Digital Literacy – Social learning

Oh hey there,

I'm just catching up

with some friends on our WhatsApp group…

and send!

Funnily enough,

that's what we're going to talk about today:

social learning.

That's using your phone

or a computer to stay in touch

with other students

as well as your tutors

and academic institution -

just like you do with family and friends.

After all, with one of these,

you can be part

of a learning community even as a distance learner!

Oh, another message arrives!

Ha ha ha!

That is hilarious!

So we're talking about social learning,

but what do we mean by that?

Well, it just means

using digital networks to keep in contact

with other students and academic staff

to help your studies go well.

You can do that in a couple of ways:

one - using the forums & message boards

provided by your academic institution.

Or two - using social platforms

that lots of people use

in your country and around the world.

You can usually make private groups here,

so you and your fellow students

can leave each other messages.

Sometimes it will be a requirement

of your course to participate

on a particular platform

- you have to do it.

But lots of students want to communicate

freely with each other

so they set up a private group

- that's up to you.

You can do it if you want to.

So that's what social learning is,

but why should I do it?

Well, one - It's a useful a place where tutors

can follow up on lectures and webinars

by answering questions asked by students,

and entering into discussions.

Good for your studies!

And two - being a student isn't just about studying.

It's about making friends

and working together too.

You can support each other…

or just have a gossip.

The fact that you can leave

messages for each other means

you can communicate

without having to be online

all at the same time.

Very useful for busy people like you!

Ok, I get the why,

but what about the how?

Good question! And easily answered.

For any social network

you need to create a profile.

I've done it many times myself,

on the old dating sites!!

But seriously, for university forums

you will need to log in to the system

with your username and password

before accessing the forums.

'Log in' means 'to connect securely

to your own account in a digital service'.

Once you are in, you can browse, search

or start new threads.

You may be able to switch on alerts

so that you receive an email

when someone else responds

to a discussion you are interested in.

Also, don't share personal information

like your telephone number

or sensitive information

like your best mate's exam results

Remember, forums always have rules

about what is acceptable language and tone,

so let's be nice in there,

even if you don't always agree with others.

If you are setting up

your own network then

you will need to create it

and then invite others to join.

Or if a fellow student has

set up a network,

then just accept their invitation.

And then you can start sharing knowledge,

exchanging ideas

or just getting to know each other better.

Have fun in there!

Oh!

Ha ha! Wow!

That is amazing!

Check that out! Classic!