It is no secret that social media is catching on like wild fire, but it seems that an exception to this movement might be some college classrooms. As a junior at Huntington University, I have yet to learn anything about the use of social media for my future career besides briefly covering what is the leading site, and when each site was created. While these facts are interesting, they are of no benefit to me. Nowhere in the core curriculum for my communication or business courses does it require that I take a class to learn how to use these tools for a job once I graduate.
So is my college holding me back by not teaching me how to use social media for more than just keeping in contact with friends and aimlessly wasting time on these websites? I think so. Social media is one of the greatest tools we have available to us right now, but when it comes to using it for marketing purposes or connect with potential employers, my college is leaving me unprepared.
It has been said that offering a social media course is currently being discussed, but I am not sure what is taking so long, or why it is not being offered to students now. Huntington needs to step up its curriculum when it comes to teaching students about social media. Every student should be well aware of the power these tools have in the fields they are going into, and they should know how to use them to their benefit. Huntington should be requiring students to have accounts on sites like facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and use them for assignments so that we will be challenged to dig deeper and use them for more than a way to be distracted from our other work. They should also be offering courses like other colleges online.
Huntington needs to see the importance of teaching its students about social media and actually do something about it soon rather than being stuck in discussion for another six months. If they do not, that will force many of the upperclassmen to enter the workforce with no idea of how to use social media professionally. Huntington’s lack of social media curriculum is at the expense of its students’ future. So there are really two choices that this university can make. Either jump on board with the social media age we are currently in, or stay behind the times and watch as students graduate miss out on job opportunities because of this lack of knowledge.
—-
Today’s guest post is written by Megan Adams. She is a junior at Huntington University and recently finished an internship with the Rainmakers Marketing Group.
danamnelson
Megan-
I could not agree with you more! There is a growing need for to students to learn how to use these tools as a business would use them, so that you are preprepared to do the jobs that are out there today. I'm always amazed when I talk to college students who have still never had 1 social media class offering or more than a guest speaker for 1 class.
Social Media can also be a great way to learn, to get connected and stay connected with your classmates to study and get ideas.
**Thank you*** for having the courage to post this. Telling the system that it is wrong is not an easy task. I admire you.
You might be interested:
On Monday's at 11:30 CST there is a twitter chat on this subject #SMCEDU
Also http://smcedu.ning.com/
If you would be interested in organizing a school chapter of SMCEDU for your school please contact me.
Tweets that mention Social Media Should Be Taught in the Classroom | Kyle Lacy, Social Media – Indianapolis — Topsy.com
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Kate Sherrill MLS, Dana Nelson and Trevor Harley, Kyle Lacy. Kyle Lacy said: Social Media Should Be Taught in the Classroom: It is no secret that social media is catching on like wi… http://bit.ly/hTmAwG […]
Brett Petersel
Excellent post! I believe colleges and universities are finally beginning to understand how important social media is, but are not making any changes to their programs. Are they waiting for the "old" instructors to retire along with their outdated methods/practices, and then move into action once a new breed takes over? I think so.
rocketplant
Interesting thoughts, Megan.
I don't disagree, but it would be a mistake for a Communications and business major to focus on the media instead of the content.
What makes social-media such and effective tool is not the tool itself, but rather, how people are communicating through each specific medium. Understanding how people are using each medium to communicate is vital too, but also constantly changing which makes it difficult to write a social-media textbook (and that's probably the reason there isn't a class 😉
Great thoughts!
kylelacy
I think it is a balance. The problem is… it is not being taught at all!
Brian Notess
Woops, that comment should have been made my own name 🙂
Erin_Hathaway
I couldn't agree more! We are struggling right now with not only teaching students the benefits but making them see the negatives that can come out of misuse of social media. Students need to be aware of this as one of MANY tools in their toolbox as they not only enter the 'real' world but also even at the high school level.
Laura
I agree. Content is the most important. If the content is bad, no one will want to follow you or click on your tweet links. However, I do think that there is a right way and a wrong way to use social media. If your school doesn't teach it, learn it at internships. I learned how to use it on the job, not in school.
