so that many students will be able to receive all the help they need to
succeed throughout school. This allows learning to become more fun for the students and could perhaps
engage their desire to learn. Using these type of sites truly have a positive impact on many people that
are not just learning but also any person that is involved in the education system. Lastly, the use of
social media definitely improves a students personal engagement in learning!





















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