Social Media (Zombies) and ethics in Higher Education

At the University of East London today – for the Learning and Teaching Symposium: Connected Students event.

While my poster might not match the abstract exactly – I’ll share what I promised, and then what I actually delivered.

In our zeal to leverage the social tendencies our students, to harness the irresistibility of apps and notifications, are we running substantial risks in terms of equity, inclusion and social justice? Where we see the benefits of connecting students using technology, are we are not seeing other things that accompany such pedagogic manoeuvres? While many educators are alive to the way places such as Twitter are experienced in a range of ways related to privilege and identity, others see only their own experiences, taking these as normative. This poster explores not only such concerns, but also the manner in which social media algorithms embed inequality, even as educators seek to use them to bring about social mobility. The poster will close with a reflection on mitigation strategies, alternatives and the role of ethics in the connected classroom.

UEL poster – PDF download