Title: Social media as a platform
Course: Producing Micro Content in a Team (Digivisio 2030) > Section: How to Create Micro Content?

Different social media platforms have their own pros and cons. Here are a few of the (currently) popular platforms. Please look at them and decide which would best suit your micro content or course.

Before publishing your content, remember to check the latest information from each platform, including things like current user demographics, copyright or licensing issues, and terms and conditions.

Facebook

Facebook is widely known and used. It is a good platform for starting community building through groups. Since Facebook is one of the largest networks in the world, it is very likely your learners use it on a daily basis. If you want your learners to engage with your content on Facebook, here are two suggestions for setting this up.

1. Create a course page

Creating a page gives you some privacy, but pages are public by default. However, it does offer admin controls so you can decide who can post and who can't.

2. Create a course group

A group can be private, which fits better for education as you need to consider your learners' privileges. Also, you have the control to allow only those who take your course to join the group. Within the group, everyone can post, which allows for more interaction and creates a learning community

Instagram

Using Instagram is less obvious due to the randomised feed and the slightly confusing mix of videos, images and different feeds. Learners will see your post in their feeds between all the other accounts they follow. So, it might take a bit of extra effort for the learner to find your content unless you have mastered improving your posts' visibility. Furthermore, there is a dilemma of what to do with outdated content - do you leave old micro content and course material on Instagram where it has generated views, or do you delete and replace it with updated material, and run the risk of not getting engagement with your new material?

Instagram could be an attractive platform for engaging your learners. For example, if your learners are learning something technical, arts or crafts, they can easily share a picture of their work for you to review.

TikTok

TikTok was the second most downloaded app worldwide in 2020 and can help learners further develop their knowledge and skills. (Azman et al., 2021 ). The short 1-3 minute videos should focus on specific topics and be engaging. Producing material for TikTok can help you develop your micro content production skills. Using TikTok to share your content enhances comprehension and stimulates and motivates your learners to engage with the subject.

You can use TikTok, for example, to summarise your lesson of the day, or you can create videos in which learners dive deeper into a subject touched upon in class. You can even set up a complete course on TikTok. For inspiration, please look at what Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences has been doing with publishing educational micro content on TikTok.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is most likely more suitable for learners who are closer to starting their careers or looking for content to aid in their professional development. Instead of directly sharing content in a group, you can also have your learners make LinkedIn posts about what they have learned in your course and share the comments they receive from their network. If you want to share your own content and learners to share theirs, consider creating a LinkedIn group. This is a fantastic site for professional networking and creating learning communities.

YouTube

YouTube is widely known for sharing educational content. The advantage of YouTube videos is that you can easily share links to the videos on other platforms (such as Moodle) as well. You can use other social media platforms to share your YouTube content or publish the videos on your institution's website Cross-posting the same content to different platforms to see how it performs and, possibly, reach larger audiences.

Unlike Facebook or Instagram, you can create much longer videos on YouTube, but remember, super-long videos are not micro content! You can also publish shorter videos like on TikTok or Instagram's reels on YouTube Shorts. This feed works much the same as the other platforms, and the videos are short.

X, Threads, and other microblogging platforms

Microblogging sites, such as X (formerly known as Twitter), Treads, BlueSky, or Mastodon, can be effective platforms to facilitate learning. Many of these sites allow the learner to follow the latest trends and participate in different discussions. For some, it allows instant access to experts in their field. Posting on these platforms can allow learners to find their voice, formulate their opinions, and then participate in a public conversation with others. These sites are especially useful for training media literacy skills and identifying so-called fake news.

Read more

Azman, A., Rezal, N., Zulkeifli, N., Mat, N., Saari, I., & Ab Hamid, A. (2021). Acceptance of TikTok on the Youth of Education Development. Borneo International Journal, 4(3), 19-25. https://majmuah.com/journal/index.php/bij/article/view/98/60

Burns, M. (Host.) (2024, 16 April). How to Use Social Media for Lesson Inspiration. (Nr. 263). [Audiopodcast episode]. In Easy EdTech Podacst with Monica Burns. Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2s8UiZHRAKWEE31qqN1JII?si=2f26f21173794bd5&nd=1&dlsi=1b24a9dfd05848e0

Trowbridge, S., Waterbury, C., & Sudbury, L. (2017, 10 April). Learning in Bursts: Microlearning with Social Media. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2017/4/learning-in-bursts-microlearning-with-social-media