Tweeting for learning: A critical analysis of research on microblogging in education published in 2008–2011

Abstract

This study critically analyzed the current body of published research on microblogging in education ( MIE ) to build a deep and comprehensive understanding of this increasingly popular phenomenon. Twenty‐one studies on MIE in 2008–2011 were selected based on the selection criteria and analyzed to answer the following questions: What types of research have been published on MIE ? How was microblogging used for teaching and learning in these studies? What educational benefits did microblogging have on teaching and learning? What suggestions and implications did the current research have for future MIE research and practices? The analysis suggests that microblogging has a potential to encourage participation, engagement, reflective thinking as well as collaborative learning under different learning settings. The quality of research, however, varies greatly, suggesting a need for rigorous research on MIE . The analysis has implications for MIE practices as well as research and development efforts. Practitioner Notes: What is already known about this topic: Microblogging has a potential to facilitate learning. Research on microblogging has been conducted under different educational settings. What this paper adds: What are the characteristics of the current research on microblogging in education. How educators and researchers integrated microblogging to achieve different educational goals as identified in these studies. What are the identified educational effects of using microblogging for teaching and learning. What are the challenges and suggestions of using microblogging in teaching and learning. Implications for practice and/or policy: Future research on microblogging in education should go beyond formal higher education settings by considering learning occurring in other settings. Future research needs to observe and analyze how learners participate and learn in microblogging‐based environments over time. Innovative data collection and analysis methods are needed to understand the interaction and learning that occur in such environments. Future research is needed to identify effective approaches of microblogging integration.