Jeff Ryan
Ohh It's being taught the problem as I see it is the teachers don't know "how" to teach it. SM is too new for the institutions.
Randy Clark
Great points. I goggled college social media curriculum and did not find much to speak of. Is it being offered somewhere? Who is on the cutting edge?
Brett Petersel
I believe Chris Heuer (Social Media Club – http://socialmediaclub.org) is (still?) working upon a social media curriculum for high schools and colleges/universities. They use the #SMCEDU hashtag on Twitter, and also have a site – http://smcedu.ning.com with more information/resources.
Max Silver
Emerson College has had a social media class taught by @davidgerzof for over 2 years now http://www.emersonsocialmedia.com/
Srinivas Rao
Megan,
As a recent graduate of an MBA program who started my blog after bschool I can say you couldn't be more right. I think that blog is eventually going to replace the resume. The skills that you learn through social media are going to be essential. One of my really good friends said that she even thinks of a blog as a "career insurance policy." I've sent numerous emails to the administration at my business school to talk to them about just how important this is. I found my job because of my blog and when you learn to use it right, Twitter is a global network of the most inspiring and amazing people you'll ever meet. I watch students struggle through job searches endlessly submitting resumes and then scratching their heads wondering why they're making no progress and the advice I always give them is "start a blog, get on twitter, and you'll start to connect." To Kyle's point above the fact that its not being taught at all is an issue. Educational institutions should look to their students and to their alumni who have an active social presence to help develop the curriculum. That would at least be a start
Max Silver
I think like many other types of marketing, their should not be just one social media class, but multiple. A class could be taught strictly in doing social research with tools like Radian 6. Another class could be taught in integration of social and traditional platforms, as well as a whole class in community management and engagement.
I have heard of a number of colleges with social media classes, and I think it is time to take the next step into creating in depth classes to teach students who are going into careers in social media how to do more then tweet and blog.
Daniel Herndon
Megan, Since when has college ever really been sufficient in preparing someone for the real world on any subject? I've hired many marketing interns that had no idea how to apply their knowledge to real life application.
While the idea seems nice, wouldn't it be better to learn to proactively pursue an opportunity?
People need to learn how to pick up the phone and better yet, set a meeting or flat out walk in a door. If someone tweets me, another emails me, another calls me and another comes to meet me – each one has a better chance of being hired than the previous.
Social Media has changed along the way since the internet was created and will continue to change (and remain valuable). People still take action quicker when you ask them right to their face to do so.
kylelacy
I don't think she is saying that we should focus solely on social media. I think it is an issue when the student cannot network socially let alone… use LinkedIn.
And honestly… you shouldn't have hired the marketing intern if they had no idea how to apply knowledge. I think that's a breakdown in the hiring process as much as it is higher education's apathy towards new technology.
Daniel Herndon
You're right, I should not have hired them, but the fact is, that means that most graduates right out of school wont get jobs. It's daunting to me (as one who never went to college).
I don't dispute Megan's plea to add social media as a part of the teaching in school in some manner, after all they have computer classes, and communications degrees – these should be updated.
And wouldn't it be great if they actually trained you how to seek a career? Hopefully some colleges do.
Gemma
A lot of students mistake consumption of social media for expertise in social media. When my uni offered Social Media, students scoffed and mumbled, "We need to take a class to learn how to use Facebook?" That's not the case, of course, but educators need to be clear that Social Media classes will focus on personal branding and other useful job skills.
Also, the professors need to be on top of things. i.e. It's a little unsettling when the prof doesn't even know you can change your Twitter username instead of opening a billion accounts.
kylelacy
It's more about a new look at marketing rather than just a look at social media.
