Title: | Becoming a more connected learner: What social media offers you |
Course Code | Scientific Study Skills (IMDSCI003-14S) |
Level | Foundation Degree |
Study Hours | 1 hour online, 1 hour workshop, 1 hour formative assessment |
Prerequisites | n/a |
Course Team | Andy Ramsden (a.ramsden@ucs.ac.uk) |
Delivery Method | Blended Model |
The rationale is to support the growing interest from students around the effective use of social media to improve their learning. This is part of a wider study skills programme which is delivered in curriculum, but not developed in conjunction with the course team.
The session is not directly related to their summative assessment or their specific discipline, therefore, be aware of motivational issues around completing the pre and post session tasks.
The learners will not necessarily be aware of this learning model, and the session will need to be introduced via email / announcements.
The aim are to encourage reflection around how they use Social Media within their learning, explore how others have used social media as a technology for learning, and implement strategies to reduce the risks associated with the use of social media.
By the end of this session, you should be able to;
LO1: Explain two uses of social media as a learning technology
LO2: Implement an appropriate strategy to manage the risk of using social media
LO3: Apply the correct use of Harvard Referencing
LO4: Express your views clearly and succinctly within set word limits
The teaching model adopts a flipped (blended) model, where instead of a two hour workshop with a formative assessment, the activities are divided into a number of pre session, face to face and post session activities. The post session activity is a formative assessment (short essay) to be submitted within a week. The face to face workshop will be reduced from 2 hours, to 1 hour, and the pre-session activities should take 1 hour.
The underpinning educational approach is a social constructivist framework. The face to face learning model will be a group activities centered around applying the knowledge they have already got and the knowledge from the pre-session activities.
The underlying learning design assumes:
There are a number of formative tasks the student will complete either individually, or within groups. These are linked as three broad sets of activities;
Pre-session (opening) | Online quiz, where the results are released to the cohort before we meet. This will allow them to learn from each other (although contribution is anonymous) |
Face-2-Face session | The two main activities, both group based; peer assessment of previous cohorts work, and creation of a poster which addresses the formal formative learning task |
Post-session (closure) | Formal Formative Assessment (short essay) |
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The formal formative task requires the student to submit a 400 word piece of work. This will be completed within a week of the lecture and returned a week later.
The formal formative task will be submitted as an individual piece.
See Appendix 1 for the marking criteria.
The broad learning activities are:
Task 1 | Pre-session: How do you use social media in your learning? |
Learning Outcomes | IL01 |
Duration | 30 minutes |
Purpose (why do it) | There are two reasons, firstly to engage the students with the provided materials which will be drawn upon in the face to face session, and encourage them to reflect on their use of social media. Secondly, to collect data from the cohort to use in the next activity. |
Description (what they / we do) | On LearnUCS, there will be a set of activities. For Task 1, these include, an embedded video, and article to read. They will be advised to watch the video, and read a specific area part of the journal article. If they aren’t already using Social Media they will be encouraged complete the activities within the Getting Started Guides. The last requirement is to complete a short quiz, which includes one question: Could you outline what social media tool you use, and how it has enhanced your learning? Quiz and log data will be used for monitoring. |
Required resources | YouTube Video: Getting Started with Twitter: Article: |
Closure Activity | On completion of the quiz, the lecturer will upload a summary document (remind them to read it), and release the materials for Task 2. If the task is not completed, the student will be emailed. |
Assessment |
Task 2 | Engage with the pre-session reading: Student responses and Social Media Guidelines |
Learning Outcomes | ILO1 & ILO2 |
Duration | 30 mins |
Purpose (why do it) | The purpose is to give them information and knowledge which they can draw upon when attending the face to face session. This includes, learning from each other, through reading how peers are using Social Media. Ensuring they have accessed the Social Media at UCS page, and read the Social Media Toolkit: A Student Guide |
Description (what they / we do) | Access LearnUCS, and complete two self directed activities. Read and reflect upon the document which summarises the student uses of social media. Access MyUCS and read the Social Media Toolkit: A Student Guide, and be confident they can answer the following question:
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Required resources | Link to Social Media Toolkit (my.ucs.ac.uk/socialmediaatucs) |
Closure Activity | This will be closed at the start of the face to face session. |
Assessment |
