The Utilization of Social Media in the Classroom

Transcription

1 The Utilization of Social Media in the Classroom April 2017 Joseph E. Ramstad Research Mentor: Dr. Rebecca Swenson University of Minnesota - Twin Cities College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences

2 Page 1 Abstract In today s world, so much emphasis is placed on student participation in the high school classroom. This is essentially because a student s degree of participation is often times directly correlated with performance on major assessments such as the ACT and SAT. Therefore, many of today s high school educators are working tirelessly to find effective and inexpensive ways to increase student participation and involvement within their classrooms. In light of this, a study was executed to see how technology and social media platforms impact student participation and involvement within today s agricultural education classroom. Two identical, hour-long workshop sessions about agricultural communication were presented at the Minnesota FFA State Convention in an active learning classroom, and each session attracted around 30 seventh through twelfth grade students. To obtain our results, we checked for student understanding using various educational technologies and polling softwares and assessed the knowledge and skills students gained via a pre- and post-survey. Our results provide valuable insight for high school educators so that they can better assist in facilitating student learning opportunities in their classroom and maximize student learning potential. Introduction Education is a tradition that cultures worldwide have lived out for over a millennium. Yet, educational practices and approaches are not static. As technology advances and society becomes more and more proficient in technology usage, the education system must find ways to incorporate technology when possible. In fact, a recent study indicates that of the 6 billion people living on the planet today, only 4.2 billion own a toothbrush while a staggering 4.8 billion own a mobile device. This illustrates the sheer popularity and cultural value of media in today s society (Turner, 2011). At the same time, educators battle several obstacles each day. One major challenge facing education systems worldwide is the fact that it is becoming increasingly challenging to engage students inside and outside of the classroom. Many studies indicate that students prefer to work in groups and engage in hands-on activities, including a recent study entitled Students Perceptions of an Agricultural Communication Lesson and an Experiential Learning Activity in Secondary Agricultural Education Classrooms. In short, one key finding of their study revealed that of the 603 participants, 75.9% of participants agreed that they enjoyed hands-on activities and 64.1% of participants indicated that they enjoyed working in groups (Calico, Edgar and Edgar, 2014, p. 199). How can educators effectively educate

3 Page 2 students while giving them the opportunity to continue to develop their ability to effectively use media? In order to integrate technology in the classroom, educational researchers and educators have been investigating the use of social media in the classroom. Social media can provide students with a medium to effectively communicate and exchange ideas in a fun, engaging learning environment with minimal monetary costs. In her article entitled Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom, Karen Lederer writes instructors can foster collaboration and discussion, create meaningful dialogue, exchange ideas, and boost student interaction with social media (Lederer, 2012, p. 1). My research explores how social media might increase student engagement in the classroom, while increasing awareness about agricultural communications principles and careers among participants. As I work to identify and implement different activities and methodologies that can be used to educate students about agricultural communication, my objectives and goals for my research included: To assess students understanding of agricultural communication and career opportunities in the field. To understand the role of social media in the classroom. The central questions that guided my research included: What are student perceptions about social media and agricultural communication careers? Does engaging in classroom activities involving social media contribute to a positive classroom environment (based on a positive atmosphere where students work together, feel comfortable and improve teamwork skills)? My hypotheses that correspond to each question include: If students actively engage in the workshop, then student perceptions about social media and agricultural communication careers will be enhanced as a result of the workshop. If students are involved in an active learning classroom, then engaging in classroom activities will contribute to a positive classroom environment. Materials and Methods In order to examine the objectives and answer the research questions above, I conducted survey research that was integrated into a classroom lesson. As such, my research plan and instrument was developed and approved by the IRB committee (approval was obtained from the IRB on April 18, 2016). Because this research was focused on awareness of and engagement with agricultural communication principles and career options before students are exposed to college-level content, the sample used for research was comprised