Chris Theisen
Megan Huntington isnt holding you back at all. They may not be helping you as much as they should but they arent holding you back. Unless you are in a highly specific major where techniques you will use in jobs later on are taught the most …any college will do is give you ideas and thoughts on how to do things. The onus is on you to figure out how to use and leverage tools at your disposal. Granted you should have teachers like Bob who help show you tools that are more relevant these days but the fact is most of your teachers dont know, dont use and dont understand many tools in use today. I wouldnt even want them teaching me how to use various new media type platforms because they dont know what to teach. If you know enough to write this post and think on these terms you are already well on your way to leveraging and using the various tools at your disposal. Should they be doing these things? Yes. Do they owe it to you? Probably. Are they holding you back? No. Keep in touch with people like Kyle. Read blogs. Search the internet. Self educate. Take things you are learning in school and shape those thoughts and ideas into and around tools at your disposal. Use them in projects. Put those projects into a personal portfolio for after graduation. Dont rely on your school or your teachers to help you succeed in the future. You are clearly on the right path, just keeping walking down it.
astumpf
I am in complete agreement! I am a high school business teacher and while I spend time discussing social media, I cannot demonstrate it because it's blocked. My students don't understand the business aspects of it, at al. I am taking evening classes to get my MBA and hope to teach social media marketing at the collegiate level. I have talked to a couple of different colleges and none of them show interest. It's sad. I finish my MBA in December, so I am going to work on a video and some other relevant promotional materials to gain some interest, hopefully. I feel that it is such a disservice in a college classroom in 2011. There is so much current information on social media vs. outdated textbooks, You just have so few professors that want to do the work and much of that stems from them having to do so much research in other ares to keep their job.
Morgan
I totally agree! I have been on a vigorous movement in contacting my local colleges and schools to encourage them to begin teaching social media. They've all shied away for one reason or another. It's frustrating! But as long as keep persisting, schools will definitely realize the importance.
Cheers for the awesome post!
Andy Church
Megan – welcome to the disconnect!
When we approach faculty and select publishers with our social media curriculum and software (http://whyhire.me) we are usually met with a range of blank looks. Happily, we have come across exceptional leaders at Centennial and Algonquin College, Memorial University and most recently, Loyalist College. It takes a daring professor, dean or instructor who was either willing to admit they knew nothing and could learn alongside the students, or someone with a natural interest in how communications are changing the face of recruiting.
On many occasions, it took students like yourself to help us convince faculty leaders to move forward and start learning by doing! Keep up the great work and keep pushing your faculty!
sean_oconnell
Megan,
I recently graduated from a UC business program, and I totally agree that the lack of focus on social media is kind of absurd. It wasn't until my second communications position that I came into contact with social media as a tool for marketing and have had to play catch up ever since.
I have been hearing about an online course offered by Rutgers CMD that actually gives you an MBA in Social Media Mareketing at the end of a 12 week course. It was first a lecture held on their campus and limited to 30 students, but an online version is going to start on the 28th of this month. http://cmd.rutgers.edu/online-mini-mba-social-med…
It sounds like you have some great ideas and I wish you the best in your career.
creeksidecards
Why not start a workshop to teach others? Too much whining, too little action!
Laura
I agree!
amyee
As a recent college graduate, I have to say that I completely agree with you about the importance of social media!
I was a journalism major at the University of Oregon and I was encouraged to invest in social media. Even though I never ended up taking a specific class for it, I was encouraged to use Twitter and maintain a blog and a website. I thought it was kind of silly at the time, but I ended up loving it and wound up with a social media job.
I seriously doubt I'd have my job (or have gotten some of my interviews) if it wasn't for all of this. It served as my online portfolio.
Social Media For the Rest of Us? – How to Teach to Different Generations! « michellegilstrap
[…] Social Media Should Be Taught in the Classroom (kylelacy.com) […]
Students speak: Teach Social Media in the Classroom | Digital Illiterate to Digitally Literate
[…] how many students feel about this matter. I encourage you to read her entire article here: Social Media should be taught in the Classroom. Great work, […]
Daniela
Just found this post I wrote back when I was in college and it reminded me of yours so I wanted to share. i completely forgot about this post: http://bit.ly/i2G9bH
sac longchamp
Useful This really is one of the most informative web sites I’ve ever browsed on this subject.