Lead a Social Media Campaign
Description: Courses which seek to engage social, cultural, political and environmental issues in the world are particularly good opportunities to engage social media. This can range from asking students to identify a site or event which addresses that issue, and to take photos and create text that raises awareness, This assignment can be designed as a single assignment or group project, and can span over a single event to a semester-long project. Ask students to conduct research and utilize photography and text to build critical awareness around an issue. This activity directs their attention to the material, emotional, relational, artistic and poetic dimensions of the issue. Rather than only gathering data and creating a final presentation, managing a social media campaign asks students to engage more frequently, more creatively and through different modalities with the topic. Students are not only gathering and sharing data, but grounding that in a perspective, context and place.
Notes: There are many advantages and disadvantages to using platforms like instagram, twitter, Facebook etc. These proprietary platforms are easy, familiar and have built in capacities that make them convenient to use in the classroom. However, make sure you are aware of ethical considerations. Check out TLC workshops and resources for more information. It is best practice to scaffold an assignment that is asking students to undertake a project that has many steps and learning goals. If you choose to have a longer running campaign, reserving some time during the class to talk, share and brainstorm is an effective way to support this assignment. Provide students with clear guidelines and expectations about what to post and how to use text. Also, consider how you will evaluate the project and if you are using a rubric, provide that to the students as well so they align their learning with the assessment. This assignment is another way for students to collaborate and generate meaningful work from remote sites, and center student participation and creative expression.