Keynote slideshow from TESOL 09 Conference.

3. Is Twitter a Tweet for
Community Building?

4. Is Twitter a Tweet for
Community Building?
An Informal Experiment with an adult ESL Class
at the University of Connecticut
American English Language Institute
Presented by Kristi Newgarden
TESOL EV Fair, Denver, CO March 2009

5. What is Twitter?

6. What is Twitter?

7. What is Twitter?
A Social Networking Phenomenon - Twitter is a rapidly growing
web 2.0 micro-blogging tool now used by an estimated 12
million people

8. What is Twitter?
A Social Networking Phenomenon - Twitter is a rapidly growing
web 2.0 micro-blogging tool now used by an estimated 12
million people
A Convenient Means of Communication - Tweets are short
messages of 140 characters or less that can be sent via computer
or cell phone

9. What is Twitter?
A Social Networking Phenomenon - Twitter is a rapidly growing
web 2.0 micro-blogging tool now used by an estimated 12
million people
A Convenient Means of Communication - Tweets are short
messages of 140 characters or less that can be sent via computer
or cell phone
An Internet Application with Affordances for Learning - Twitter
is being used creatively by teachers, artists, businesses,
politicians, etc.

10. How it looks like online

11. Twittervision

12. Why Twitter for ESL Learners?

13. Why Twitter for ESL Learners?
We want new students to quickly become comfortable with
classmates and teachers so that they will participate more freely

14. Why Twitter for ESL Learners?
We want new students to quickly become comfortable with
classmates and teachers so that they will participate more freely
We want to encourage students to learn from each other

15. Why Twitter for ESL Learners?
We want new students to quickly become comfortable with
classmates and teachers so that they will participate more freely
We want to encourage students to learn from each other
We want students to continuously increase their interactions in
English

16. Why Twitter for ESL Learners?
We want new students to quickly become comfortable with
classmates and teachers so that they will participate more freely
We want to encourage students to learn from each other
We want students to continuously increase their interactions in
English
We want students to communicate about what is relevant and
meaningful to them

17. From a Situated Learning Perspective

18. From a Situated Learning Perspective
Language learning occurs as students participate more fully in a
community of practice, i.e. a community of English speakers
“Meaning, understanding and learning emerge through and
are situated in social interactions . . . understanding and
experience are in constant interaction – indeed are mutually
constitutive”. Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral Participation, Jean Lave & Etienne Wenger,
Cambridge University Press, 1991

19. The Hypothesis

20. The Hypothesis
ESL learners who use Twitter from the beginning of a course to
communicate with each other will become familiar with each
other (and their teacher) and build a sense of classroom
community. This will lead to increased comfort in speaking
English with each other in class and the perceiving of classmates
and the teacher as potential sources of support.

21. The Twitter Experiment Design

22. The Twitter Experiment Design
During the first week of class, the teacher gave students the
assignment of setting up Twitter accounts
Students shared account information and started to follow each
other and the teacher. The teacher and I followed all students.
The assignment was to post two updates to Twitter a day and
read the posts from others. Responding to others’ posts was
optional.
After 5 weeks, the students completed an online survey.

23. Observed Activity
Students were slow to set up
accounts so we provided a
short how-to session
Early posts were brief and
show familiarity with texting
and emoticons

24. Observed Activity
Students were slow to set up
accounts so we provided a
short how-to session
Early posts were brief and
show familiarity with texting
and emoticons

25. Observed Activity
Students were slow to set up
accounts so we provided a
short how-to session
Early posts were brief and
show familiarity with texting
and emoticons

26. Observed Activity
Students were slow to set up
accounts so we provided a
short how-to session
Early posts were brief and
show familiarity with texting
and emoticons

27. Observed Activity
Students were slow to set up
accounts so we provided a
short how-to session
Early posts were brief and
show familiarity with texting
and emoticons

28. Observed Activity
Students were slow to set up
accounts so we provided a
short how-to session
Early posts were brief and
show familiarity with texting
and emoticons

