Microblogs in Higher Education: Enhancing Collaborative Learning Opportunities
Microblogs in Higher Education: Enhancing
Collaborative Learning Opportunities
Doug Strahler
Things you should know about
Microblogging (Educause)
• What is it?
▫ Microblogging is the practice of posting small pieces of
digital content-which could be text, pictures, links, short
videos, or other media-on the Internet
• What are the implications for teaching and learning?
▫ Communication tool
▫ Hashtags = categories
• Benefits/Risks
“Collaborative learning produces intellectual
synergy of many minds coming to bear on a
problem, and the social stimulation of mutual
engagement in a common endeavor” (Smith &
MacGregor, 1992).
How this will help students learn
• Collaborative learning helps students learn more
effectively – Involvement, Cooperation and
teamwork, and civic responsibility (Smith &
MacGregor, 1992)
• Microblogging creates an environment for
students to meet the three areas above
• Learning is active
How this will help teachers teach better
• Personal Learning Platform
▫ Networking
▫ Conversation
▫ Professional development
▫ News
▫ Resources