1.
Embedded research approach used in Students, Social Media & Schools Project. For more info see:
Dennen, V.P. & Rutledge, S.A. (in press). The embedded lesson approach to social media research:
Researching online phenomena in an authentic offline setting. TechTrends. and/or visit
http://studentssocialmediaschools.com
Students, Social Media & Schools
Day 1 Guiding Questions
a. Social media and communication:
• Which tools do you use the most to communicate? Why do you
use those tools?
• Do you use different tools to communicate with different people
– for example, close friends, peers, adults?
• How have you developed your identity on social media? Do you
share the same information and photos on each platform? Why or
why not?
b. Social media and information needs:
• What types of information do you search out using social media?
• Which tools do you use the most to meet information needs?
Why do you use those tools for this purpose?
• What information sources do you connect with online? (people
you know in real life? Friends of friends? People you’ve met and
interacted with online? Experts?)
c. Social media and games:
• How does social media use relate to online game play?
• Do you use the same tools to support game play/networks as you
use for other purposes? Why or why not?
• Do you use the same identity to support game play/networks as
you use for other purposes? Why or why not?
d. Social media and school
• How does social media affect your school experience?
• How does your social media network shape how you feel about
your school?
• How does your social media network shape how you feel about
adults at your school?
e. Social media and privacy
• What are your privacy concerns about your social networks?
How do you manage these privacy concerns? Do you try to keep
your communities separate?
• If the adults in your life (parents, family friends, teachers) are on
a particular social media tool, how does that affect your use of
that tool? Does it differ by tool?