How do people use Twitter and why do we need to know?

How do people use Twitter and why do we need to know? mLearn, October 2008 Andy Ramsden Head of e-learning University of Bath [email_address] eatbath-present andyramsden Presentation

aims
Discuss the role of Twitter as a learning technology.
Report back on some of my research findings
Create the opportunities to share effective practice in the use of Twitter as an educational technology.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bidryboo/300945382/

how this session will run
Audience participation
http://www.flickr.com/photos/pigpogm/13839044/

Why should we start talking now? Twitter is a free social networking and micro- blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets ), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. As of July 2008, over 2,200,000 accounts were registered

So … How do you think we might use Twitter in teaching, learning or administration? Tag responses: q1 07624 804921 http://www.mobile-learning.blog-city.com/read/twitter.htm

my key research questions
how are people currently using twitter?
what is shaping this pattern?
how is this pattern changing over time?
how do people view twitter as a learning technology?
http://www.bath.ac.uk/opus/handle/10247/471

The sample
12 people – May 2008
Characteristics
80% have been using Twitter or over 4 months. Whilst over 30% have been using Twitter for over 6 months
4 people would be termed “power user”. Classified as updating their Twitter status over 11 times a week

Twitter classification index
9 people in sample
Last 40 tweets
1.1 4 Other (5) 14.9 54 Links (4) 0.8 3 Asking questions (3) 29.2 106 1-2-1 communication (2) 53.9 196 Social / team awareness (1) % Number Classification

How do people access it?
primary method – 4/12 via www.twitter.com
8 / 11 via a combination of approaches, such as Twitter web site, desktop client and mobile device.

Do people integrate Twitter with other software?
90% of respondents integrated Twitter with other software. Of which 60% of sample integrated Twitter with Facebook.
Why integrate?
3 people focussed on efficiency
2 people focussed on broadening their audience
Does integration add value?
“ I’m not sure yet”
“ I don’t think it does really”

Are these patterns changing?
9 people agreed they’d increased the frequency of their twitter updates in the last month
5 people agreed they’d started to spend more time searching for people
2 people stated they’d stopped following people
7 out of 11 said they’d expect to be using Twitter in 12 months time.

How use in L&T? A framework for analysis (them) e-Admin e-Learning creating a sense of community social context / cohesion between students administration

How use in L&T? A framework for analysis (us) e-Admin e-Learning

Session feedback Would you recommend this session to a colleague? Tag responses: q3 07624 804921 Could you explain your answer? yes no

thank you & questions - 07624 804921 Andy Ramsden [email_address] eatbath-present andyramsden Feedback for us … what did you like, what should we stop doing, and how might we improve this session? Tag responses: QR mLearn

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How do people use Twitter and why do we need to know?

by andyramsden on Oct 07, 2008

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How do people use Twitter and why do we need to know? — Presentation Transcript