SOCIAL MEDIA AND EDUCATION
To celebrate the day of social media, we decided to show its importance in the world of education
In 2010, Mashable launched Social Media Day to acknowledge the impact these tools have had on our lives. It has made it possible to stay connected and informed about those we are most interested in. Reconnecting with past classmates, co-workers and more, now it is possible thanks to Social Media.
Since the launch of Myspace in 2003 and a year later with the foundation of the social media king, Facebook. Social media had become mainstream.
We are constantly reading news feed on Facebook, hearing about trending topics on Twitter and sharing pictures and videos on Instagram. In fact, social media has increasingly become the way we communicate, so 30th of June we recognize their influence in our daily lives. Even business have recognized the value of social media for understanding customers’ needs, connecting with them and selling their products.
How does it contribute to education?
According to the London College of International Business Studies (LCIBS): “ The use of social media in education provides students with the ability to get more useful information”.
Added to it, students can create work networks through social media channels. Educational institutions, agencies such as Student’s Mobility and other actors within the education sector must have a high presence in social networks. This helps to create better training strategies for students.
Connect with experts on a variety of topics
Many specialists and personalities in the field of education have profiles on social networks. Students interested in learning more about a field can follow them in their various accounts, to have up-to-date and reliable information. They also can get answers on topics that they may need help in, all in real time.
Constant communication with students
Colleges often communicate with their students through a variety of social networks, especially Facebook, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Through these sites, the institutions make announcements to their student community, share campus news, and provide students with useful information.
Universities can share their recruitment processes and accomplishments to encourage students to connect with them on their pages. Hence the importance of generating quality content that attracts new students. As an institution, you can create and follow up hashtags to increase your number of followers.
In addition to creating appealing content, you can start online discussions that will help you learn about the topics that students like the most. The use of video will give a touch of freshness to your social networks. New generations generally prefer to consume audiovisual content rather than written content.
Khanyie Dlamini, author of the article published by the LCIBS suggests selecting social media platforms consciously and intelligently to use them in the best possible way:
Through social mediums such as YouTube, Facebook or Instagram live video the engagements between students and the institution can be sustained.It is advisable to be selective about which social platforms to use for the best practice.
Having social media can generate credibility
Building a strong presence on social networks can benefit universities to increase their enrollment. It is not only beneficial for educational institutions, but also for their students. By showing that they belong to a prestigious and renowned university their graduates gain credibility with recruiters.
At the same time, universities gain a vote of confidence by showing their activities on social networks in a transparent way. For students interested in entering an institution of higher education, it is important that the university has a solid reputation. What they see on social networks will decide whether or not they will study there.
Today, it’s not enough to just have a Facebook profile, it requires daily follow-up and interaction with students. Many students can judge the university according to the relationship it has with them through social networks. We recommend you to be available for your students through social media and publish interesting and informative content as much as you can.