Wikipedia

Draft:A Taxonomy of Social Media for Digital Pedagogy

Taxonomy of Social Media for Digital Pedagogy

edit

A taxonomy is designed to categorise learning objectives, educational standards and goals.[1] Historically, previous taxonomies such as Bloom's Taxonomy[2], the Revised Taxonomy[3] and the Digital Taxonomy[4] have been developed to improve educational outcomes by delineating different levels and objectives of learning. Bloom's original and revised taxonomies, reflecting the Web 1.0 paradigm, functioned primarily as repositories of information[5] the Digital Taxonomy aimed to incorporate digital tools into education but struggled with the disconnect between the functions of these tools and their practical applications.[6] In contrast, social media (Web 2.0) has rapidly emerged as a transformative force in online technology, significantly enhancing educational interactions by providing sustainable platforms for knowledge dissemination.[7][8][9] Educators are increasingly using social media to access resources that support their teaching practices.[10][11] However, the previous taxonomies are increasingly inadequate for today's learner needs, such as social media-based learning.[12] To bridge the gap between theoretical research and practical application, the researcher developed a taxonomy of social media for learning (TSML).[12] Based on social constructivist theory,[13] the TSML emphasises learning as an active, contextual and social process and aims to improve lecturers' understanding and facilitate the integration of social media into pedagogical practice.[12]

History

edit

The publication of the TSML of learning objectives followed a series of conferences, workshops and seminars from 2022 to 2024, designed to improve learning outcomes for both lecturers and university students on the design of using social media platforms as a teaching tool.

This ground-breaking research was recently published in the world's highest-impact journal in Education, Computers & Education:

Demir, M. (2024). A taxonomy of social media for learning. Computers & Education, 218, Article 105091. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2024.105091.

The Taxonomy

edit

The TSML provides a framework that outlines the expected learning outcomes for students using social media at the end of a teaching process.[14] It aims to encompass both the breadth and depth of learning within a particular unit, with a focus on metacognition.[15] This includes planning tasks, organising learning, monitoring progress, assessing understanding and performance, and making necessary adjustments.[16] The metacognitive domain in the taxonomy includes three dimensions - Consciousness, Cognition, and Creativity - each with five to six main goals.[12] These dimensions are further divided into subcategories: Viewing; Contributing, Interacting and Analysing; and Evaluating and Curating.[12] The TSML categorises the key learning objectives for a content/theme/unit and recommends the use of a 'hierarchy of social media taxonomy' to monitor the systematic achievement of learning objectives.[12]

 

The dimensions of consciousness, cognition, and creativity are integral to this taxonomy due to their strong interrelationship. Consciousness involves stages of recognition and awareness that shape and enhance cognition, thereby fostering creativity.[12] It underpins creative thinking by significantly influencing cognitive processes.[17] Research has shown that consciousness greatly impacts cognitive processing, which is closely linked to creative thinking.[18][19] Awareness affects attention organization, is associated with cognitive control, and boosts creative thinking.[20] Designing and delivering subject content with these dimensions in mind (the 3Cs: awareness, cognition, and creativity) enables a stronger focus on students' innovative ideas.[12]

Hierarchy of the Taxonomy

edit

The taxonomy is organised hierarchically in a conical format, from lowest to highest level.[12] Significant changes have been made, including converting all categories to verbs, introducing four new dimensions, and renaming only two categories: Knowledge becomes Viewing; Comprehension becomes Posting; Application becomes Interacting; Analysis becomes Analysing; Synthesis becomes Evaluating; and Evaluation becomes Curating.[12] Similar to previous taxonomies[2][3][4] the six levels represent learning objectives that range from lower-order to higher-order thinking skills in a hierarchical structure. Each level builds on the previous one, moving from concrete to abstract and from simple to complex concepts.[21] By completing these levels in sequence, students experience transformative learning and acquire innovative skills suited to the dynamic landscape of social media.[21] As they progress, they develop skills and deep understanding that enable them to articulate and elaborate the implementation process and pedagogical skills relevant to 21st century learning.[21] This process helps them to cultivate a comprehensive set of skills necessary to navigate and succeed in the complexities of the digital learning environment, including higher-order thinking skills such as collaboration, communication, conceptual connectivity, critical, practical and creative thinking, and global awareness.[15] Completion of these levels signifies achievement and mastery of learning that meets the demands and opportunities of the modern age.[12]

 

Viewing

edit

Viewing is a fundamental category in the Taxonomy, essential to any cognitive process involving social media for learning, allowing students to review and explore course content on a private social media site before they begin their studies, setting the stage for all subsequent stages, familiarising themselves with the content and progress to more advanced levels.[12] In this phase, lecturers introduce course materials such as readings, summaries, notes, supporting documents, criteria, questions, videos and other resources via a social media group.[22] Students need to engage with this content before formal lessons begin by recognising and recalling information, noticing, remembering, perceiving, discovering, locating and finding ideas and concepts based on the content.[14] This process helps students understand, retain and recall concepts as needed, providing a solid foundation for learning.[23]

