Social Media: A student-led programme at the University of Nottingham

This blog gives a reflection of my work with Andy Coverdale in the social media sessions that we co-present at the University of Nottingham.

There is growing indication that universities are recognizing the use of social media among academics. However, how is this recognition translated in the PhD training provisions that universities offer to students?

I have been co-presenting with Andy Coverdale on the implication of using Social media within an academic setting. It seems that while universities welcome the idea of social media or even instances of digital literacies as part of higher education offerings (see Open University study) there is a slow move to include such aspects in the PhD training programme. This is particularly interesting since internet inquiry is fast becoming a way in which researchers investigate the digital. Researchers use a number of approaches and tools to navigate and tease out the vast digital terrain. We are thankful to the insightful feedback that continues to transform the sessions into something that is more responsive to student needs and this was made even more apparent with how Engineering researchers seem to see social media in their work.

I appreciate the efforts of Vitae and was able to take part in the digital researcher The work of Tristram Hooley (@pigironjoe) and others made #DR10 a rewarding experience.

As research students we have taken the steps to present an overview of social media to research students that the university of Nottingham. Thus far we have presented the sessions at the Jubilee Graduate Centre (3 day sessions) and at the Engineering Graduate Centre (1day session). On July 7^th we will be giving an overview of these sessions with the hope of generating interest among other research students to do the same. Interestingly enough, our resea4rch focus is not on social media per se. It does however play a role in how we do things.