Task 3 | Understanding the formative task: The Marking Criteria |
Learning Outcomes | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Duration | 20 mins |
Purpose (why do it) | To introduce and manage expectations around the formal formative task |
Description (what they / we do) | The students will form small groups (3 or 4 people). The session leader will introduce the formal formative task, including the date of submission and their understanding of the task. This will be managed through discussing the Marking Criteria. Each group will then be given a set of handouts; previous student work, the marking criteria and a clicker. They will mark the work based on their interpretation of the marking criteria, and submit their marks using the clickers. All participants will be able to see marks spread. The session leader will unpack the grade given and why. |
Required resources | Printed resource pack for each group, containing:
Clicker slides and clickers |
Closure Activity | The activity will be closed in the face to face session |
Assessment |
Task 4 | Understanding the formative task: The Poster activity |
Learning Outcomes | LO1, LO2, LO3 |
Duration | 30 mins |
Purpose (why do it) | To focus on answering the formative assessment based around a group poster activity. This will draw from ideas in the session and the pre-session activities. The hope is they will use the group poster activities to identify uses and strategies, through a collaborative learning task. |
Description (what they / we do) | The students will continue to work in small groups (3 or 4 people) to create an A3 Poster which answers the two questions set in the formal formative assessment. After creating the poster, there will be a set of exchange activities, where a member of each group goes to a different group and are presented the poster. They return to their own group to de-brief other members of the group on what they have learnt. Given this is the working up of their formal formative assignment, the lecturer will encourage them to record (photo) their posters. |
Required resources |
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Closure Activity | The activity will be closed in the face to face session |
Assessment |
Task 5 | Formal Formative Assessment |
Learning Outcomes | LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4 |
Duration | n/a |
Purpose (why do it) | The student submits their formal formative assessment on LearnUCS |
Description (what they / we do) | The students will submit the work and receive feedback through the My Grades Area. |
Required resources |
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Closure Activity | The lecturer makes an announcement the online feedback is available. They also email the Course Leader about completion rates. |
Assessment | Formal Formative Assessment |
Date | Actions |
16th October | Upload all the required materials, tasks and quiz to LearnUCS |
17th | Email Students - give the schedule, why doing it this way, how I will communicate (via LearnUCS announcements) and how to get email alerts of module announcements |
19th | LearnUCS Announcement - quiz about to close |
20th | Close quiz and email those who did not complete |
24th | Upload pictures of Posters |
29th | LearnUCS announcement - about to close submission portal |
31st | Close submission portal |
7th Nov | LearnUCS announcement feedback is available through the MyGrades area within the Modules |
Part A) Drawing from evidence, explain how you and others have used social media to enhance learning (250 words)
Criteria 1A: Does the submission meet the word count? | Criteria 2A: Have they clearly explained how social media can be used to enhance learning? | Criteria 3A: Does it have the appropriate use of Harvard Referencing? |
1 mark | 8 marks | 2 marks |
Between 240 and 260 | Are there two examples, including one based on the authors experience, and one from the literature? (award 2 marks) Have they clearly explained how social media has been used to enhance learning. (award 4 marks). If they describe only award 2 marks. Based on their explanation, has it persuaded you to try what they are doing? If yes award up to 2 marks If the word count is over 280, only award a maximum of 4 marks for this section. | Have they accurately used Harvard Referencing? (2 marks) There should be at least one in text references, and a bibliography. |
Part B): Based on supporting evidence, outline two steps you can take to reduce the risks of you using social media as described in Part A (150 words)
Criteria 1B: Does the submission meet the word count? | Criteria 2B: Have they clearly identified the risks of using social media as a learning technology, and articulated an effective strategy to reduce the risks. | Criteria 3B: Does it have the appropriate use of Harvard Referencing? |
1 mark | 6 marks | 4 marks |
Between 140 and 160 | Have they applied two points from the lecture and/or the literature to explain the potential negative aspects (risks) of using social media in their learning (2 marks) Have they described an appropriate strategy they might use to reduce the risks of using social media outlined in part a) (4 marks). This needs to be appropriate to them and their use, not changes by the software vendor. If the word count is over 180, only award a maximum of 3 marks for this section. | Have they accurately used Harvard Referencing? (4 marks) There should be at least two in text references, and a bibliography. |