Social Media in Higher Education

Social media is central to postsecondary education. It is how students engage with the campus community, and campus leaders and practitioners are interested in how an institution can employ social media to impact instruction, student services and institutional effectiveness in an increasingly competitive market. This volume presents the current research and scholarship on social media that provides a view of the higher education landscape in this new digital age and it demonstrates how social media influence behavior and campus culture. Drawing on a critical synthesis and analysis from recent research on this rapidly evolving phenomenon, this monograph examines: some of the assumptions and presumptions around social media, how social media is used and how it shapes the student experience and student development, and best practices for enhancing curricular and co-curricular communities of practice. This is the 5th issue of the 42nd volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Social media is central to postsecondary education. It is how students engage with the campus community, and campus leaders and practitioners are interested in how an institution can employ social media to impact instruction, student services and institutional effectiveness in an increasingly competitive market. This volume presents the current research and scholarship on social media that provides a view of the higher education landscape in this new digital age and it demonstrates how social media influence behavior and campus culture.Drawing on a critical synthesis and analysis from recent research on this rapidly evolving phenomenon, this monograph examines:* some of the assumptions and presumptions around social media* how social media is used and how it shapes the student experience and student development, and* best practices for enhancing curricular and co-curricular communities of practice.This is the 5th issue of the 42nd volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

Executive Summary 7Foreword 13Acknowledgments 17Introduction and Relevance of Social Media 18Definitions 19Monograph Roadmap 20Demographics of Technology/Mobile/Social Media Use 22Historical Context 22Understanding the Connections Between Internet Usage, Social Media, and Mobile Accessibility 24Overall Social Media Data 25Platform-Specific Data 26Teenage Trends 28College Student Use of Digital Technologies 29Social Media and Students' College Admission Process 33Recruitment and Selection Process 33Expectations of Prospective Students 34Institutional Strategies 38First-Generation College Students and College Choice 42Greater Access to Information 42Peer Feedback 45Emotional Support and Reinforcement of Identity 46Social Media and College Transitions 48Prearrival College Transitions 49Postarrival College Adjustment 50Maintenance of Home Relationships 51Forming Relationships with College Peers and Loneliness 51Institutional Attachment and Persistence 52College and University Social Media Interventions 53Academic Uses of Social Media 55Implementation of Social Media in the Curriculum 57Outcomes of Social Media Integration into the Curriculum 61The Negative Side of Social Media Use in the Curriculum 65Campus Social Experience and Cocurricular Learning 73Social Media and Student Engagement 74Social Capital Acquisition and Social Media 74Engagement on Social Media 76Activism and Civic Engagement 77Identity Development and Social Media 78Self-Presentation 80Digital Identity and Self-Presentation Implications for Practice 81Social Media Use in Specific Functional Areas 83Advancement, Development, and Alumni Relations 83Athletics 85Campus/Student Activities and Involvement 88Career Services 89Conduct Offices 90Crisis Response 92Multicultural Affairs 93Residence Life 94Emerging Challenges on Campus 96Anonymity 96Cyberbullying 98Social Media in Higher Education 5Racial Hostility 98Relationships and Dating 99Summary and Synthesis of Reviewed Literature 100Practice and Institutional Policy-making 103Research Implications 103Functional Areas and Cocurricular Implications 104Academic Implications 106The Future of Social Media on Campus 108References 112Name Index 129Subject Index 135About the Authors 139