We are the off springs of a world which is enhanced by technology .We live in the world of 4G and 5G, and internet is considered to be omnipotent ,omnipresent and omniscient . Faiths, beliefs, religious practices etc have given way for whatsapp statuses, instagram and fb posts. Thus it has become an inevitable part of our life which cannot be separated ,even a thought of it will bring your nightmares.
This is the present scenario and thus all the fields are now under the rule of technology whether it be science, education ,communication or anything .It is impossible for us to stick on to the traditional clichés since we will be the victims of cultural lag.
In this article I would like to be precise about one of the magnum opus in the field of technology i.e, the social media.
Social media are forms of media that allow people to communicate and share information using the internet or mobile phones. It has a collection of pages and groups that promote and share information.Some of the widely used social media are : Facebook,Whatsapp,Telegram,Twitter,Pinterest, LinkedIn ,Wechat, Snapchat,Tumbler,Instagrametc . It creates a completely new and unknown to many of us world of knowledge that can be used by every learner and teacher for the utmost effectiveness and productivity as well as encouragement and motivation.We are aware of the fact that mass media which is an anthology of print media, electronic media and online media plays a crucial role in the field of education. Social media being a new born baby in the category of online media has high potentiality in the field of education. I would like to see the use of social media platforms in learning process as a boon. Since we are warf and weft of 4G and 5G world where technology rules I think it is inevitable to extend its use in educational purposes too.
“Social media presents a huge opportunity for schools,universities and other educational organisations to reach out and connect with students and prospective students”
- Jon Russell
Couple of years ago we thought that social media was useless .And it has changed greatly because people started realizing that it is amending the way we network, transmuting the way we connect, modifying what we learn and share information. Social media no longer has to be an obstacle to studying when used in the learning setting.
Social media has the potential to nurture a student-centered learning setting ,since it inspire students to become independent learners and ultimately to be in charge of their own education.
It facilitates communication – Social media can have a huge impact in helping students create relationships with other like minded students.This also leads to the concept called Collaborative learning.It extends the learning environment beyond the classroom due to the fact that it encourage students to create course specific, virtual study groups over social media.
Social media is a great platform for distributing news and events that will be of use to the students to stay informed and updated.It is convenient and accessible,which means you can learn from your sitting room drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying some biscuits.
It is a great repository of information and opportunity -Social media websites contain an abundance of different information with millions of links to other resources. That means that apart from games and music students can find answers to questions there. These sites can be useful in preparing for the lessons as you can find some interesting data there or get help from others if there are any difficulties. Some sites offer groups by interest while others contain the latest data and survey results on a variety of topics.
Another great feature of social networks is an opportunity to learn about education. Many students desire to study abroad and look for opportunities to fulfill their dreams.This can be made a reality with the help of social media.
Distance learning opportunities – Modern educators look for new approaches of attracting students to distance learning and integration of social media is one of them. According to MOOCs early data learning programs with integrated social media platforms are better visited and less often dropped out than other ones. There is even a recommendation for colleges and universities to make use of this positive phenomenon as soon it will be impossible to ignore that significant influence.
In short social media have drastically increased the scope and reach of the concept of ‘Academia On The Go’.As you all know, it is a recent concept which gained fame after the invention of internet. Everything related to academics,whether it be teaching , learning, evaluation, submissions or any other thing,everything is done paperless,i.e with the help of internet. And I think social media was able to make this happen to an extra reach.
According to me,social media is a revolution and has blazed a trail..It is a powerful tool if used properly. There is no disadvantage for social media and its only the misuse which is a blackmark on it.The very notorious so called disadvantage of social media is the over addiction. Thus it is important that we should be aware of both the positives and negatives in using social media in education.Only then we will be able to limit ourselves from being ruled by Social Media and being a puppet in its hands.Therefore accept the good and reject the bad and never get addicted to it at any cost.
“We don’t have a choice on whether we do social media ,the question is how well we do it”
Erik Qualman
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