Application of Social Networking as a Reflective Learning and Critical Thinking Tool

Abstract

Educators seek ways to improve the learning process such as stimulating students’ interest in subject matter, helping students visualize concepts, and heightening student-student and student-instructor engagement and collaboration. One valuable approach is through the application of technology. The objective of this research is to evaluate the use of Twitter, a social networking technology, in a graduate level online class to support reflective learning and critical thinking. It describes a study in which students participated in a weekly learning activity in which they would share their reflections from the course through the use of Twitter messages and demonstrate critical thinking. A survey was conducted to capture student reactions to the use of this social networking media for these purposes.