Visit: misco.co.uk/education Tel: 0800 035 0799 Email: education@misco.co.uk W: edtechnology.co.uk | T: @Educ_Technology HIGHER EDUCATION | FOCUS | 33


As we see social media become further integrated into our daily lives, what effect are the platforms having on the education sector? Katie King, Managing Director of Zoodikers, explains


Social works I


n the UK alone, collectively we spend an estimated 62 million hours each day on Facebook and Twiter. That's an average of an hour for every adult and child. The education sector has clearly invested in social media. The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) social media team were named as the best in Europe for customer service at the European Call Centre and


Customer Service Awards in London this year, and described students' interaction on social media as 'second nature'. This couldn't be more true. In 2013, according to Ofcom, 68%


of eight-11-year-olds in the UK report using social media at least once a week. A further 68% of 12-15-year-olds have an active social media profile, and one in five of them will visit it more than 10 times a day. A pilot programme in Oregon, USA, illustrated the benefits


available to educators who engage with their students on social media. Elizabeth Delmatoff, a seventh grade teacher, made use of a social media programme for the classroom. This began as a small Facebook-like forum for posting assignments, but a year later, had grown into a major part of almost every subject throughout the school. Within this year, 20% of students began completing extra assignments, grades rose by 50% and absenteeism decreased by a third. This brings us a long way from research undertaken in 2010,


which indicated that half of 500 teachers polled believed that sites such as Facebook and Twiter were responsible for poor concentration and bad grades. However, platforms such as these are taking a firm foothold in the world of education. Facebook and Twiter are being used


to close the communication gap across the entire educational spectrum, from government, to teacher, to parent and student. The University of Cambridge's Facebook page has been


'liked' by over 549,000 people. The page encourages interaction by sharing the impressive work of its students and faculty, with pictures to increase engagement. It also uses social media to drive traffic to its website. Even primary schools' use of Twiter is increasing.


By sharing their activity and school updates via Twiter, they can encourage interaction with parents, generating trust and interest in the school's initiatives. This channel also provides the opportunity to respond to questions and share thoughts. Many educational facilities are also benefiting from being connected to other schools across the country to share and discuss teaching ideas. One Twiter account – UK based @TeachingIdeas – has


over 31,000 followers, and uses Twiter to share ideas and resources across the globe. Research into how employers study social media provides


evidence that it will not only be important to a child's education, but to their employment opportunities as well. One study found that around 91% of employers use social


media to screen applicants, with 69% of them rejecting applicants based on what they found. The truth is that social media is not a trend. It can and


will continue its path of innovative growth. The enormous potential that social media can offer the educational environment is not to be taken for granted – and any establishment that does so may find itself being left behind. ET


Katie King


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