Title

Social Media Use in Classroom Teaching: A Facet–Based Discourse Analysis of Key Factors Influencing Pedagogy

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Year of Completion

2016

First Advisor

David Jank

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of social media in the classroom and its impact on teaching, specifically as documented in the scholarly discourse of the field. Ultimately, content and domain analysis was employed to paint an epistemological map of the scholarly discourse on social media usage in the classroom. Social media tools are continually being adapted and created commercially, in parallel to being incorporated in classroom activity; however, changes and new tools are turning up so quickly it is hard to keep abreast of the new technologies. Many tools are being introduced along with many teaching techniques. Specifically, this study examines what aspects of social media are incorporated in pedagogy, and how this activity is viewed and implemented. Rather than relying on primary empirical research, this study exclusively looks at those issues and factors that have been documented in the scholarly discourse in order to focus on what is verified empirically rather than what would be ideally desired. Many tools are used, and many teaching techniques have evolved. While much is written, there are no aggregated findings that give a full view of how these changes are occurring, nor that document the publicly expressed views of teachers in conjunction with the factors they believe determine the incorporation of these tools in the classroom. Domain analytic techniques and bibliometric methods were utilized to paint a more comprehensive picture of what is happening in this regard. This study provides a framework for future use. Research questions that are ultimately investigated look at the specifics of social media use and the factors claimed to be driving this activity. Further, they address the formation of a taxonomy of social media use in the classroom, along with a corresponding ontology resulting from content analysis of scholarly discourse.

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