Social Media Research in Language Education: Data, Approaches, and Analysis by Aurelio P. Vilbar
Paper presented during Mindanao State University Iligan Institute Technology Department of English Research Colloquium on Social Media, (Discourse, Culture, and Language. 1-2 May 2019, MSU-IIT, Iligan City
Abstract
This presentation discusses how to use social media in education and conduct research about the impact of social on teaching-learning. First it presents the research on “Using Facebook as a Learning Management System in Teaching”. This study presents the attitudes and perceptions of the students towards using Facebook (FB) Group in teaching Research. It was conducted for one semester to 75 secondary students. Employing descriptive research, this study used the Student Attitudes and Perceptions of Using FB Survey by Pollara & Zhu (2011) and focus group discussion. Findings show that students “Somewhat agree” that using FB Group in teaching Research developed their content learning, motivation, and collaborative skills. The instant messaging promotes collaborative learning and direct interaction among co-students and teachers. Despite the distractions in the FB Group environment and the lack of internet connection among the students’ homes, the respondents still suggested to continue using FB Groups as an alternative elearning system.
The second presentation discusses a collaborative research between UP Cebu Adjunct Professor Sean Edgley on using Instagram in writing poetry and micro fiction. Over two months, Prof. Edgley conducted workshops at UP High School Cebu, supervised by Dr. Vilbar. In addition to providing background on poetry and short fiction, the course presented students with micro-literature and invited them to self-publish their own writing on Instagram. Using mixed methods research, student engagement was tracked over the course, using pretest-posttest surveys, journals, and interviews. Findings show that students’ skills and motivation to write poetry and fiction were developed. After the course, Grade 8 students began the service learning component, teaching creative micro-literature to Grade 7. Findings provide a heartening model that can be used in conjunction with the teaching of the DepEd competencies.