Social Media Puts Professors in the Hotseat

From the SMART Board to the eClicker, technology is transforming the way students learn at all levels of the educational system. I must admit that it has been some time since I was in university, but I think these tools would have created a more engaging experience.

A few months ago, Purdue University introduced a tool to help with student interaction called Hotseat.  According to the Purdue University website – “Hotseat, a social networking-powered mobile Web application, creates a collaborative classroom, allowing students to provide near real-time feedback during class and enabling professors to adjust the course content and improve the learning experience.”

It is amazing how people are continuously coming up with new and creative ways to use social media. 

Here is a snapshot of how the system works:

1. A professor poses a question on the Hotseat website – during their lecture.
2. Students can then add comments via Twitter, Facebook, Mobile Devices and of course the Web.
3. The students vote on answers and comments – which moves that comment to the top.
4. The professor then has an opportunity to address or respond to the highest ranking questions or comments

The system encourages open communication and interaction.  Students that would normally gravitate to the background – now have a platform to bring their questions to the forefront.

This is a very interesting platform and I look forward to seeing other educational institutions introduce new ways to bring social media and transparency into the classroom.

For more information, please visit the Information Technology at Purdue Website.