About SocMedHE15

18th December 2015
Sheffield Hallam University

We are delighted to announce the inaugural Social Media for Learning in Higher Education Conference #SocMedHE15, a one day conference, with pre-conference dinner to be held at Sheffield Hallam University. #SocMedHE15 is about the use of social media for learning in Higher Education; it has been designed to create a forum for academics, their students, developers and strategic managers to consider the opportunities, challenges and the disruptive influence of social media for learning. The conference will be structured around three themes allowing us to explore the pedagogic possibilities of social media, as well as the strategic and operational challenges institutions face in supporting it. The title of this year’s conference is:

“Finding Our Social Identity”

1T9A0591_editConference aim
#SocMedHE15 will debate and examine our use of social media and its impact on the higher education learning landscape. Together, we will develop our understanding of good, sustainable practice by sharing accounts of emerging innovation in the pedagogic use of social media.

Rationale
Teaching and learning in higher education is responding to the opportunities presented by social media, as its promise of increasing access and flexibility becomes clearer (HEA: ‘Conditions of flexibility’ 2014). Social media enables us to learn collectively by creating powerful, responsive Personal Learning Networks and social open learning environments (Dabbagh et al., 2012). It challenges us to understand and value the importance of openness and community in learning as we explore the rapidly developing phenomenon of MOOCs (Jisc, 2013). Social media is beginning to change the identity of higher education.

Although this newly forming landscape can be fascinating and rewarding, the challenge of developing digital capability (JISC) and confidence confronts us as institutions, teachers and students. Our understandings of employability and social and professional responsibility continuously change, making it difficult to put sustainable support and development strategies in place (Digital Skills Select Committee, 2015). The conference themes allow us to investigate the disruptive nature of social media; share our practice in the use of social media for networked, social and active learning, and to consider some of the challenges of being responsive, supportive and open for change. The conference keynote from Eric Stoller, will challenge and inspire us to review social media in our context, explore the opportunities of extending our networks for learning, and understand how we as universities need to respond to the Social Age.

Key dates for your diary:

  • The call for papers is now closed. We expect to run this conference again next year, so please start thinking about future submissions.
  • BOOK YOUR PLACE!  Booking will stay open till shortly before the event.
  • The schedule for the day and the abstracts are up now, and the full programme will be available later in November.
  • We now have a plan for the pre-conference workshops on 17th December 2-5pm. They are free of charge for all booked delegates, but you do need to let us know you are planning to attend. Please make your travel and dinner arrangements these in mind.

Follow @SocMedHE on Twitter (see the Twitter feed on the right of this page), or check the news page on this website for updates.

The hash tag for this year’s conference is #SocMedHE15

If you have questions please email socmedhe@shu.ac.uk, and we’ll do our best to answer them.