No More Talking: Students Take Part In Class Discussions Using Twitter

An article in the NYTimes examines the growing trend among educators for using Twitter and other microblogging platforms to try to improve students’ participation in classroom discussions. They keep a running commentary throughout the lesson by asking questions and commenting on the topic. These “backchannels” are being set up in elementary schools, colleges and universities to try to encourage more contributions from students who usually don’t speak up in class because they are too shy or embarrassed to voice their opinions.

These real-time digital streams are monitored by the teacher, who then addresses the points raised in the lesson. For some students, embracing social media has made it a lot easier to express themselves. Enthusiasts see this an example of a worthwhile future use for technology. However, skeptics see it as a horrible replacement for much-needed human interaction in education.

NYT: “Students Speak Up in Class, Silently, via Social Media”

[via Gizmodo]

Photo by Stacy Brown