A case study exploring whether the use of social media could increase learner engagement and independence for adult Entry 2 - Level 2 Functional Skills and GCSE maths learners at Morley College, and young GCSE maths and English learners at Lambeth College
Working collaboratively, the project team identified social media apps (Snapchat, Padlet and Twitter) that could be used to engage learners. The criteria used for app selection were: ease of use, being freely available, and, where possible, being a social media application that learners already used and were comfortable with. The project identified seven teachers who were then trained to use the apps and produce schemes of work and associated resources to embed their use.
Learner independence for those taking part in the project improved, with a rise from 6% to 26% for completion of homework. Adult learners became more engaged and autonomous in their own learning as a result of using apps. Digital platforms also allowed staff to communicate easily with learners.