ACES

From the introduction:
The Social Media for Learning (SM4L) framework has been constructed to demonstrate how social media can be used by students and academics to promote learning. The framework supports innovation through curriculum design and has also been used in staff development activities to clarify how social media provide academics with a powerful and dynamic context in which to foster active student engagement.
This chapter introduces the seven elements in the framework, each of which present a design principle associated with a theory for effective learner engagement. Each of these principles will be introduced and then illustrated with an example for how it informs effective and imaginative curriculum design incorporating the use of social media. The SM4L framework follows the Viewpoints approach to mediating collaborative design activities (O’Donnell, Galley & Ross, 2012).
In sum, the framework is a structured set of principles which can be used separately or in combination to inspire the design of effective social-media enhanced pedagogy.

The use of smart technologies and social media by staff and students in and out of the classroom has implications for academic practice. Unlike previous eras of learning with technology, change is being led by the students and academics themselves and this establishes a challenge to institutions.
This shift demands that we reassess our understanding of formal and informal engagement, the physical and virtual environments we use, the people we involve, and our psycho-social being.
The edited book features 28 contributors  - research, case studies and scenarios

This paper shares the strategy we have developed at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) to educate and guide staff and students in their use of social media. Students need to understand their responsibilities to themselves and the institution, to develop sustainable strategies for using social media to enhance their learning and to develop their employability skills as future graduates. They need to place value in the development of a professional online presence, appreciate the difference between their personal and professional uses of social media tools, and understand the impact that one can have on the other. Staff want to feel confident in the application of authentic social media learning activities. They need to see the value of social media competence in graduates within their disciplines, and easily access shared practice and guidance. To facilitate such learning activities they also need to understand and consider aspects such as online safety, professional impact and config...

There are many examples of social media being used in higher education to enhance learning and teaching. While some academics are confident in exploring multiple strands of social media and blend them instinctively for a multi-dimensional learning experience; others are more tentative, preferring to understand the nature of the tool or process thoroughly, often by learning from others before embarking on a social media based activity (Beckingham, Purvis and Rodger 2014). However there are a broad range of factors, experiences and perceptions that may influence an individual and their resulting use of, and expectations of, social media as a learning construct. The aim of the study was to examine current institutional practice in the use of social media in this context, to inform strategic direction and consider implications for future academic development in order to achieve a positive impact on the learning experience for students. Fifty individuals responded to an online survey. While the majority of these (n=35) were already using social media in some way in their teaching practice, and mostly had positive attitudes towards it, the remainder had not. Some were open to the idea, though naturally cautious, while others were clear that it had no place in their teaching practice. Social Media for Learning in Higher Education-Conference Proceedings 2015 2 This rich picture revealed a variety of barriers and enablers: where confidence was high and support available; uptake of social media as a tool for learning was more prevalent and more successful. There was a strong connection between support (formal and informal) and individual confidence, and a subsequent willingness to try new things to enhance learning. Recent research advocates the development of digital capabilities including the confident use of social media for communication and collaboration (Beetham 2015); and that where embedded, its use provides essential skills for future graduates. It is therefore timely to review the skill sets and development needs of staff in order to support the learning of students.