Pinterest is a social media platform where users can create boards to organize and share images and other visual content on various topics. It allows for collaborative boards where multiple users can add pins. Some ways Pinterest can be used for course collaboration include having students pin design inspirations, social media content, photos, videos and other materials to shared boards. This allows for peer feedback and critique. Pinterest engagement has been growing and many students are already active on the platform, making it a useful tool to connect classroom content with students' online activities.

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Keep it Pinteresting
Using Pinterest as a Course Collaboration Tool

3. Understanding Pinterest
 “Pinterest is an online pinboard. Organize and share
things you love.” (Pinterest, 2012)
 Pinterest is a vision board-styled social photo
sharing website and app where users can create
and manage theme-based image collections. The
site's mission statement is to "connect everyone in
the world through the 'things' they find
interesting." Pinterest is managed by Cold Brew
Labs, a team based in Palo Alto, California
(Wikipedia, 2012)

4. What is a pin board?
 A pin is an image added to Pinterest. A pin can be a
dded from a website using the Pin It button, or you
can upload images from your computer. Each pin
added using the Pin It button links back to the site it
came from.
 A board is a set of pins. A board can be created on
any topic, such as Cool Posters, Recipes For Dinner,
or Wishlist. You can add as many pins to a board as
you want.
• (Pinterest, 2012)

5. How can I use Pinterest personally?
 Users are finding Pinterest’s ability to “visually
bookmark” items from the internet (or their own
computers) addicting. They then can referring back
to those items when it’s time to plan that birthday
party, make dinner or do some home decorating.
 Common pin boards include DIY Projects, Clothing,
Quotes and Food.

6. Where do I find pins?
 Pins can be found in a variety of places
 By seeing them on other Pinterest boards, and
“repinning” them to your own board
 By finding a webpage with a graphic and either
copying the URL to the “pin it” dialogue box or
clicking the “pin it” button on your shortcut toolbar
 By uploading a file from your computer

7. Pinterest “social component”
 Not only can users “pin” things but they can also
comment on other pins, offering comments or
suggestions. This brings to Pinterest another level
of interactivity.
 In addition to pinning and repinning, users can
“like” a pin
 Likes, comments and pins are then often pushed to
users’ Facebook and Twitter feeds, which allow
their networks to see and interact with their
Pinterest activity

8. Using Pinterest as a collaboration tool
 Pinterest allows users to create boards that are
collaborative. Multiple users can be added as
“pinners” to a particular board
 To set up a collaborative board, users must be
following each other
 (Pinterest says it can be done through email address
but that does not seem to work)

9. Why use Pinterest in the classroom?
 Time magazine called Pinterest one of the five best social media sites of 2011, along with
Google-Plus and Klout.
 CopyBlogger estimates that 1.5 million people use Pinterest for about 15 minutes every day.

10. Millenials as learners
 According to a 2000 study by psychologist Keith Anderson, at least 10 percent of
college students used the Internet so much that it interfered with their grades,
their health or their social lives. Fast-forward ten years and the use of the
technology is so engrained in college students’ lives that they can’t imagine life
without it.
 This generation is extremely technology-oriented and 88%of Millennials report
sending text messages regurlarly. They are so phone-addicted that 83% sleep with
their phones (Pew, 2010). In addition to cell phone usage, Millennials are hooked in
to social networks more than any other generation. Three-quarters of Millennials
have profiles on social networking sites (Pew, 2010).
 Most Millennials enter the classroom prepared to take advantage of the
technologies and schools are ill-prepared to connect that knowledge to the
classroom. Social networking sites such as YouTube and Facebook are often
blocked, resulting in a failure to connect the world they live in with the classrooms
they learn in (Considine, Horton & Moorman, 2009)
 Researchers argues that we need to teach students how to become effective
learners and guide them in honing their critical thinking skills. Millennials want to
learn collaboratively, in their own time and on their own terms. They appreciate
activities that permit creativity and involve real-life issues (McGlynn, 2005).

11. Using Pinterest as a collaboration tool
 Once following each other, a board owner can add
multiple people as collaborators on the board
simply by typing in their username and clicking
“add”.
 The board will immediately become visible within
the collaborator’s account and will work identically
to one of their own boards.

12. Using Pinterest for Course Collaboration
 At Point Park University’s School of Communication,
we’re experimenting with using Pinterest for Course
Collaboration. We’re doing that in a variety of ways.
 First, we set up a School Pinterest Account
 www.pinterest.com/PointParkSoC
 Then we set up boards for various classes
 And invited students to collaborate on those boards

13. Using Pinterest for Course Collaboration-
Graphic Design
Students in Intro to Visual Communication Design are using their board for posting/pinning design inspirations
for their projects as well as for peer critiques

14. Using Pinterest for Course Collaboration-
Graphic Design
Students in Intro to Visual Communication Design are using their board for posting/pinning design inspirations
for their projects as well as for peer critiques

15. Social Media
Students in Social Media are using their Pinterest board to pin interesting infographics, technology and other
visual social media items.

16. Using Pinterest for Course Collaboration-
Nature Photography
Students in the Nature Photography class are using their Pinterest board to pin their own photos and then offer
comments/critiques as a class (the class is taught partially online so this allows a level of peer critique that may
have been difficult otherwise)

17. Using Pinterest for Course Collaboration-
Video Production
Students in Video Production and Editing are using their Pinterest board to pin interesting videos from YouTube
along with their own videos for peer critiques

18. Using Pinterest for Course Collaboration-
Media Ethics
Students in Media Ethics are using their Pinterest board to pin banned books to add to their discussion in class.

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Future ideas
Student journalists could use pinterest boards to help tell a story, then create a
splash page to highlight them like this SX Survival site

20. Other Pinteresting ideas
 Student clubs could use Pinterest to pin ideas for
travel to conferences, event planning, etc.
 Faculty and students could pin equipment
needs/wish lists to dedicated boards
 Faculty and students could pin portfolios and other
ideas from other Universities
 Photo students could pin their favorite paper and
other supplies (an often-asked question)
 Departments could pin technology needs for
incoming students (another often-asked ?)