Posting

edit

Posting represents the teaching phase within the Taxonomy, where lecturers disseminate knowledge through online content—such as resources, images, and activities shared on social media—building on the foundational viewing stage.[21] After students have familiarised with the content, lecturers explain key concepts, clarify details and outline relevant subject criteria.[14] This stage involves teaching essential elements necessary for understanding a subject or solving related problems, using assessments and sample activities to enhance understanding.[21] Lecturers use a variety of techniques to keep students engaged and ensure that the material is accessible. Students need time to reflect and process information to fully understand the subject.[12] They need to understand and recognise information, criteria, ideas and principles and be able to articulate, summarise, describe, give examples, paraphrase and interpret this information.[1] As a result, students gain the knowledge and skills to interact with their group[24] and to analyse and evaluate their own work and that of their peers.[16]

Interacting

edit

Interacting enables students to connect and communicate with peers, sharing thoughts and insights within the network.[24] This third level of the Taxonomy involves receiving and giving feedback, which promotes a deeper understanding of the topic and the development of new ideas. Students are required to apply their content knowledge in practical settings through exercises, assignments, projects and discussions as part of their course activities.[15] At this stage, they engage in practical activities and actively participate in the design of their work.[21] Lecturers assign group work, ask students to design original pieces or assignments and allow ample time for research and reflection to help students to formulate concrete plans (Lai et al., 2021). They are encouraged to collaborate with peers, outline problems and discuss them within their teams, generating and sharing ideas.[12] Interaction with their teacher further explores their understanding and enhances their learning experience.[25]

Analysing

edit

Analysis involves students gathering valuable ideas from peers and lecturers and applying them to formulate actionable conclusions[15], including breaking down findings into components and observing their interrelationships and overall structure.[3] At this level, students use critical thinking to understand relationships between concepts, make connections, identify causes and find supporting evidence.[4] They independently analyse, compare assumptions and structures of topics, materials, activities or problems.[21] By comparing peers' reflections with their own, students analyse knowledge using their judgement, distinguishing between fact and opinion.[2] Evaluating and breaking down complex ideas into smaller parts helps them to produce innovative work using skills, techniques and criteria.[14] Students are expected to deconstruct content to identify interrelated components, to make explicit the hierarchy of ideas and to understand the connections between concepts, thereby identifying relationships between elements, showing their connections and understanding how parts relate to the whole.[12]

Evaluating

edit

Evaluating is a key component of the Taxonomy and promotes creativity by enabling students to identify strengths and weaknesses in their work.[16] This approach helps to justify positions or decisions and encourages constructive change based on informed judgements.[4] Students focus on improving their work by addressing weaknesses and building on strengths, guided by feedback from social media platforms.[14] The aim is to evaluate the results of the student's work to improve future performance (Alonzo et al., 2022). Authentic assessment methods, such as self- and peer-assessment, are recommended on social media platforms to evaluate student material, engage students in their learning and assessment processes, and provide constructive criticism from multiple perspectives to support innovation.[16] First, students present their outputs, including work, materials or relevant content, on the social media site.[26] They first evaluate their own work using predetermined criteria and then provide feedback to their peers based on peer evaluation criteria.[7] Lecturers also ask questions to deepen understanding and encourage creativity.[12]

Curating

edit

Curating is an advanced process of selection and presentation[27] and represents the highest level in the social media taxonomy, presenting new and original work on social media by revising, reconfiguring, and reorganising content based on ideas, critiques, and evaluations from previous stages.[12] The purpose is to enhance the value of the information collected and create unique and innovative outputs, so that social media is a powerful tool for curating content, allowing students to learn from diverse resources and maximise their learning experience.[21] To engage students, allowing them to use hashtags like #greatwork, #innovative, and #useful can help draw attention to posts and encourage interaction.[28] They also facilitate engagement among users with similar interests, fostering discussion and exploration.[29] Curating results not only supports visual learning and develops critical thinking skills but also helps students appreciate their own and their peers' work, thereby fostering pride in their achievements and can inspire confidence in their future careers.[12]

Implications

edit

The taxonomy is rooted in established taxonomies[2][3][4] to align teaching, learning and assessment with the demands of the digital age.[12] It emphasises metacognitive processes and higher-order thinking skills to prepare students for complex digital environments. By facilitating interactive learning experiences and bridging old and new technologies - from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 - the taxonomy empowers students to shape their learning and produce original work.[12] Both lecturers and students can use the taxonomy to analyse curriculum alignment, address critical issues and identify overlooked learning opportunities.[15] Moving subject activities to social media platforms broadens perspectives, increases interaction,[30] and encourages peer and lecturer feedback enriching students learning experience.[26] Thus, the taxonomy has the potential to transform education by harnessing the dynamic capabilities of social media, providing valuable insights, and advancing educational technology and virtual learning environments.[12]

