Pedagogical alignment of technology to learning

The majority of students in higher education use social media as a form of communication, but they do not seem to be making the most of these technologies to support their learning and develop academic networks. I have been working with students and staff to explore how and where we can best use social media to support learning and teaching. We have conducted technology reviews, developed case studies of use in different contexts, and gathered and analysed student views through surveys, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. We are using the outputs of this research to share best practice and increase confidence in the use of freeware technology to support and enhance learning and teaching. This research has been funded by the Physiological Society and an Education Innovation Fund seed-corn project from Cardiff University.

Many students in higher education use social media for communicating with friends, but they do not seem to use these technologies effectively for academic purposes. I have been working with students and staff to explore how and where we can best use social media to support learning and teaching. We have conducted technology reviews, developed case studies, and run focus groups and interviews to explore the use of social media for educational purposes. We are using our findings to help support students and staff to increase the use of social media in their teaching and learning (where this is desired and appropriate) to support learning and personal development. This research has been funded by the Physiological Society and an Education Innovation Fund seed-corn project from Cardiff University.