4 Page 3 of junior high school and high school students. Working with my faculty advisor, we decided to focus on high school FFA members across the state of Minnesota, and research will be conducted during two 50-minute workshops at the Minnesota State FFA Convention. I created the curriculum for the workshop that is focused around the importance of agricultural communication and some basic principles of agricultural communication relevant and appropriate for high school agriculture students. Content was highly relatable to students and applicable to their daily lives. Participants completed a brief pre-survey and post-survey to gauge what they know about agricultural communication prior to the workshop and what they learned after the workshop is complete. The results of these surveys are outlined later in this report. My research mentor, Dr. Swenson, and I facilitated the workshop and delivered the same curriculum to two different groups of FFA students during the sessions. When students entered the room, they were given the pre-survey and research consent form immediately. Then, once all pre-surveys were completed, we then facilitated the workshop. A variety of hands-on activities were integrated into the workshop to allow students to both learn and share their opinions about the content. At the conclusion of the workshop, students were given the post-survey. As mentioned previously, we facilitated the same workshop twice and employ the same presentation methods and activities in both. This has allowed us to gather more data and make more accurate conclusions about the research. On both surveys, we included four scalar common questions (1 to 5 scale where 1 indicates they strongly disagree and 5 indicates they strongly agree) to address the first objective by gauging student growth in the workshop. Question 1: I understand how communication and agriculture relate to one another. Question 2: I am likely to utilize agricultural communication skills in the future. Question 3: I am interested in a career in agricultural communication. Question 4: I can influence in the agriculture industry through communication. Results The raw data has been included in Appendix A. Please consult the appendix to see the specific data I have collected as a result of the study that was conducted. However, some general graphs and other visual media are included in this section to help convey the data. An analysis of the data and results can be found in the conclusion and discussion section later in this document. Figure 1: This table shows the 95% confidence interval (CI) values based on the survey results for the pre- and post-surveys based on the common questions listed in the methods section and directly below this description. Again, participants used a scale to rate their attitudes. A value near 1 indicates that the participant strongly disagreed with the

5 Page 4 corresponding statement whereas a value near 5 indicates that the participant strongly agreed with the corresponding statement. Question 1: I understand how communication and agriculture relate to one another. Question 2: I am likely to utilize agricultural communication skills in the future. Question 3: I am interested in a career in agricultural communication. Question 4: I can influence in the agriculture industry through communication. Figure 2: This graph indicates the raw average rating on based on the common questions listed in the methods section and directly below this description. Again, participants used a scale to rate their attitudes. A value near 1 indicates that the participant strongly disagreed with the corresponding statement whereas a value near 5 indicates that the participant strongly agreed with the corresponding statement. Question 1: I understand how communication and agriculture relate to one another. Question 2: I am likely to utilize agricultural communication skills in the future. Question 3: I am interested in a career in agricultural communication. Question 4: I can influence in the agriculture industry through communication.

6 Page 5 Figure 3: In the post-survey, five scalar questions (1-5 scale) were asked to address the first objective of determining social media s role in the classroom to address the second objective. Here are the five questions and the data: Question 1: The workshop environment and atmosphere was excellent. Question 2: I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts in this workshop. Question 3: I worked effectively with others through in this workshop. Question 4: I improved my own teamwork skills through this workshop. Conclusion and Discussion According to the data gathered, student perceptions, as they relate to social media and agricultural communication, were enhanced during the workshop and a positive classroom environment was achieved due to the use of media tools in the classroom. As I reflect on my research and the design of my study, I would note that one limitation of this study is simply the fact that it is so challenging to evaluate a classroom environment and student perceptions and thoughts cannot all be measured using a scale or a couple of short answer questions. If I were to have the opportunity to repeat this study at a later date, I would work hard to further increase my sample size. This would allow me to further increase my confidence in the results. Additionally, I would try to ask additional common questions to draw more conclusions from the data collected. We are in desperate need now, more than ever before, to have a revolution in how material is taught in the classroom environment. I believe that the results I have gathered have provided the foundation for me to start my own revolution in the way I organize my classroom as I prepare to teach high school students about agriculture, food and natural resources. In the future, I hope to implement the results I found in my classroom by utilizing media in my classroom activities. Then, students will not only learn, but more importantly, they will feel valued and comfortable in the classroom.

7 Page 6 References Calico, C., Edgar, L. D., & Edgar, D. W. (2014). Students Perceptions of an Agricultural Communication Lesson and an Experiential Learning Activity in Secondary Agricultural Education Classrooms. NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture), 58(3), Retrieved June 3, 2016, from 30-students-perceptions-of-an-agricultural-communication-lesson-and-an-experienti al-learning-activity-in-secondary-agricultural-education-classrooms. Joosten, T. (2012). Social media for educators: Strategies and best practices. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Lederer, K. (2012, January 19). Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Classroom -- Campus Technology. Retrieved June 03, 2016, from n-the-classroom.aspx. O'Connell, C. (2015, January 26) Want to Teach Students about Social Media? Here Is One Way to Make It Stick. Retrieved June 03, 2016, from Turner, J. (2011, October 18) Are There Really More Mobile Phone Users Than Toothbrush Users? Retrieved June 03, 2016, from shes. Acknowledgements As I reflect on my experience in the Research Apprenticeship Program, I would like to extend my gratitude and appreciation to the following individuals and groups: Dr. Rebecca Swenson for serving as my research mentor and helping me write and facilitate the workshop. Mr. Bill Ganzlin for coordinating the Research Apprenticeship Program and providing helpful advice and feedback. Minnesota FFA Association for allowing Dr. Swenson and I to facilitate our workshop at the 2016 Minnesota State FFA Convention. My family for their continuous support and encouragement both in life and in my academics.