29. Content of Tweets
Some early tweets reveal
students’ loneliness,
sleeplessness, boredom,
confusion

30. Content of Tweets
Some early tweets reveal
students’ loneliness,
sleeplessness, boredom,
confusion

31. Content of Tweets
Some early tweets reveal
students’ loneliness,
sleeplessness, boredom,
confusion

32. Content of Tweets
Some early tweets reveal
students’ loneliness,
sleeplessness, boredom,
confusion

33. Content of Tweets
Some early tweets reveal
students’ loneliness,
sleeplessness, boredom,
confusion

34. Content of Tweets
Some early tweets reveal
students’ loneliness,
sleeplessness, boredom,
confusion

35. Supportive Exchanges
Some students replied to
others to show their support
Students commented about
how important their
classmates’ friendship was
to them

36. Supportive Exchanges
Some students replied to
others to show their support
Students commented about
how important their
classmates’ friendship was
to them

37. Supportive Exchanges
Some students replied to
others to show their support
Students commented about
how important their
classmates’ friendship was
to them

38. Supportive Exchanges
Some students replied to
others to show their support
Students commented about
how important their
classmates’ friendship was
to them

39. Supportive Exchanges
Some students replied to
others to show their support
Students commented about
how important their
classmates’ friendship was
to them

40. The Teacher’s Tweets
The teacher’s tweets were
initially mostly updates of
her status

41. The Teacher’s Tweets
The teacher’s tweets were
initially mostly updates of
her status

42. Teacher’s Later Tweets
She later began to direct
message students to
encourage them to respond

43. Teacher’s Later Tweets
She later began to direct
message students to
encourage them to respond

44. Length of Tweets
Some students tweets
became progressively
longer and more
grammatically complex

45. Length of Tweets
Some students tweets
became progressively
longer and more
grammatically complex

46. Discovering Affordances for Learning
with Twitter
This recent tweet shows the
student beginning to use
Twitter as a way to get help
with understanding new
vocabulary

47. Discovering Affordances for Learning
with Twitter
This recent tweet shows the
student beginning to use
Twitter as a way to get help
with understanding new
vocabulary

48. Level of Participation

49. Level of Participation
Eight out of nine students set up Twitter accounts
The most active students sent 26 updates in 5 weeks
The least active student sent 2 updates and one student set up an
account but did not send any updates
The teacher sent 28 updates, a few of which asked questions or
led students to a website for some activity

50. Survey Results

51. None of the students chose to follow
anyone else on Twitter

52. 62 % did not find Twittering
interesting enough to use a lot

53. Most Students Used Twitter to
Update Status or Thoughts
Very few students thought of Twitter
use as English learning or practice

54. 100% of students use Facebook,
50% use other sites as well

55. 62% said Twitter helped them know
classmates better

56. 75% felt Twitter helped them practice
and learn English
Although they did not report that they
used Twitter with this intention

57. 71% felt Twitter helped them feel
more comfortable using English in
this class

58. The Teacher’s Comments (edited)

59. The Teacher’s Comments (edited)
Do the students in this class work together well compared to
other classes? Yes. They seem to have a tight bond with each
other. I think that using Twitter in the beginning of the
semester gave them immediate access to each other.

60. The Teacher’s Comments (edited)
Do the students in this class work together well compared to
other classes? Yes. They seem to have a tight bond with each
other. I think that using Twitter in the beginning of the
semester gave them immediate access to each other.
Do they seem to feel comfortable with each other? Yes.

61. The Teacher’s Comments (edited)
Do the students in this class work together well compared to
other classes? Yes. They seem to have a tight bond with each
other. I think that using Twitter in the beginning of the
semester gave them immediate access to each other.
Do they seem to feel comfortable with each other? Yes.
Do they socialize together outside of class? Yes. More
importantly they have become supports for each other. When
someone isn’t in class at 9:00, someone always calls them asking
why they aren’t here.

62. Teacher Comments (cont.)

63. Teacher Comments (cont.)
What do you think the effect of using Twitter was? . . . it was good to
use in the beginning because it encouraged students to connect with
each other – even if this wasn’t evident in their posts.

64. Teacher Comments (cont.)
What do you think the effect of using Twitter was? . . . it was good to
use in the beginning because it encouraged students to connect with
each other – even if this wasn’t evident in their posts.
Would you do anything differently? I would do it on the first day of
class – set up the accounts together. Use it for social purposes for the
first week. After that, I would ask them to find someone to follow
and set up a forum where the students had an opportunity to share
who they were following, what was going on with that person and
how following someone related to their own language learning
goals.

