Still skeptical about using Twitter in the classroom? This powerful tool has done wonders for business, and according to a study in the Journal of Marketing Education (JMD), it can help students feel better prepared for their careers.
Shannon B. Rinaldo, Suzanne Tapp, and Debra A. Laverie, all of Texas Tech University, published “Learning by Tweeting: Using Twitter as a Pedagogical Tool” in JMD’s August 2011 Special Edition on teaching marketing with innovative technology. Their article provides quantitative and qualitative data showing that Twitter can be an effective and highly beneficial tool in any classroom, if used properly.
Marketing professionals use Twitter extensively for communicating with and monitoring customers, for observing competitors, and for analyzing chatter concerning brands, products, and company image. Can professors use Twitter to engage students in conversation about a marketing course? The authors argue that Twitter has many benefits for marketing educators who are interested in engaging students in experiential learning. In a real-time environment for student learning, professors may use Twitter for direct communication with students to generate discussion and interest in the course topics and examples. Just as marketers use Twitter to generate interest, discussion, and brand image, educators can use Twitter to generate this interest in a course through social media. Furthermore, Twitter is a fast, easy method for making announcements, solving student issues, and performing course-related administrative duties. In three studies, both quantitative and qualitative data suggest that when students engage in Twitter use with the professor, students feel better prepared for future careers. In addition, students indicate that Twitter facilitates achieving traditional educational goals. The qualitative data offer insights into potential problems. Suggestions for educators interested in using Twitter are offered.
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