Title: How to change the world: the relationship between social media and social change in the classroom

Authors: Sarah Jernigan

Addresses: College of Business, University of Cincinnati, Carl H. Lindner Hall, Suite 1375, Cincinnati, OH 45221-0020, USA

Abstract: Social media is used in many settings, including the college classroom. This study examined social media use to promote social change in an undergraduate leadership course. A qualitative iterative method and quantitative Likert scale were used to code student tweets and survey responses at both the beginning and end of the semester. Findings suggested that the effective use of social media in the classroom can change how students view the world. Recommendations include: educators should be wary of slacktivism; pedagogies should include repetition and discussion, and teachers should provide flexibility for their students on social media platform choice.

Keywords: social media; Twitter; social change; slacktivism; undergraduate learning; mixed methods; college classrooms; tweets.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2020.109215

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, 2020 Vol.6 No.3, pp.169 - 180

Received: 18 Dec 2018
Accepted: 02 Jul 2019
Published online: 02 Sep 2020 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article