Incorporation of Social Media – Engagement in Engineering Education

To use social media (e.g., on smart phones) as learning tools in higher education.

Integrate smartphones into the curriculum to leverage students’ existing habits toward supporting better learning outcomes.

Engagement, gamification, social media

Using smartphones and social media in the classroom can act as a form of habit stacking, helping students to work useful study and collaboration skills into existing technology-related habits
Delivering material/activities through social media can improve students’ outlook on and reception of the material due to the mental rewards associated with social media activity
Using social media can gamify students’ learning, which supports stronger engagement and learning outcomes

In developing a lesson plan, identify the key takeaways. Consider how these might be consolidated or concisely delivered through a social media platform or smartphone activity.
Consider using social media apps as a platform for collaborative activities. For example, students may share their learning with one another through a familiar app or develop a page that presents material.
Identify social media accounts that are easily accessible to students regardless of type of smartphone or cost.