Interdisciplinarity of Taxonomy

edit

The Taxonomy exemplifies interdisciplinary integration by bridging educational theory with technological advances and social media practices. Inspired by Bloom's Taxonomy[2] and its revised taxonomy,[3] the taxonomy aligns with the enduring influence of these models on educational philosophy and pedagogical strategies. It integrates higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, creation and evaluation with lower-order skills such as knowledge, understanding and application.[12] This integration supports the development of multiple literacies and modalities of learning, reflecting the growing emphasis on interdisciplinary and integrated approaches to education.[21][6] It also addresses the need for skills in working with and creating media, which are crucial in today's digital landscape.[8][9] The taxonomy contributes significantly to a more nuanced understanding of social media literacy and enhances pedagogical effectiveness through the seamless integration of different disciplines, in line with contemporary educational needs and practices.[12]

Graphical Representations

edit
 
 

See Also

edit

Authentic assessment  -Measurement of intellectual achievements that are worthwhile, significant and meaningful

Bloom's taxonomy - A set of three hierarchical models for classifying learning objectives into levels of complexity and specificity

Cognition - The process of acquiring knowledge through thought, experience and sense.

Consciousness - Awareness of internal and external existence

Creativity - Ability to create novel and valuable ideas or works imaginatively.

Critical thinking - Analysing facts, evidence, observations and arguments to reach a judgement using rational, sceptical and unbiased evaluation.

Digital pedagogy   - Using modern digital technologies for teaching and learning

Educational technology – Improving learning and teaching through using technology in education

Hashtag - A metadata tag preceded by the hash symbol #.

Hierarchy - An arrangement of items such as names, values, categories, represented as 'above', 'below', or 'on' each other.

Higher-order thinking - Conceptualising and reforming education

Interdisciplinarity - Involving combination of a number of academic disciplines in a single activity

Learning styles – Largely disproved theories attempting to explain individual learning differences

Mastery learning – Teaching strategy and philosophy of teaching

Metacognition – Self-awareness of thinking, higher order thinking abilities

Pedagogy – Theorising and practising education

Peer assessment  - A process in which peers mark assignments or tests based on teacher benchmarks

Self-assessment - A process of self-examination to evaluate aspects of one's identity

Social constructivism  - Knowledge is socially situated and constructed by interacting with others.

Social media - Create and share ideas, interests in virtual communities and networks.

Taxonomy – Classification or organisation

Virtual learning environment - A system specifically designed to help teachers' management of educational courses for their students, based on computer hardware and software.

Visual learning - Effectively interpret information using graphs, charts, maps, diagrams and other forms of visual stimulation

Further Reading

edit

Bloom, B. S. (1994). "Reflections on the development and use of the taxonomy". In Rehage, Kenneth J.; Anderson, Lorin W.; Sosniak, Lauren A. (eds.). Bloom's taxonomy: A forty-year retrospective. Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education. Vol. 93. Chicago: National Society for the Study of Education. ISSN 1744-7984.

Clark, Donald R. (1999). "Bloom's Taxonomy of Learning Domains". Retrieved 28 Jan 2014.

