Building a Digital Community of Learning: The positive effects of social media use in higher education

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Social media is an integral part of student’s lives during college. By connecting with other students via social media, individuals are able to broaden their network and build a community of friendships. While extensively used and examined outside of the classroom, we investigate how social media can be used to build a community of learning. In particular, we asked both students and professors the extent to which social media was used in their course and how it influenced outcomes such as satisfaction, classroom culture, commitment, and performance. In this session we will discuss how social media can be used effectively in the classroom to enhance the student learning experience.

Author(s):

Erin Makarius    
The University of Akron
United States

Alison Dachner    
John Carroll University
United States