eABLE: embedding social media in academic curriculum as a learning and assessment strategy to enhance students learning and e-professionalism

Abstract

This paper outlines the redesign of an MSc module to enhance students’ engagement and learning through embedding social media technologies into the academic curriculum as a learning and assessment strategy, and in a complementary manner that facilitated and enhanced the achievement of the module’s learning outcomes. This paper describes the process and some of the components of the module redesign. Although the eventual redesign allowed for incorporation of social media both as a learning strategy and for assessment purposes, this paper is focused on use/application of social media in academic curriculum as a learning strategy. Grounding the new module in constructivist pedagogy, and an enquiry-based action learning model, the redesign leveraged the use of social media to expand the interrelational dimensions of students’ learning. This increased the students’ engagement and the depth and breadth of their learning, while enhancing their appreciation for e-professionalism and personal learning networks.

Keywords:

• blended learning
• enquiry-based learning
• collective reflection and learning
• constructivism
• curriculum design
• social media and higher education