As the world progresses further into the digital age where technology can either benefit or harm society, a comprehensive set of guidelines will be necessary in order to avoid the harm while reaping the benefits of the technology that social media provides. This set of guidelines will ensure that social media use as an educational tool will be applied responsibility and without controversy. The platform, Ask A Tutor, for example, is designed with the purpose of helping learners with language learning. While this learning platform provides all the functionality of a social media platform used as an online space for sharing selfies and simple chats, Ask A Tutor limits the users to learning. Therefore, specific guidelines will need to be established in order to ensure that the learners are not wasting their time or the time of other learners with meaningless gossip or negativity. This podcast will discuss seven tips to help establish a learning platform that uses social media as learning tools responsibility.

The Learning Environment

Ask A Tutor (Forum, n.d.) is a learning environment (in development) specializing in language learning at various levels. Built on a WordPress Forum template, this forum allows registered users to post to a feed, connect with other users, follow other users, send private messages, and share links, files, and media. This learning environment is compatible with other social media sites whose content can be used as educational material. However, research proves that if not used responsibility, social media use can be problematic (Zhong, 2022). While the definition of problematic may be vague, in a learning environment, any content that can distract the learners’ concentration or waste the learners’ time will weaken the learning experience. Such consequences are, therefore, problematic to the aim of the learning environment. Since administrators of this forum have the ability to monitor the content of the posts and delete any post they deem unfit for the platform or, in extreme circumstances, even ban learners who disrupt the learning experience, guidelines must be established to ensure that the administrators only act on content that is considered problematic. Let’s examine seven tips for establishing responsible use of social media in an adult learning environment.

Seven Tips for Using Social Media Responsibly in An Education or Training Setting

1. Define Unrelated Content
  - The Ask A Tutor platform defines subforums with a specific topic. For example, in the subforum, Parts of Speech, a registered user can add a topic. Suppose a user added a topic titled, Adverbs, to the parts of speech subforum and asked a question concerning adverbs and adverbial phrases. Any other registered learner will be able to share information and links to help the learner understand the question. The other members of the discussion are also able to embed a YouTube video. If, however, another learner were to post funny cat videos in the forum titled, Adverbs, then the content would be unrelated to the topic unless the learner posting the content to the topic of Adverbs related funny cat videos to the topic.
2. Define Inappropriate Content
  - Inappropriate content must be defined even if the definition is broad. To narrow down the definition, let’s apply the Thumper principle stating, “If you Don’t have somethin’ nice to say, Don’t say nuthin’ at all” (Addison, 2017, December 6 ). The Thumper principle should cover all communication between learners in order to not cause anyone to feel negative about themselves. Therefore, all offensive and negative content must be left off of the platform.
3. Share Only Pertinent Sources of Information
  - Learners should be given clear instructions defining what content is pertinent and positive to the learning experience. All learners should be required to share only pertinent and positive content while avoiding any irrelevant and negative content.
4. Prohibit Sharing and Posting Inappropriate Content

By allowing the administrators to delete posts unrelated to the topic of adverbs, the learning platform would be more effective in learning about adverbs. In addition, allowing administrators to delete any negative posts will help maintain a growth mindset and foster learning.

1. Monitor Content
  - Administrators should be given the authority to delete any inappropriate or negative content and send messages to the users who posted the content why the content was deleted.
2. Establish Consequences

Allow the administrators to delete and even ban users who continue to disrupt the learning process with irrelevant or negative content.

1. Offer Rewards and Advancements
  - Reward learners who show conformity to the Rules of Use and who provide valuable content to the forum. Such rewards may be from badges, advancements in permissions, and job opportunities within the learning platform.

Conclusion

Following the seven tips for creating a learning environment for adult learners will ensure that no irrelevant content will burden the learning experience. After defining irrelevant and negative content, administrators should be given the authority to act appropriately to any misuse of the learning platform and to even ban users who continuously abuse the platform with irrelevant and negative content. Likewise, those learners who actively and positively participate and add valuable educational content to the platform should be rewarded and be invited to join the platform as an administrator. Establishing these principles into any online learning environment that uses social media as a learning tool will ensure that technology will benefit humanity as we progress into the digital world of online learning.

References

Addison, M. (2017, December 6). The Thumper Rule – If You Don’t Have Something Nice to Say. mickeyaddison.com https://www.mickeyaddison.com/2017/12/06/Thumper-nice-rule/#:~:text=In%20reply%20to%20his%20mother’s,by%20in%20the%20digital%20age.

Forum. (n.d.). Ask A Tutor. https://tutornotepad.com/community/grammar-2/what-is-the-difference-between-an-adverb-and-an-adverbial-phrase/

Zhong, B. (2022). Social Media Communication: Trends and Theories. John .Wiley & Sons, Inc