Building Student Engagement Through Social Media

Abstract

Social media offers several opportunities in the classroom that include increased student engagement, building students’ professional and peer networks, and developing their social media skills. This article describes the use of two platforms, Twitter and Facebook, and the advantages or disadvantages of each in five undergraduate Political Science courses and three MPA graduate courses. The article first summarizes the pedagogical benefits of social media, drawing from an interdisciplinary literature. It then reflects on the challenges and successes of social media related to student engagement in and out of the classroom and student feedback on social media contributions to learning. Finally, it offers suggestions for future directions using social media.