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What is Social Media?
Social media is about collective intelligence; about communication tools, individuals and group of people who contribute together to create, organize and distribute web content.
Social media falls into
University 2.0
According to NACAC ‘2009 report, 88% of universities are convinced of the need to be present in social network & social media platforms.
In my point of view, they will not have the choice to join the 2.0 trend. The reasons are simple. The concept of borders no longer exist. We are moving towards an Open World. We are leaving in an era where institutions are continuously putting their workforce together to work on important research issues. Moreover, students show the need of moving in exchange programs and internships during their course’s curriculum. How do universities keep in contact with them?
Nowadays, professors and students are members of several social networks and online communities. How can a university reach the eyes and ears of an audience that is largely responsible for over one billion text messages sent per day*? How to make them also feel to belong to the university community and even more, be proud of their university and getting them engaged in university activities?
How do universities take profit of their students and professors - abroad or in campus - as ambassadors of their brand? Don’t they have to be where their members and future students are?
How do universities and research departments capitalize the knowledge and works of their researchers? Phd students complete their study in average in 4-6 years. During that time, they use university resources, labs infrastructures and materials. Wondering, how many of them leave traces of everything they have done to benefit the youngest (tests, measurements, processes)? Instead what happens, once they have achieved their studies, they are gone with their knowledge; we can restart the cycle every time. Let’s think about the time lost and resources lost testing processes we barely know how someone else did them in the past. Or simply restart by 0? I speak from experience…
Web 2.0 addresses almost all these issues. Nevertheless, in this post I will not dwell on collective intelligence and knowledge management among researchers. This, deserves another post about research 2.0 tools. Instead, in the following lines, I will focus on universities as institutions concerned about their brand and the social impact.
Why high education institutions invest in Social Media?
Anglo-saxon institutions were the first to join social networks and social media platforms. They are far the ones who really adopt web 2.0 technologies and use them efficiently.
After some investigations, there are four main social media tools used by universities
However, some exceptions publish their slides on Slideshare. LinkedIn is used in a way to keep in contact with alumnis. Depending on if it’s a European or American university, they use Dailymotion or Myspace. Some labs use wikis to keep the knowledge.
As in every organization, the adoption starts in a bottom-up way. Firstly, individuals such as students, professors, institutions members start joining; at the moment some faculties, research departments and small units are present in social media platforms, it becomes necessary for the institution to join and shows the example. As an immediate result, an easy way to monitor the brand since famous social networks count millions of members and accessing social media platforms is costless.
Universities and high education institutions use social media tools mostly as promoting channels
But also and the most important in my opinion, to better communicate, for transparency; allowing discussions in a 2-way dialogue.
How universities and high education institutions use Social Media?
To be effective the institutions value has to meet the value of the audience. Social media can be used in many different ways; and institutions are getting inventive.
Among different ways, high education institutions use Twitter updates, Facebook posts, Flickr, Youtube EDU channel
The original use of social media goes to Stanford University Facebook Fan Page. Stanford hosts Offices Hours on Facebook (Why not?!). The offices hours consist in 2 parts. First, a description of the professor who will host the office hours and a video of the professor talking about his work are posted on the Facebook fan page. Then fans and candidates comment the post by asking their questions to the hosting professor. Secondly, an another video is posted with the professor answering questions addressing fans by name.
Thus, they connect directly with their targeted audience and engage the public in a 2 ways communication.
For other uses, read Mashable’s review.
Stanford University as an example of university 2.0
At the time I am writing this post,
These numbers are keeping growing; impressive for an institution of 15,000 students.
In addition, Stanford has an iTunes U channel where they podcast courses, lectures, interviews, sports… Their EdTech school of medicine has 5003 pics on Flickr.
Links of French and UK Universities on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube
To conclude, I have small advice for institutions who want to join the web 2.0 world. Having a social media account is not enough, update regularly and link everything. Do not neglect the profile page; adopt the theme and colors of your institution.
* NACAC
