Introduction
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Picture a vibrant classroom where students collaborate on a project while using their smartphones. Just a few years back, this scene might have seemed unlikely to happen, but it has become a reality with the rise of mobile learning and technology. It is incredible to see how much the education field is growing as technology is becoming part of our everyday lives. Social media, mobile devices, and innovations in educational technology hold great promise for enhancing formal learning. The fusion of technology and innovative pedagogical approaches has become crucial for educators to engage and empower students effectively.
Learning with Social Media
Social media for educational purposes fosters collaboration, knowledge sharing, and community building within academic settings. As stated by Arsgavskiy, platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn help educators facilitate dynamic discussions, share valuable resources, and foster communities of practice (2018). Integrating social media into learning environments encourages active participation and critical thinking and develops essential digital literacy skills vital for navigating today's interconnected world. The importance of incorporating social media in education lies in the capacity to go beyond traditional classroom boundaries, adopting a culture of inclusive learning that mirrors real-world interactions. Educators should embrace social media as a tool for educational enrichment. Including these tools in today's learning experiences can create vibrant learning communities where students feel empowered to contribute, collaborate, and connect with peers and experts worldwide.
According to Marina Arshavskiy (2018), social media platforms offer features and functionality that can be leveraged to supplement and complement the use of a traditional LMS:
1. They are widely available to anyone with an internet connection.
2. They are "open," which makes them more broadly accessible.
3. They are "social" by definition, unlike the LMSs that are more hierarchical and “closed, looped."
4. Like many front-line LMS tools, social media platforms support multimedia. However, unlike LMS, the "reach" of social media goes beyond the curated content available on formal teaching networks.
5. While many proprietary (conventional) LMS networks are locked behind
Mobile Learning
Mobile learning, facilitated by smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices, provides students unprecedented flexibility and accessibility to educational resources. Through interactive applications, multimedia content, and collaborative platforms, mobile learning offers personalized learning experiences to accommodate diverse learning styles and preferences. Its significance lies in its ability to empower learners to take ownership of their education, fostering self-directed learning and preparing them for lifelong learning in a digital age. Incorporating mobile learning into educational practices ensures inclusivity and accessibility, particularly for learners with diverse needs or limited access to traditional resources. With mobile technologies, educators can create dynamic learning environments that transcend time and space constraints, empowering students to engage with educational content anytime, anywhere.
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Disha Gupta (2023) explains the Key Features of Mobile Learning
Some of the significant features of mobile learning include:
1. Microlearning content
2. Social learning
3. Easy access
4. Dynamic learning
Challenges of Mobile Learning
1. Distractions
2. Smaller screen
3. Network issues
Improving Formal Learning Techniques
Enhancing formal learning involves employing evidence-based strategies and technologies to optimize instructional design, assessment practices, and learning environments. Techniques like flipped classrooms and blended learning models aim to create engaging, student-centered experiences that promote deep understanding and retention. Its significance lies in its potential to adapt to diverse student needs, bridge achievement gaps, and foster a culture of continuous improvement in education. Educators can create dynamic learning environments that inspire curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking by integrating innovative approaches and educational technologies. Improving formal learning methodologies not only enhances student engagement but also equips learners with the skills and competencies necessary for success in the 21st century. Integrating technology in education is not just a trend or a fad; it is necessary in today's rapidly evolving world. As educators, it is essential to embrace technology and leverage its potential to enhance the learning experience of our students. Integrating social media, mobile learning, and innovative approaches to formal learning into our classrooms can create more engaging, personalized, and effective educational experiences that prepare our students for success in the digital age.
Gupta (2023)provides some tips to optimize learning with new technology :
1. Make it easy to start
Learners will decide in the first 4-5 clicks whether the mobile learning platform is worth the effort. Therefore, keep the onboarding steps to the minimum to reduce friction and make it easy to resume learning once logged in.
2. Design for mobile
Think about how you and your learners use a mobile phone and then build on that to create an interactive and engaging learning experience.
3. Use smaller chunks of content
Extensive courses are not meant for mobile devices. It is better to break your training material into short, consumable modules for learners to study on the go anytime and anywhere.
4. Use video content
Try incorporating video content into mobile learning with the educational goal of teaching a skill or imparting knowledge to the learner.
5. Experiment with gamification
Adding gamification into learning, with features such as rewards, leaderboards, and opportunities to ‘level up’ help intrigue students and stir their desire to earn more points or badges while unconsciously encouraging them to complete the assigned learning. It makes the overall learning experience more enjoyable for the users, increases engagement, and improves productivity.
Retrieved from:https://whatfix.com/blog/mobile-learning/
Conclusion:
Overall, the information from this week's readings underlines the importance of embracing technology and evidence-based practices in education. Incorporating learning through social media, mobile learning, and strategies for improving learning represents a transformative shift in education. As Stephanie Norman (2016) stated, "The efforts you put into social media activity will yield great results. You will finally start seeing enthusiastic faces in the classroom since your students will realize how fun learning can be.” To better understand all this information, I will research how this new technology is used in education and what innovations are emerging. We should be up to date because new ways to teach students are coming up, and as educators, we need to be ready to adapt those techniques to our current teaching practices. Educators can improve their pedagogical practices and create dynamic, inclusive learning environments that empower students to thrive in an ever-changing world. As 21st-century educators, it is our time to reimagine what learning can be. Embracing these innovative approaches equips educators with the tools and insights needed to navigate modern education, fostering a culture of lifelong learning and continuous improvement.
Additional Resources
References
Arshavskiy, M. (2018, April 8). Social Media and elearning: How to improve formal learning with social media. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/improve-formal- learning-with-social-media-social-media-elearning
Gupta, D. (2023, February 6). What is mobile learning? benefits & mlearning tools (2024). The Whatfix Blog | Drive Digital Adoption. https://whatfix.com/blog/mobile-learning/
Norman, S. (2016, March 4). 5 ultimate tricks of using social media as learning tools. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/5-ultimate-tricks-using-social-media- learning-tools
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