Exploring the Use of Social Media for Apparel Design Education

Abstract

Acquisition of knowledge is one of the central purposes of higher education. It is expected that social media impacts learning. Internet-based social media can be used by students to share and generate knowledge collectively in a way that enables the creation of personal learning environments by combining formal and informal learning. Social media may have a unique impact on apparel design education, because of its visual and collaborative nature. This study explored the behaviors and perceptions of social media of a small group of students and educators at a large South-Central land grant university with a technical, industry-based focus through the lens of social constructivism and connectivism. Apparel design and production students and educators were surveyed to identify what social media they are using. Then individual interviews were conducted with a select group of participants focused on how participants are using social media to bridge formal and informal learning and what benefits and barriers participants experienced. Findings included descriptions about the nature of student and educator use of social media. Student participants gravitated to visual resources that they could access on their own schedule, but they did not typically seek resources out without the extrinsic motivation of a class assignment. Some educators reported using social media to highlight real-world examples and to help students reflect on the learning process. Other educators were uncertain how to use social media effectively in their classes. For social media to be used as something more than an additional reference, educators will need to learn to develop social media for the objectives for their courses. Findings of this study suggest that educators will need to be trained in how to use social media as a teaching strategy. Once they are enabled, they can then assist students, who are primed to learn, to use social media beyond its personal uses and reap the benefits social media can yield for learning.