The first day of classes is always exciting – new students coming into the program who want to learn more about strategic communications and PR. While as professors, it is a great time for us not only to see the excitement from the students with their new classes, but it also gives us the opportunity to make new academic year resolutions. What I am seeing in the workplace right now is definitely some tough times. Students are really having to work hard to get internships and positions in their field while others are debating whether to go on for graduate school. Lots of decisions have to be made for sure.
One of the areas that is becoming a big focus not only in research, but also for teaching is in social media. How do you incorporate this new technology into a range of classes? What exercises or activities would you want to make sure you do in your class to give students the experience of not only testing out this emerging communication platform, but also get practice formulating strategies on how to use it within their field.
David Meerman Scott recently wrote a blog post about this very issue for PR and Communication professors on Social Media Today with some good suggestions. I definitely agree with David’s point about caring for the students as well as making sure you provide them with the right resources they can use not only in class, but beyond the classroom.
In preparation for “Back to School,” here are some of my tips for fellow professors on how they can incorporate social media into their classroom:
- Provide students with not only the right resources, but ones that will evolve as the technology changes: I really like the suggestion David made in his post – but I think you have to always keep in mind that resources will always change when you are looking at social media. This is why I have created a separate page where I update this on a regular basis with all of the resources I use to become social.
- Combination of theory and applied exercises: Promote critical thinking among the students with questions and discussion points about new media trends and platforms people are talking about. Discuss potential research projects while connecting them with a theory – but also make sure to have a component where the students will have to transform this research project to be applied in the workplace.
- Think outside the discipline: Many times, PR professionals only look at what other professors in PR are doing with social media in the classroom. Why not look at what psychologists are doing with social media? Systems engineers? Computer science? You never know – you may get some great ideas on readings, exercises, and assignments for your students.
- Follow innovators in social media education: There are some professors who are really setting the stage for creative and innovative ways to incorporate social media into the classroom. Corrine Weisberger , Serena Carpenter, or Howard Rheingold(Stanford – Social Media Literacies and Visual Community & Social Media) are just a few you will definitely want to check out!
- Test out new assignments based on emerging trends and new technologies: I have some traditional assignments I give my students in social media, but I am always watching for emerging trends I can incorporate as assignments in class. Infographics, gamification, and AR mobile applications & strategies are just a few I have on the table for my social media class at the University of Louisville. Not only test out the new technology for assignments, but look at how to use these same platforms for online discussion opportunities, virtual office hours (Google+), storytelling with mobile applications (Ptch), and many more.
In summary, in order to make sure your students have the latest insights and tools with emerging media, you have to become a student of the technology as well. Test out the new platforms – don’t be afraid to experiment with them to see what works and doesn’t work. Read and follow what the innovators in the classroom are doing across disciplines – you may come up with new ideas you did not think of previously. Last thing to think about is to have fun – what is exciting is the fact we are living in an age where technology is constantly changing and evolving – so nothing stays the same!
Hope you all are having a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
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