Heteroplatforming and Prospects for Integrating Higher Education With Social Media

Abstract

Heteroplatforming is a form of educational activity in which students of higher education institutions record audio essays on a topic set by the instructor and upload them for public access and discussion to an open educational group in social media. This chapter explores the experience of the Faculty of Philosophy at Saratov University in implementing heteroplatforming during the 2020-2021 pandemic. Based on empirical data, the study highlights the ambiguous consequences of heteroplatforming. On the one hand, it positively affects the quality of education, student engagement, and employability. On the other hand, heteroplatforming is involved in the spontaneous transition to product-based learning in liberal arts education and the migration to narrative frameworks in the teaching of theoretical knowledge. Heteroplatforming strengthens the mutual influence of higher education and network societies, empowering universities to direct the scientific and educational interests of society, but also making them vulnerable and dependent on the preferences and demands of external audiences.