The v alue and practice of social networks and social media in education

1. The value and practice of social networks and social media in education @ellenhel Ellen Helsper Media and Communications Department London School of Economics and Political Science NetworkED lecture, 6 March 2013 e.j.helsper@lse.ac.uk

2. The internet in everyday life The internet in education Adults & Social media in everyday life Young people Social media in education

3. The internet in every day life

4. Fully digital? I have I can • Access: • Mobility • Ubiquity • Privacy • Skills • Technical • Social • Critical • Creative • Engagement • Civic • Educational • Social • Economic • Cultural • Motivations • Societal • Personal I do I feel (Helsper, 2012)

5. Adults Who? Between 36 and 45, university educated, studying or employed, male, AB socio-economic status with children in the household. Where? Midlands or London, countryside home, at home, work or mobile. What? Traditional broadcast content (36% daily user) Web2.0 (35% daily user) UGC (5% daily user) Information seeking (21% daily user) Informal learning (21% daily user) Source: Oxford Internet Surveys (2011, World Internet Project-UK) – 19+ yrs old

6. Young people Who? First online > Between 7 and 10 Daily users: older teens, boys and girls, single child, single parent /both and older sibling, AB socio-economic status and varying levels of education parent. Where? Semi-detached or terraced housing, in village or large city using…. Shared PC (69%), Mobile Phone (54%) and Games Consoles (57%)… in School (91%), Living room (87%), Bedroom (52%), and at a friend’s home (57%). What? Schoolwork (92%) Watched videos (75%) Visited Social Networking Site (71%) Sent email (60%) Used instant messaging (60%) Source: EU Kids Online Survey 2011 UK data (www.eukidsonline.net) – 9 to 16 yr olds

7. The internet for all? Source: Office of National Statistics (UK) Source: Oxford Internet Surveys (World Internet Project-UK)

8. The internet in education

9. Teachers…. Source: EU Kids Online Survey 2011 UK data (www.eukidsonline.net)

10. School barriers to digital opportunities “1) endless technical problems – problems of access and adoption (e.g., hardware doesn’t work, wi-fi too slow, teachers don’t have time to learn how the technology works) 2) ‘Everyone’ – parents, teachers, and students – has no idea of the sophistication and creativity [possible through connected learning]…..” Sonia Livingstone interviewed about ‘The Class’, 2013

11. Parents - Schools - Students 26% of young people say that they often spend less than they should on schoolwork, family or friends because of the time they spent on the internet. Source: EU Kids Online Survey 2011 UK data (www.eukidsonline.net)

12. Equal Rights to Digital Education? “Teachers of the lowest income students are more than twice as likely as teachers of the highest income students (56% v. 21%) to say that students’ lack of access to digital technologies is a “major challenge” to incorporating more digital tools into their teaching” Purcell, 2013 – in the US

13. Parents’ education Parents’ education

14. EVERYDAY LIFE Social media

15. Adults Who? Under 25s, Single, Men, Employed with Higher SE Status… …with strong intimate and social support networks . Where? 27% access SNS on mobile phone. What? Basic content creation: frequent 50% checking email daily, 25% maintains SNS weekly Advanced CC: less common ± 15% monthly blogs, posting pics, discussion boards Passive use UGC: frequent e.g. 20% read blogs on weekly basis Social value 28% met someone through social network/6% in online community 16% use SNS to communicate with others (60% just email) 25% of drop outs used to use internet for social media related purposes Source: Oxford Internet Surveys (2011, World Internet Project-UK) – 19+ yrs old

16. Social media for adults Time saving, socialising tool for offline relationships with risks of personal data misuse and distraction from things that really matter. Relatively uncomfortable providing personal data (easiest with email address and name, least comfortable with phone number). Source: Oxford Internet Surveys (2011, World Internet Project-UK) – 19+ yrs old

17. Young people Who? Older teens, girls and boys equally skilled but girls’ use less broadly Households with only child/both parents and adult sibling, higher educated and socio-economic levels AB and DE ….but also those discriminated against What? Basic content creation: frequent 68% email & IM, 74% SNS Advanced participation: frequent 49% online games, 25% virtual world Advanced CC: less common 31% adds pictures, writes blogs Source: EU Kids Online Survey 2011 UK data (www.eukidsonline.net) – 9 to 16 yr olds

18. Social Media for young people Ubiquitous spacewhere …the offline meets the online for better or for worse. …the adult world sometimes interferes (but maybe shouldn’t). …use often outpaces skill and knowledge about dealing with difficult situations. Source: EU Kids Online Survey 2011 UK data (www.eukidsonline.net) – 9 to 16 yr olds

19. Social media in education

20. Perceptions US Teachers ... 69% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to share ideas with other teachers … 67% say the internet has a “major impact” on their ability to interact with parents and 57% say it has had such an impact on enabling their interaction with students (Purcell, 2013) UK School lockdown & Resistance to de-silo-ing (Sonia Livingstone interviewed about ‘The Class’, 2013)

21. Practice 44% of children with a social networking profile include the name of their school in their profile Source: EU Kids Online Survey 2011 UK data – 9 to 16 yr olds • Vickel Narayan

22. Questions… Considering inequalities in experience and skill in using the internet can education using social media be equal for all students? Considerable issues in relation to invasion of privacy and resistance to spheres mingling on both sides, how can/should social media be used as a teaching tool in this context?