Login (DCU Staff Only)
Login (DCU Staff Only)

DORAS | DCU Research Repository

Explore open access research and scholarly works from DCU

Advanced Search

A study of the use of Twitter by students for lecture engagement and discussion

Tiernan, Peter orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-5076-8905 (2014) A study of the use of Twitter by students for lecture engagement and discussion. Education and Information Technologies, 19 (4). pp. 673-390. ISSN 1360-2357

Abstract
Research indicates that student engagement with lectures, and participation in discussion and debate, greatly improve their learning and experience of University. The nature of some lectures means they can lack opportunities for interaction and active learning. For this reason it can be difficult for some students, especially students new to University, to fully engage in lectures, and interact with their peers. This study attempts to use Twitter as a means of increasing these opportunities for interaction and engagement for students, especially those who may lack the confidence to engage traditionally. As a first step, the study analyses the use of Audience Response Systems to understand the role technology can play in providing opportunities for interaction. Following this, a review of experiments conducted using Twitter is carried out. While there is a dearth of research in this area, these cases provide some valuable insights into the use of this technology and its integration into education. In the methodology section, the process of using Twitter in lectures is explained, along with some of the challenges and obstacles faced. Findings presented indicate that while adoption of Twitter was low, the platform provides engagement opportunities for timid members of the group, while having a generally positive impact on engagement and discussion for the group as a whole. Finally, emerging uses of the Twitter platform are examined, allowing the reader glimpse possibilities for future integration.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Twitter; Audience Response Systems; interaction; engagement; discussion; technology; social media
Subjects:Social Sciences > Communication
Social Sciences > Education
Social Sciences > Educational technology
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Institute of Education > School of STEM Education, Innovation, & Global Studies
Publisher:Springer
Official URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10639-012-9246-4
Copyright Information:© 2014 Springer
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
ID Code:23285
Deposited On:13 May 2019 08:51 by Peter Tiernan . Last Modified 10 Aug 2023 14:12
Documents

Full text available as:

[thumbnail of A study of the use of Twitter by students for lecture engagement and discuussion_no author V9.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
Creative Commons: Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0
777kB
Downloads

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Archive Staff Only: edit this record