Using hashtags on Twitter is a great way to collect tweets related to a particular topic. Here are 7 ways you can use hashtags to promote learning and studying in an online environment.
- Create a unique hashtag to collect all tweets from your class. Encourage students to tweet any questions they may have, and mark the tweets with your class’s unique hashtag. This can be especially helpful if students are reading the textbook on their own and have questions on the reading.
- If you use live videoconferecing, you can run polls or take live Q&A through Twitter.
- Join up with other classes who are learning the same course material, and start a discussion marked with a unique hashtag.
- Schedule a twitter chat for a discussion on a topic relevant to whatever your students are learning. Consider using Twubs or Twitter chat to host the chat.
- Schedule twitter chats for class review sessions before each test. Students can tweet questions to each other, and the professor can answer too.
- Create a real-time twitter wall with Twijector. Search for specific keywords or hashtags and watch as the wall fills with relevant tweets.
- Divide the class into group and assign each group a particular topic to research. Each group can then tweet their findings with a specific hashtag. Later they will be able to go back and read through all the tweets marked with that hashtag.
Have you tried any of these tips? How have you used twitter for online learning? Let us know!