Why is social so special?Conference Engagement Though Social Media and Digital Badges

Melissa A. Venable, PhDOnlineColleges.net

#2014TCC Pre-Conference Session3/25/2014

• “As of September 2013, 73% of online adults use social networking sites.” – Pew Research

• As of March 2014, Facebook has 1.23 billion users, LinkedIn: 277 million, YouTube: 1 billion, Evernote: 65 million. – Digital Marketing Ramblings

• The number of faculty members using social media in teaching has grown from 34% in 2012 to 41% in 2013 – mostly via blogs and wikis. – Pearson

Social for e-Learning and Teaching

• Quick access• Tools, tools, and more tools • Breakdown the virtual walls– Bringing the outside in –

leaders in the field, current events

– Taking the inside out – assignments that share beyond class participants

Social for Conference Participation• Develop Your Online Presence,

Professional Identity, Digital Footprint• Build your network• Stay focused on event schedule• Make informal contributions to

discussions• Keep the conversations going after

sessions• Recognize presenters and

participants

Set a few goals …

1. What do you want to accomplish?

2. Which accounts do you want to use?

3. Create a plan for Before, During, and After – the event . . .

BeforeConnect with other attendeesTouch base with presentersPrepare your profiles (in and out of TCC site)Follow the event’s social accounts

During Watch and listenShare –use the hashtag! #2014TCCFind a balance

AfterFollow-up with presenters and attendeesMove from connection to conversationKeep sharing!

Conference + Social = Open and Global Sharing

• Good opportunity to try social for the first time – start slow

• For the experienced, good time to try something new – stretch a bit

• Internal network external network

Resources and References• The Beginner's Guide to the Hashtag

http://mashable.com/2013/10/08/what-is-hashtag/ • Encouraging a Conference Backchannel on Twitter

http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/encouraging-a-conference-backchannel-on-twitter/30612

• Twitter for Professional Use http://etcjournal.com/2011/10/10/twitter-for-professional-use-%E2%80%93-part-1-getting-started/

• 32 Creative Types of Blog Posts You Can Write About http://www.twelveskip.com/guide/blogging/229/22-creative-types-of-blog-posts-you-can-write-about

• Social Networking Fact Sheet (Pew Research) http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/

• How Many People Use … ? (Digital Marketing Ramblings) http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/resource-how-many-people-use-the-top-social-media/#.UzA6iccwafY

• Social Media for Teaching and Learning (Pearson) http://www.pearsonlearningsolutions.com/higher-education/social-media-survey.php

Questions? @Melissa_VenableGoogle.com/+MelissaAVenableLinkedIn.com/melissavenablePinterest.com/melissavenableFacebook.com/melissa.a.venable.phd

melissa.a.venable@gmail.com http://www.onlinecolleges.net/inside-online-learning/

Enjoy the conference!#2014TCC

Image credit• Title page: mkhmarketing, Flickr, CC:BY• Slide 3: macloo, Flickr, CC:BY-NC-ND• Slide 4: melenita2012, Flickr, CC:BY• Slide 7: freestockimages, Flickr, CC:BY