As I listened to episodes of “25 Years of Ed Tech” by Weller (2020), as well as the accompanying “Between the Chapters” episodes, that cover the years from 2002-2011, I found the most relevant lesson to be that from 2005 covering video and the discussions around YouTube. The statistics that Weller (2020) points out make it clear that YouTube is still a relevant and continuously growing platform more than two decades after its introduction. I recently read “Learning with YouTube: Beyond formal and informal through new actors, strategies and affordances” by Pires et al. (2022) and this paper clearly identified the benefits of formal and informal learning using YouTube, especially for younger generations, and suggests the importance of educators using the platform as a learning tool that can better engage learners and supplement formal education strategies.
The lesson that I found most conflicts with practices at my workplace was in chapter 16, discussing Twitter and social media. The conflicts that I found were not with the content outlined. I agree with Weller (2020) when he suggests that there are benefits and risks to be considered when implementing social media into learning. The conflict I see is that many workplaces, mine in particular, focus solely on the risks and outright discourage or even prohibit the use of social media for employee discussions, even around education. I work in health care which, especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the hot-button topics that can incite the internet trolls that Weller (2020) addresses as one of the largest risks. However, I think there is such an obvious benefit to leveraging social media as a means to increase participatory learning, that companies should take a closer look at introducing plans that limit potential risks as a way to reap in the benefits, rather than banning social media outright without thoughtful consideration.
Pasquini, L. (Host). (2021, January 21). Between the chapters: Sharing about OER & our open practices (No. 11) [Audio podcast episode]. In 25 Years of Ed Tech. Transistor. https://25years.opened.ca/2021/01/27/between-the-chapters-oer/
Pires, F., Masanet, M.J., Tomasena, J.M., Scolari. C.A., (2022). Learning with YouTube: Beyond formal and informal through new actors, strategies and affordances. Convergence, 28(3), 838-853. https://doi.org/10.1177/13548565211020545
Weller, M. (2020). 25 years of ed tech. Athabasca University Press. https://doi.org/10.15215/aupress/9781771993050.01
09/12/2022 at 7:35 pm
Thanks for sharing Rebecca. I find your comment regarding the restrictions of Twitter and social media at the workplace relevant. My organization also focuses on the risks rather than the potential benefits that social media might bring to our roles. Employees in marketing or communications would usually be the only groups that have access to social media at work. I would like to see change in this where the company can curate the use of social media to meet business needs rather than assuming that the primary goal is of the personal nature. Any thoughts on what could help companies with a paradigm shift on the perception of social media use at the workplace?
Megan
09/14/2022 at 4:45 am
Hi Megan,
My workplace is the same in terms of locking down access to social media and we are actually discouraged on personal accounts from having any mention of our workplace, both on our profiles and in any comments/posts we make. One idea that I have recently had that I was going to propose as a springboard would be to see if we can start a private Facebook group for learning purposes. I have some more research to do in order to build the case to put forward, but I do have a feeling that having a closed, private group may be more palatable as a starting point than open forums. I would love to hear any ideas you have as well.