JALT2013 Plenary Speaker article: How social media changes our thinking and learning

Abstract

Social media are already having a drastic effect on the way we communicate and interact with each other; but how are they affecting our learning and thinking processes? Research suggests that the processes happening in our brains due to interaction with technology are rapidly changing. This plenary will discuss the ways in which social media, in particular, are transforming how we find and process information and the implications this has for the language learner. It will also review the ways in which using social media can facilitate the language learning process both for students and educators.