Students’ and Instructors’ Perceptions of the Benefits and Drawbacks of Using a Twitter-based Assignment in an Undergraduate Public Health Nutrition Course

Abstract

The integration of social media in higher education may support improved communication among students and instructors and facilitate collaborative learning. Within public health education, the use of social media may enable students to critically reflect on relevant everyday experiences, while the ability to effectively communicate via social media is increasingly viewed as an important public health competency. Although the existing literature suggests benefits of the use of social media in higher education, a lack of attention to potential drawbacks has been raised. The objective of this study was to examine student experiences, including perceived benefits and challenges, of a Twitter-based assessment in a public health nutrition university course. Data consisted of students’ (n=115) written reflections, complemented by transcripts from semi-structured interviews conducted with the instructor and three teaching assistants. Three themes identified by inductive thematic analysis included engaging students with course content and one another, practicing communication skills, and navigating learning curves. Most students noted the assessment provided opportunities to apply course concepts and connect with peers. However, some did not find the assignment’s purpose to be intuitive and some resistance to the use of Twitter was noted, particularly with respect to the constraints associated with tight character limits. Other students noted minimal impact on their learning due to the superficial nature of tweets. The results underscore the importance of tying social media-based assessments to clear and realistic learning goals with appropriate student supports, as well as balancing potential benefits of experimentation with social media with the potential drawbacks.