I have gotten several emails and notes on social media about what tools and resources professors could use in the classroom for either for the summer term, or even prepping for the upcoming fall semester.
The thing I really have liked about researching and teaching in social media is the fact that there it does change and evolve over time, but there are plenty of resources out there for professors to use to not only educate themselves, but share with their students. We want to make sure our students have a strong toolkit of skills and practice before they enter the workplace.
Luckily, we have a lot of great resources available for students today to get them prepared for various duties and responsibilities as they enter social media positions. The challenge here of course is determining which ones to assign during the semester and which ones to recommend for students to do that is extra? There are only so many days and weeks in the semester.
Here are some of my favorite resources for professors to share with their students (and colleagues) in social media:
Canva
We are seeing more and more visual emphasis for social media professionals – and there are some of us who are not graphic designers or masters in Adobe InDesign. I am able to do enough to get myself into trouble. 🙂 However, with Canva, you are able to create some great visuals to illustrate your points and links on social media as well as in your own blogs. Plus, it is a great way to create a consistent brand for yourself on social media. There are lots of resources and tutorials on how to use Canva you all may want to check out plus these teaching materials.
Hootsuite University
I have been a big supporter of Hootsuite University over the years, but it is truly a great resource for professors to use in the classroom. It is a great program to integrate into your lectures as well as reading/activity assignments for your students to participate in. Plus, the team at Hootsuite is truly amazing and really supporter of those of us in higher education. This is a free program for professors to use for their classroom and the students get certified at the end of completing the final program exam. Plus, they are able to list themselves as Hootsuite University certified on their resume, which is a good thing.
Google Analytics
We have seen Google of course provide their own analytics certification program, which has been around for several years. This is one of the more traditional online programs we have seen being integrated as part of various classes from marketing, advertising, and PR classes. It is one that is good to assign and recommend for students to have a basic understanding and overview of the integration of analytics across the web. Again, this is a free program to get certified in for students, which is another great element to consider here for your class.
Lynda
There is a wealth of great videos here for not only social media topics, but traditional fields like PR like this video series with Deirdre Breakenridge. They do have the higher education option here as well in case you would like to learn more about some options to incorporate these videos into your classroom (and get a certification for completing these video sessions for your class).
PitchEngine
If you are teaching a PR course, you want to not only provide students with social media resources, but tools that can be integrated online as well as in other mediums as well. One program that allows students to create press releases to be published is PitchEngine. Matt Kushin (one of the most innovative professors teaching PR and social media I know) has incorporated PitchEngine into his classes and has gotten some great results from it. Definitely read Matt’s blog post about this assignment and consider this program as well for your class.
Facebook Blueprint
One of the other trends we are seeing our students faced with in the workplace is understanding the paid side of social media when it comes to not only analytics, but also advertising. Facebook recently launched their Facebook Blueprint program in which you can get certified in their advertising and analytics program. While this just focuses on Facebook’s platform, it is still an essential skill for young professionals to have as they enter the workplace.
While there are many other programs and certifications out there in social media, these are some I recommend to my students in my classes to take and look at. It’s about looking at the wide range of skills professionals need today. It’s not only about writing great content and showcasing your personality online. It’s also about reporting and understanding the monetization of social media for your business and practice. Plus, it’s about connecting the dots between science and art – using our data to inform our strategies and messages to engage our audiences.
As professors, we need to make sure we provide our students with the tools necessary for them to continue to grow as professionals and become a lifelong learner in this area.
Are there any other programs you would recommend for students to take? I’d be interested in hearing your recommendations.
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
