REVIEW
Social Media for Educators: Strategies
and Best Practices. By Tanya Joosten.
San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 2012.
xx + 120 pages. ISBN 978-1-118-11828-3.
$29.34.
In three well-organized and readable sec-
tions, Tanya Joosten explains the back-
ground and history of social media and
outlines ways in which nervous educators
and administrators can effectively improve
learning and engagement with tech-savvy
students. Joosten clearly identifies the
purpose of the book: “To be a guide for
educators who are interested in using
social media to enhance their teaching and
have a positive impact on student learn-
ing” (4). She accomplishes this purpose
successfully, explaining complex and often
intimidating concepts and skills in an
orderly, achievable manner for even the
novice instructor.
Identifying social media as a means by
which instructors can accomplish goals
that the literature on student success and
engagement (such as the National Survey
of Student Engagement and College
Student Experiences Questionnaire) dem-
onstrates are significant, Joosten defines
social media within the broader field of
communication, specifically computer-
generated communication. In the opening
section, she also identifies meaningful
ways in which an instructor can use social
media tools to increase personal familiar-
ity. Likewise, there are helpful warnings
about inappropriate social media behavior
that may not be immediately apparent to
an educator.
The second section of the book identi-
fies specific ways social media can be
used to increase communication between
instructor and student, and amongst stu-
dents themselves, to develop deeper learn-
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Teaching Theology and Religion, Volume 16, Issue S1, July 2013
ing experiences, and to build dialogue and
feedback both within and beyond the class
time. Each step-by-step chapter identifies
the benefits of various strategies as well
as potential dangers and suggests ways to
avoid these missteps. Again, for the novice
who agrees philosophically and excitedly
with the opening section but is nervous
about actually launching into this for a
classroom course, the orderly, step-by-
step presentation, including visible
examples, makes the foray seem feasible
and reasonable.
As Joosten discusses the ways social
media could be used to connect regularly
with students and engage them in relevant
learning, I began thinking of specific
applications – especially the frustration I
experience as an instructor with students
not remembering a reading or homework
assignment that the ensuing class builds
upon. As I continued reading, the steps for
using social media (especially Facebook
and Twitter) to send out a reminder the
night before the class was described tech-
nically and shown visually.
Furthermore, the book suggests other
ideas for connecting with students using
the same technical basis, ranging from
referencing an article or linking to a video
clip. With the increasing availability of
academic journals online, those teaching
religion or theology courses can share
recently published articles on specific
topics without printing multiple copies,
which only half the class (at best!) read.
Similarly, an instructor can reference an
online video to form and illustrate connec-
tions between that day’s topics. Once an
instructor understands their students’ pre-
ferred social media applications, connect-
ing what is important in students’ lives to
class content becomes attainable, even
exciting.
e27
Review
The final section identifies organiza-
tional considerations which can hinder
instructors attempting to incorporate social
media, or administrators and other person-
nel servicing broader campus infrastruc-
ture. In doing so, it gives a balanced
and thoughtful consideration of various
factors, and provides all groups with rea-
sonable stipulations. The last chapter
provides tools for effectively evaluating
social media usefulness in educational
experience.
e28
Overall, Social Media for Educators
is a very useful and readable text that
achieves its stated goals. Theological and
religious studies instructors (like others)
will benefit from using the book to engage
and direct students’ skills in social media
to meaningful resources and discussions.
Steven C. Ibbotson
Prairie Bible Institute
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd