Tweeting for a Grade?!
If you can’t beat’em, join’em! Educators are following the technologic trend by incorporating social media into the classroom.
A recent study (Chapman 2017) was conducted to help first-semester associate degree nursing students identify and absorb health literacy content that’s then used to teach patients. The social media platform of choice? Twitter.
Professors assigned readings prior to the class and students were directed to consolidate their assigned topics into 140 characters, similar to that of Twitter. Squeezing your point across into just 140 characters helps students pick out the necessary key words and information in a way that it makes sense to both them and their readers.
Tweets were shared on a forum where fellow peers and faculty would provide feedback. Following the in-class activity, a survey was given to the participating students and the reaction was unanimous.
Out of the 37 student participants, ages ranging from 20-49 years old, 100% were highly satisfied with the activity, one student commenting: “Loved this project!” The students found that tweeting their material is a helpful learning platform to identify, understand, plan and implement difficult health literacy teaching content. Confidence in this material will help increase effective patient teaching and empowerment skills.
I believe that social media has become such a significant part in our everyday lives, that it’s inevitable to bring it into the classroom. It’s an unlikely educational resource, but it sparks the interest of the students to do something in class that they are used to doing anyways, but getting an A for it!
Article Citation:
Chapman Y.(2017). Pseudo-Twitter Format: Health Literacy Learning Activity. J Nurs Educ. 56(7) 448. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20170619-13 [link]
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