Some students are deciding not to complete a college degree since the credential is not needed (nor the tuition debt) to obtain the job they want. Students are seeking other places to develop the skills they need for work.
I’m Rey Junco, a college professor and researcher who studies how social media use affects college students. I’m particularly interested in using quantitative methods to assess the effects of social media on student development, engagement, and success. Social Media in Higher Education is a place where I’ll blog about the research I’m conducting and provide commentary on using technology in educationally-relevant ways.
Recent research has shown that social media use is correlated with indices of student engagement. While a relationship exists, no research has been conducted to elucidate the causal connection, if any, between engagement in social media spaces and engagement in the real world. This talk will outline an experimental study, currently underway, that assesses whether first-year college students’ use of Twitter affects student engagement and success.