Can You Be a Pedagogical Influencer? Using Social Media to Increase Learning

Close-up of Instagram app icon on a smartphone screen
Credit: iStock.com/stockcam

Look around you. Unless you are sequestered alone, there is a good chance a human around you is looking at their phone. If you are in a crowd, many people are probably scrolling through TikTok videos or Instagram reels, both short and often accompanied by catchy music. Social media is ubiquitous and designed to draw you in and keep you in. When I asked one of my students whether she had finished an assignment I knew she was working on, her response nicely captured a big issue we face: “I was working on it but took a break and got caught up watching reels. Soon it was two hours later, and I was too sleepy to continue.” Our students spend a lot of time on social media. Can we capitalize on this behavior and use it to help their learning?


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