Social Networking and Digital Learning †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Social Networking and Digital Learning. Answer: Introduction It has been found that the social networking sites have been successful in widening the abilities of the students to perform their work. This has been possible through the practise of the twenty-first century skills that would enable students to develop themselves as successful and meaningful individuals (Manca Ranieri, 2017). The aim of this paper is to engage in a research review though identification of social networking sites as a mean of imparting education along with the social and pedagogical implications of social networking sites. This is followed by a discussion on the use of social networking sites through a critical review of selected literature and the reflection and supportive research of the social networking sites in the field of education. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Instagram have become names in the lives of the millennials. But these are more than social networking sites for the present generation. The existing education systems have understood the importance of virtual communication in imparting education. Virtual communication and online technology facilitates connection between people who are situated in different parts of the world (Lamberton Stephen, 2016). It is believed that the role of social media in the field of education is not to substitute traditional form of learning with digital learning. It was believed that instead of using white board and powerpoint as a tool of communicating with the class, the materials elicited from the social networking sites like photos, online videos, interactive dialogues, blogs can emerge from the discussion boards, virtual meetings, recorded text messages and the online forums present on the social media sites. The educator through the usage of social media transforms from being a educator to a content provider. This has led to the learning environment being fluid enabling students to provide instant feedback and facilitate exchange in terms of study tools. Kalasi (2014) have stated that social media have become increasingly important in the lives of individual. She contends about the social constructivist theory and how it is based on the interaction and socialization with other people that have the potential to help students so that they construct and learn from their personal learning processes. Social media she argues is a range of constructive tools that can catalyse participative learning module that ahve been incorporated into the new-age teaching. Hung Yuen, (2010), in their paper argues about the concept of communities of practice, this emphasise on learning in-context. Social networking technology provides people with an unrecognizable force and enables them to communicate. Social networking platforms provides the students additional channels to learn electronically. It can also be employed for the purpose of extension and reaching out to learners who otherwise might not have been involve in the process of learning. These tec hnologies will turn out to be useful for students who are reticent and may find it difficult to show up in class. In the present context, students are using the Facebook Social Learning Project that includes posts by instructors, teaching assistants. It was found that the popular social media platform , Facebook provides the students an opportunity to utilize the it for their educational purpose. In future, they would want Facebook to incorporate quizzes, mobile features, games that would make the classes all the more interesting and informative. A 2010 Pew study conducted in the National School Boards Association showed that Facebook is used by 58 per cent of the millennials out of the 96 per cent who are on Facebook utilize it for the discussion of their school homework (Ngai et al., 2015). Despite these, schools have been apprehensive in employing social media as an educational tool. It has been found that there has been a high interest in the harnessing of social networking sites for the objectives of education. The survey found that people who have used social networks were more positive ab out the advantages of social media as compared to people who have not made much use of social media. Social networking sites have the power to improve the motivation of the students and foster engagement in education. Students would develop a collaborative standpoint of learning and make a connection with the real world. Social networking sites enable the educators to share information, create a professional space for learning and improvise on the worldwide communications of schools with the staff and the students. . Students in the world of social networking sites are not only making use of the online material but generating content and are interacting with the fellow students. Conclusion Therefore, from the above discussion it can be understood that if utilized properly, social networking sites have the potential to become an integral and indispensable part of tthe educational environment. References Hung, H. T., Yuen, S. C. Y. (2010). Educational use of social networking technology in higher education.Teaching in higher education,15(6), 703-714. Kalasi, R. (2014). The impact of social networking on new age Teaching and learning: an overview.Journal of education social policy,1(1), 23-28. Lamberton, C., Stephen, A. T. (2016). A thematic exploration of digital, social media, and mobile marketing: Manca, S., Ranieri, M. (2017). Implications of social network sites for teaching and learning. Where we are and where we want to go.Education and Information Technologies,22(2), 605-622. Newman, G., Wiggins, A., Crall, A., Graham, E., Newman, S., Crowston, K. (2012). The future of citizen science: emerging technologies and shifting paradigms.Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment,10(6), 298-304. Ngai, E. W., Moon, K. L. K., Lam, S. S., Chin, E. S., Tao, S. S. (2015). Social media models, technologies, and applications: an academic review and case study. Industrial Management Data Systems,115(5), 769-802.