The Use of Social Media in Higher Education for Marketing and Communications: A Guide for Professionals in Higher Education

By Rachel Reuben

Colleges and universities are beginning to embrace social media and realizing the potential power and implications for using it as a component of their overall marketing mix. This guide will introduce you to some of the more popular forms of social media, including Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, blogs, and del.icio.us. 148 colleges and universities responded to a survey in July 2008 answering what social media they are using most, how they are using it to reach their target audiences, and which department(s) at the college are responsible for maintaining it. This guide will review existing literature available in this subject area, identify implications for and against using social media, and discuss best practices, recommendations and considerations for higher education marketers.

Interesting findings: It’s a simple guide to social media and its common uses in education.. The paper show different categories for the online tools adopted in education, statistics and case study.

PDF file http://doteduguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/social-media-in-higher-education.pdf

The Digital Revolution and Higher Education

By Kim Parker, Amanda Lenhart and Kathleen Moore

The report is based on findings from two Pew Research Center surveys: a national poll of the general public, and a survey of college presidents done in association with The Chronicle of Higher Education. It analyzes the perceptions of the public and college presidents about the value of online learning, the prevalence and future of online courses, use of digital textbooks, the internet and plagiarism, and technology use in the classroom, as well as college presidents’ own use of technology.

Key findings: The Value of Online Learning, The Prevalence of Online Courses, Online Students, The Future of Online Learning, Digital Textbooks, The Internet and Plagiarism,
Do Laptops and Smartphones Belong in the Classroom?, College Presidents and Technology, College Presidents and Social Networking

PDF file http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2011/PIP-Online-Learning.pdf

The Tone of life on social networking sites

By Lee Raini, Amanda Lenhart, Aaron Smit


This survey of adults was conducted in order to compare adult experiences on social networking sites to teenagers’ experiences.
As a rule, more adults than teens reported positive results on social networking sites. For instance, a higher proportion of adults than teens say their experience is that people are mostly kind on social networking sites. Significantly smaller proportions of adults have had bad outcomes based on their SNS use such as confrontations, lost friendships, family strife, and fights.

Interesting findings: The paper describes adults tendencies and emotions using social networks. The research highlights the general climate and environment when using social networks, how and why, in the relationships between the users negative and positive situations are generated.

PDF file
http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2012/Pew_Social%20networking%20climate%202.9.12.pdf

BT is the world’s oldest communication company, once upon a time they provided British households with a landline but today they provide customers so much. Given the company’s relationship with technology, it is logic that they have been innovate in using technologies to assist their own staff train and their CPD (continuing professional development) skills.

This video introduces us to the BT 'Dare2share' project, a Podcasting site for peer to peer learning and training. The site allows short videos, audio files, blogs, RSS feeds, discussion threads as well as documents to be share with BT staff located across the UK.

I really like the idea of how quickly training can be rolled out among teams; it is an interesting and fun way in which to learn. Not all BT engineers will be attracted to the idea of a stuffy classroom, Dare2share gives them that opportunity to learn from different styles and actually contribute themselves.

Have a watch and see what you think for yourself...

Research review: Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world

Within the education parameters it is often difficult to grasp what are the benefits from social media or what are the benefits from loose collaboration. Here is a suggestion of the paradigm to keep in mind when thinking of the benefits of social media.

"Clay Shirky looks at "cognitive surplus" -- the shared, online work we do with our spare brain cycles. While we're busy editing Wikipedia, posting to Ushahidi (and yes, making LOLcats), we're building a better, more cooperative world.

Clay Shirky believes that new technologies enabling loose ­collaboration — and taking advantage of “spare” brainpower — will change the way society works."

Research review: Social Media Benefits Studies, Jyväskylä University

Report: Social Media Benefits Studies Jyväskylä University, Kari A. Hintikka

The Civil Society Studies Masters program in Jyväskylä University tried out social media in the implementation of the program. The report from the program shows several benefits from using social media e.g. effective social learning and saving time compared to traditional methods.

More information (in Finnish) http://www.jyu.fi/ajankohtaista/arkisto/2009/03/tiedote-2009-03-11-09-33-54-813840
The report:
http://kans.jyu.fi/tutkimuksia/copy_of_aineistot/esitysaineistoja/JY-Sosiaalinen-media-2008-loppuraportti.pdf/view