Online social media applications for language teaching and learning

Online social media applications for language teaching and learning

Social Media tools are tools that allow for social interaction and easy creation of content by users. Examples of popular Social Media tools are Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Wordpress and Pinterest. Social Media can be an effective tool for teaching and learning in higher education. It can help connect students to information.

There are social media that can be used as education apps with many functions, for instance:

1.       Edublogs (http://edublogs.org/)

An edublog is a blog created for educational purposes. Edublogs archive and support student and teacher learning by facilitating reflection, questioning by self and others, collaboration and by providing contexts for engaging in higher-order thinking.

2.       Edmodo (http://edmodo.com/)

Edmodo is an educational website that takes the ideas of a social network and refines them and makes it appropriate for a classroom. Using Edmodo, students and teachers can reach out to one another and connect by sharing ideas, problems, and helpful tips.

3.       Moodle (https://moodle.org/)

Moodle is a learning platform designed to provide educators, administrators and learners with a single robust, secure and integrated system to create personalized learning environments.

4.       Google form

A Google Form is a great way to gather information related to meetings or conferences. Andy Wolber explains how to make it work for you. Google Forms provide a fast way to create an online survey, with responses collected in an online spreadsheet. Create your survey and invite respondents by email.

So, using various kind of social media is important in teaching and learning. It can makes the learning process more fun, innovative and effective.