This article includes tips on how to incorporate social media into most courses without modifying traditional content. Project ideas include creating a Twitter directory, hosting a Twitter party, creating sample tweets posted to Hoot suite, blogging about industry trends, and writing a research paper that compares and contrasts two groups presence on Twitter and Facebook. At the end of the course, faculty and peers recognize students with the best projects.
Importance
While many traditional teaching strategies work well for today’s students, teachers must consistently review and modify courses for relevance and technological developments. Part of the attraction to majoring in journalism today is the “new generation of courses” teachers have retooled to include new media skills. New media technologies, changing student learning styles and high employer expectations in a tightening job market necessitate innovation and constant adaptation of journalism teaching materials.
Many professors have incorporated blogs and Twitter into their course, however, they do not offer a comprehensive method of incorporating social media that will make students proficient. These ideas offer simple, affective strategies that will make students knowledgeable about many areas. Through group and individual projects, they become more efficient users of social media. Furthermore, friendly competition offers an extra incentive for students to do well. Professors may enhance their courses by using all or some of these ideas.
Implementation
Professor may implement these strategies by showing examples of the projects and offering rubrics to give students an idea of how to complete them. See details below:
SOCIAL MEDIA GROUP PROJECT
1. Using twitter directories, find people that /organization should befriend. Use Googledocs to update an excel file with names. 2. Create Tweets for two weeks of campaign (should be at least two tweets per day). Post on Hoot suite 3. Participate in a Twitter Party for “research” and experience, and possibly design a Twitter Party for your company/organization 4. Create Twitter Directory: Research bloggers and online personalities and figure out ways to reach out to these people online. (i.e. how do you attract a community and cultivate it online). Use Googledocs to update an excel file with names. 5. Create a game or skit to illustrate new media terms 6. People’s Choice: Let faculty members, students or industry leaders choose the best group project.
HYPERLOCAL BLOG AND TWITTER PAGE
· Cover one current event in the community and cultivate a community online. · Write about it in your blog and tweet about it on Twitter · Post the final copy online · Tweet using a Twitter hashtag for the class.
Blog Personality Profile
Conduct at least one interview with the person either in person or via Skype.
· Include quotes from other people. · Write a post describing your experience with the interview. · Post photos on FLICKR group. · Post article and photos on Blog.
SOCIAL MEDIA RESEARCH PAPER
· Select two PR agencies or news outlets · Follow them on Twitter and Facebook for one month · Make five screenshots of their pages to include with report · Look at site in the following areas: interactivity, educational value, number and types of followers and strengths and weaknesses · Fill out a code sheet once a week for the agency a. Number and types of friends: teens, students, etc. b. Mission/goal of page: is it stated on the page? If so, summarize. c. How many similar pages are there on Facebook? d. Does it link to a Web site? Organization? · How interactive is the creator? · Does the creator identify him/herself? · Does it include real news, news releases, and legitimate information? Impact Students will learn while they are doing something they enjoy- using social media. In the process, they will be more employable. Employers seek students who are knowledgeable about social media. Students will be able to show a record of accomplishment of not only Tweeting and blogging, they will also be able to show, they are knowledgeable on effective strategies for using social media. The people’s choice competition will offer extra motivation to do well.
Student Display Ideas1. Screenshots of projects 2. Rubrics of assignments 3. Screenshots of interesting student blogs 4. Social media terms 5. People’s choice score sheet 6. Photos of students who won last year’s People’s Choice