Even beyond e-learning (online training), social networks are essential tools and almost compulsory for both teachers and students. But are social networks good allies for training?
Teachers are no longer the only sources of training and information . We are faced with the challenge of assuming and using social networks as valid instruments for the teaching and learning process in our role as training professionals.
But before getting into the matter, and to know the dimension of what we are talking about, let’s take a look at the numbers:
Facebook:
936 million active users.
On average, they spend around 21 minutes on the social network consuming content.
Twitter:
There are more than 270 million active users on Twitter.
Every day 500 million tweets are sent.
Instagram:
There are more than 300 million active users.
Every day 70 million new photos are uploaded.
The average time an Instagram user spends on the app is 21 minutes a day.
Of course, and in view of these data, it seems clear that we cannot ignore the relevance and omnipresence of all these communication channels in our daily lives, which can also be extended to the world of training. But what advantages do social networks offer for teachers and students?
Advantages Of Social networks In The Training Process
- Contacts and connections: using these networks to share, learn and “bond ties”. The networks function as a great stage in which the students understand their training as a group objective. They influence collaborative work.
- Open dialogue: exchanging ideas, knowledge, establishing collaborative actions
- Access to Experts: Being able to “chat” with experts in specific fields helps students and teachers promote personal initiative.
- Multiplier effect: there is no sender and multiple receivers. Issuers multiply exponentially.
- Acquisition of new skills: personal and professional, since the use of networks by the student encourages them to be increasingly autonomous and familiarize themselves with an ecosystem in constant change and evolution. From the point of view of professional development, students acquire skills in the use of these networks and other technological applications that are fundamental and essential in accessing the current labor market.
- Visibility and personal brand: for both teachers and students, social networks work as a huge amplifier of our strengths as professionals. Every time we share information we become a “content curator” recommending one or another content.
- Learning by doing: helping students to make decisions by identifying what is valuable information and what is not, so their autonomy is also promoted.
- Permanent training: in such a changing world, the teacher cannot be left behind and must be up to date.
- Reinforcement of leadership: the teacher not only generates and underpins his own personal brand but can also become a true opinion leader for his students, since he locates, groups, organizes and shares online the best and most relevant content on a specific topic .
Also Read: What Networks Are Brands Focusing On Today?
