Analysis of the communicative value of the social networks in the university scope: study of the uses of Twitter in the classroom

Abstract

The aim of this article is to present a project started by the Faculty of Communication in 2011-2012 to make Twitter a meeting point for professors and students outside the academic environment. The study analyzes and monitors the use of Twitter in class by a group of students and faculty members. The objective is not to establish quantitative data but to trace certain uses and underline possible hypotheses to be tested in future studies. Among these hypotheses one outstands from the rest: to know if social networks can become a useful educational tool outside the traditional classroom environment. A review of the uses of social networks in the learning environment and a more specific analysis of Twitter as social network and learning tool are included.