65. Teacher Comments (cont.)
What do you think the effect of using Twitter was? . . . it was good to
use in the beginning because it encouraged students to connect with
each other – even if this wasn’t evident in their posts.
Would you do anything differently? I would do it on the first day of
class – set up the accounts together. Use it for social purposes for the
first week. After that, I would ask them to find someone to follow
and set up a forum where the students had an opportunity to share
who they were following, what was going on with that person and
how following someone related to their own language learning
goals.

66. Teacher Comments (cont.)
What do you think the effect of using Twitter was? . . . it was good to
use in the beginning because it encouraged students to connect with
each other – even if this wasn’t evident in their posts.
Would you do anything differently? I would do it on the first day of
class – set up the accounts together. Use it for social purposes for the
first week. After that, I would ask them to find someone to follow
and set up a forum where the students had an opportunity to share
who they were following, what was going on with that person and
how following someone related to their own language learning
goals.

67. Teacher Comments (cont.)
What do you think the effect of using Twitter was? . . . it was good to
use in the beginning because it encouraged students to connect with
each other – even if this wasn’t evident in their posts.
Would you do anything differently? I would do it on the first day of
class – set up the accounts together. Use it for social purposes for the
first week. After that, I would ask them to find someone to follow
and set up a forum where the students had an opportunity to share
who they were following, what was going on with that person and
how following someone related to their own language learning
goals.

68. Teacher Comments (cont.)
What do you think the effect of using Twitter was? . . . it was good to
use in the beginning because it encouraged students to connect with
each other – even if this wasn’t evident in their posts.
Would you do anything differently? I would do it on the first day of
class – set up the accounts together. Use it for social purposes for the
first week. After that, I would ask them to find someone to follow
and set up a forum where the students had an opportunity to share
who they were following, what was going on with that person and
how following someone related to their own language learning
goals.

69. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)

70. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)
Will you keep using Twitter? Yes. Next week I plan to link it to what
we are doing in class (controversial topics). I will ask the students to
find someone to follow and encourage them to gather content
information as well as information on language use (grammar and
vocabulary).

71. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)
Will you keep using Twitter? Yes. Next week I plan to link it to what
we are doing in class (controversial topics). I will ask the students to
find someone to follow and encourage them to gather content
information as well as information on language use (grammar and
vocabulary).
Do you think Twitter has potential for building community in the
classroom? Yes. I think it is a good place to start.

72. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)
Will you keep using Twitter? Yes. Next week I plan to link it to what
we are doing in class (controversial topics). I will ask the students to
find someone to follow and encourage them to gather content
information as well as information on language use (grammar and
vocabulary).
Do you think Twitter has potential for building community in the
classroom? Yes. I think it is a good place to start.

73. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)
Will you keep using Twitter? Yes. Next week I plan to link it to what
we are doing in class (controversial topics). I will ask the students to
find someone to follow and encourage them to gather content
information as well as information on language use (grammar and
vocabulary).
Do you think Twitter has potential for building community in the
classroom? Yes. I think it is a good place to start.

74. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)
Will you keep using Twitter? Yes. Next week I plan to link it to what
we are doing in class (controversial topics). I will ask the students to
find someone to follow and encourage them to gather content
information as well as information on language use (grammar and
vocabulary).
Do you think Twitter has potential for building community in the
classroom? Yes. I think it is a good place to start.

75. Teacher’s Comments (cont.)
Will you keep using Twitter? Yes. Next week I plan to link it to what
we are doing in class (controversial topics). I will ask the students to
find someone to follow and encourage them to gather content
information as well as information on language use (grammar and
vocabulary).
Do you think Twitter has potential for building community in the
classroom? Yes. I think it is a good place to start.

76. Conclusions

77. Conclusions
Students did feel Twitter use helped them become more comfortable
speaking English with each other, but it is impossible to rule out other
factors
There was some evidence of students using Twitter interactively, but
perhaps the lack of immediate response and overall classmate activity was
a poor substitute for conversation
If students had installed Twitter on their cell phones, they may have found
it more convenient to use
Over time, students may begin to discover new ways of using Twitter.
Getting students to reflect on these uses collectively could raise
awareness and lead students to adopt new goals for future use.

78. The Big One

79. The Big One
“Learning is the education of intention and attention”.
Twitter and other tools (or learning strategies) are only adopted
by students when they are perceived as tools that move the
student closer to some goal. As the teacher wisely noted, “The
challenge for me will be using Twitter in such a way that students
will experience and recognize the benefits themselves”.

81. Thanks!