Educative innovation and social networks

At university

What role do social networks play in the educational context today? What is your true potential in higher education? What itinerary is needed to benefit from all its pedagogical advantages, if any, and as a means of institutional communication? These are some of the issues discussed in this book, which studies the value of social networks in the university's educational, communicative and institutional framework.

During the corona-virus pandemic we have connected a lot virtually, and social networks have become the backbone of social and educational ecosystems. This book, which is the result of a project carried out by the EduInnovagogía Research Group, studies the use of social networks in the educational field: it investigates their main techno-educational, socio-cognitive and sociological virtues. It clearly shows that the educational world after the pandemic cannot turn its back on this technology, which must be at the service of learning and communication.

Based on current studies, the book presents and analyzes the important elements that are needed to implement and optimize these complementary ways of communication, evaluation, teaching and learning, and takes into account the characteristics of the context, areas of application and necessary teacher training, from the traditional use to the academic context.

The book wants to shed light on the inevitable path of educational innovation, applied to higher education, based on approaches and research that must be considered, in order to answer the questions: why?, how?, what for?, in the planning, design and exploitation of social networks at the university. It is undoubtedly a necessary step in the curricular demand of the new digital and ubiquitous competence scenario in higher education. In summary, this is a book to explore, investigate, reflect and optimize the educational advantages offered by social networks in university environments.

The authors are members of the Chair of Education in Emerging Technologies, Gamification and Artificial Intelligence (EduEmer): Samuel Crespo-Ramos (PhD in Social Psychology and Inspector of Education), and the Professors of the Pablo de Olavide University (Seville,) Juan Agustín Morón-Marchena (Director of the Department of Education and Social Psychology); David Cobos-Sanchiz (Vice-Rector for Culture and Social Policies), and Eloy López-Meneses (Director of the EduEmer Chair and of the EduInnovagogía Research Group, PAIDI, HUM -971).

1. Educational innovation at university

Purpose, characteristics, types, factors, areas and teaching skills

2. Social networks: origins and typology

Application to university education and contribution to the teaching-learning process

3. Social networks in education in a university environment

Risks and opportunities for the students

4. Applications of social networks in university education

Didactic impact, generic applications and evaluation resource in academic environments

5. Implementation, impact and assessment of the use of social networks at university

6. Applications in university praxis

Horizontal social networks for university teaching, vertical social networks for training. Academic social networks for research and publication

Glossary of terms