Social media conference

Social Media for Learning in Higher Education #SocMedHE16 at Sheffield Hallam University 16^th December 2017

Jane & Lizzie

Jane Wray and Lizzie Ette attended the conference to learn more about how social media could be used within teaching and learning to enhance the student experience. As social media becomes more prevalent in everyday life, students increasing wish to engage with and use social media as a tool for learning and personal and professional development.

The conference attendees were from all over the UK and from different academic disciplines but with a shared interest in the potential of social media to transform the learning and teaching environment. Interactivity was key and the day started with a team session to develop on online resource to share with the rest of the conference (all done within one hour!) and this was focused on the principles of the empowered learner. Formal presentations followed with presenters sharing their experiences of using different social media platforms with students and colleagues. The key messages from the conference were:

• Don’t be afraid to dabble until you find the right social media platform for you and your students
•  For every different teaching approach and for every possible group size there are technologies that can support and enhance those approaches
• Digital literacy is increasingly linked to employability and is an expected competency for all students graduating from HE

You can catch up all the discussions and debate from the conference via the hashtag #SocMedHE16. Lizzie and Jane with the support of Kirsty Fishburn and Kate Heaney will be sharing their learning from this event (and other helpful social media top tips) at a faculty lunch-time seminar on Wednesday 3 May 2017.