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Evaluating #VetFinals: Can Twitter help students prepare for final examinations?
Tierney Kinnison1, Martin Whiting1, Kirsty Magnier1
1a Royal Veterinary College , Herts , UK.
Medical Teacher
|April 6, 2017
Summary
Twitter revision sessions using "#VetFinals" helped veterinary students prepare for exams. Experts facilitated, fostering personalized learning, peer competition, and a community, though some students feared social media exposure.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Education
- Social Media in Higher Education
Background:
- Twitter is increasingly adopted in educational settings.
- Social media platforms offer novel avenues for academic support and engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Twitter's potential in assisting veterinary students with final examination preparation.
- To analyze student experiences and the effectiveness of expert-facilitated revision sessions.
Main Methods:
- Nine Twitter-facilitated revision sessions (#VetFinals) involving 52 students from eight veterinary schools.
- Analysis of facilitator and student tweet frequency and content.
- Focus groups and interviews with 11 students to gather qualitative feedback.
Main Results:
- Students found sessions beneficial for self-testing and exam preparation.
- Facilitator expertise and session style significantly impacted learning.
- Twitter fostered a sense of personalized learning, peer competition, and community.
- Students reported a mix of confidence and apprehension regarding social media use.
Conclusions:
- Twitter-based revision sessions can be a valuable tool for veterinary students' exam preparation.
- The role of the facilitator is crucial for successful implementation.
- Further faculty development is recommended to optimize social media integration in education.