Social media has become an increasing information medium for sharing information, discovering new information, and communicating. The degree to which social media can facilitate undergraduate learning in the context of human geography is not well understood. The key objective of this research initiative is to examine the role of social media in upper year undergraduate geography courses at Saint Mary’s University.
From 2014-2016, three undergraduate human geography courses implemented Twitter into the curriculum to stimulate learning among students. Approximately 40 students who completed at least one of the following courses Transportation Geography in Fall 2014, Transportation Geography in Fall 2015, and/or Geography of Manufacturing in Winter 2015 will have an opportunity to reflect on their experience with Twitter in the classroom. Student will evaluate how effective Twitter, as one medium of social media, was in advancing their knowledge retention and ability to apply new knowledge outside the classroom.
The results from this research initiative will influence how future undergraduate geography courses are structured at Saint Mary’s and other post-secondary institutions.