Krathwohl, D. R.; Bloom, B. S.; Masia, B. B. (1964). Taxonomy of educational objectives: The classification of educational goals. Vol. Handbook II: the affective domain. New York: David McKay Company.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b Krathwohl, D. R. (2002). A revision of Bloom’s taxonomy: An overview. Theory into Practice, 41(4), 212-218.
  2. ^ a b c d e Bloom, B.S. (1956) Taxonomy of educational objectives, handbook: The cognitive domain. David    McKay, New York.
  3. ^ a b c d e Anderson, L.W., & Krathwohl, D. R. (2001). Taxonomy for learning, teaching, and assessing: A revision         of Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. London: Pearson Press.
  4. ^ a b c d e Churches, A. (2009). Taxonomia de Bloom para la era digital. Eduteka. Recuperado, 11, 1-13.
  5. ^ Biring, A. (2012, January 10). What comes after Web 2.0? The future of the Internet! Retrieved March 25, 2012, from New Geek Media: http://newgeekmedia.co.uk/geek-blog/afterweb2
  6. ^ a b Hart, M. (2015). Youth intimacy on Tumblr: a pilot study. YOUNG, 23(3), 193–208.
  7. ^ a b Demir, M. (2018). Developing a scale for using Facebook as a learning tool. Educational Technology Research and Development, 66(6), 1457-1477.
  8. ^ a b Allen, K. A., Jimerson, S. R., Quintana, D. S., & McKinley, L. (2022). An Academic's Guide to Social Media: Learn, Engage, and Belong. Taylor & Francis.
  9. ^ a b Hampton, K. N. (2016). Persistent and pervasive community: new communication technologies and the future of community. American Behavioral Scientist 60 (1), 101-24.
  10. ^ Hu, S., Torphy, K. T., Evert, K., & Lane, J. L. (2020). From cloud to classroom: Mathematics teachers’ planning, and enactment of resources accessed within virtual spaces. Teachers College Record, 122(6), 1–33.  
  11. ^ Opfer, V. D., Kaufman, J. H., & Thompson, L. E. (2016). Implementation of K–12 state standards for mathematics and English language arts and literacy. Santa Monica, CA: RAND.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Demir, M. (2024). A taxonomy of social media for learning. Computers & Education, 218, Article 105091.
  13. ^ Patel, C. J., Gali, V. S., Patel, D. V., & Parmar, R. D. (2011). The effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on higher education: from objectivism to social constructivism. Int. J. Vocation. Tech. Educ., 3, 113–120.
  14. ^ a b c d e Demir, M. (2022). Using social media as a learning tool: An update Bloom’s Taxonomy. The 10th European Conference on Education, University College London, London, UK, July 14-17.
  15. ^ a b c d e Demir, M. (2023). Post-Bloom Social Media Taxonomy”, 23rd Ireland International Conference on Education (IICE-2023) in Dún Laoghaire, Ireland, April 11-13.
  16. ^ a b c d Demir, M. (2021). Alternative Assessment Methods in Primary Education: Review and Future Directions. In S. A. Kiray & E. Tomevska-Ilievska (Eds.), Current Studies in Educational   Disciplines (pp. 227–288). ISRES Publishing.
  17. ^ Müller, B. C., Gerasimova, A., & Ritter, S. M. (2016). Concentrative meditation influences           creativity by increasing cognitive flexibility. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 10(3), 278-292.
  18. ^ Ostafin B. D., & Kassman K. T. (2012).  Stepping out of history: mindfulness improves insight problem solving. Conscious Cogn., 21(2), 1031-1036.
  19. ^ Strick, M., van Noorden, T. H., Ritskes, R. R., de Ruiter, J. R., & Dijksterhuis, A. (2012). Zen meditation and access to information in the unconscious. Consciousness and Cognition, 21(3), 1476-1481.
  20. ^ Moore, A., & Malinowski, P. (2009). Meditation, mindfulness, and cognitive flexibility. Consciousness and Cognition, 18(1), 176-186.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i Demir, M. (2024). A taxonomy of Social Media for Learning. BERA for The Early Career Researchers Journey: At Crossroads of Becoming, University of Leeds, 5 June, Leeds, UK
  22. ^ Hosen, M., Ogbeibu, S., Giridharan, B., Cham, T. H., Lim, W. M., & Paul, J. (2021). Individual motivation and social media influence on student knowledge sharing and learning performance: Evidence from an emerging economy. Computers & Education, 172, 104262.
  23. ^ Reyes-Millán M, Villareal-Rodríguez M, Murrieta-Flores ME, Bedolla-Cornejo L, Vázquez-Villegas P, Membrillo-Hernández J. (2023). Evaluation of online learning readiness in the new distance learning normality. Heliyon, 9(11): e22070
  24. ^ a b Alonzo D, Oo CZ, Wijarwadi W., and Hannigan C (2023). Using social media for assessment purposes: Practices and future directions. Front. Psychol. 13, 1075818
  25. ^ Ashraf, M. A., Khan, M. N., Chohan, S. R., Khan, M., Rafique, W., Farid, M. F., et al. (2021). Social media improves students' academic performance: exploring the role of social media adoption          in the open learning environment among international medical students in China. Health 9,              1272.
  26. ^ a b Demir, M. (2018). Using online peer assessment in an instructional technology and material design course through social media. Higher Education, 75, 399–414.  
  27. ^ Davis, J. L. (2017). Curation: A theoretical treatment. Information, Communication and Society 20       (5),         770-783.
  28. ^ Watson, e. (2020). #education: the potential impact of social media and hashtag ideology on the classroom. research in social sciences and technology, 5(2), 40-56.
  29. ^ Ta'amneh, I. M., & Al-Ghazo, A. (2021). The importance of using hashtags on raising awareness about social issues. International Journal of Learning and Development, 11(4), 10-24.
  30. ^ Dragseth, M. R. (2020). Building student engagement through social media. Journal of Political            Science Education, 16(2), 243–256.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draft:A_Taxonomy_of_Social_Media_for_Digital_Pedagogy&oldid=1239003673"