Web 2.0 Course Teaches Students How to Maximize Social Media Tools for the Workplace
iSchool Lecturer Jen Jumba emphasizes that Web 2.0 technologies are meant to foster two-way communication; they should not be used to “data dump” but should create communities of people who want to be a part of something and contribute.
Jennifer Jumba, lecturer at the San José State University (SJSU) School of Information, is on a mission to teach students in her LIBR 246 Information Technology Tools and Applications: Web 2.0 course how to be savvy users of the latest social media technologies in library and other organizational settings. As part of their coursework, students design a social media strategic plan for a specific type of library, demonstrating their ability to choose among available tools and utilize them effectively.
“Because technology is such a fluid subject, my students learn how to critically evaluate each tool and create a thoughtful plan for how it can be used within their specific library setting,” explained Jumba. “By the end of the course they not only have tremendous resources to draw upon but they have also learned how to view any application with a critical eye to be successful in its implementation.”
Contribution and collaboration is at the heart of Jumba’s teaching strategy. Jumba’s Web 2.0 course employs applied learning and experimentation to give students the richest experience of the social media tools discussed. In addition, Jumba designed her course to be a collaborative learning environment; after exploring the social media tools on their own, students create posters and presentations to teach each other what they have learned.
“My inspiration comes from knowing that being able to communicate what you learn and a willingness to learn from others helps to ensure development and success in one’s career,” said Jumba. The Web 2.0 course is recommended for students following the Emerging Technologies career pathway in the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program.
Jumba was one of the featured speakers at the iSchool-sponsored Library 2.015 Spring Summit, where she gave participants tips for evaluating and using social media for library promotion. Jumba emphasized the importance of having a plan not only for the initial implementation of a social media strategy, but for its maintenance and its assessment through various analytics. She also stressed the importance of knowing why a certain tool is being used, and explained that social media users need to ensure that any new strategy “aligns with the mission and vision of the organization.”
Jumba also reminded participants at the Library 2.015 Spring Summit that “the emphasis in social media is on the ‘social.’” Since Web 2.0 technologies are meant to foster two-way communication, they should not be used to “data dump” but should create communities of people who want to be a part of something and contribute. View presentation recording
Information professionals looking to update their skills can also take Jumba’s LIBR 246 Information Technology Tools and Applications: Web 2.0 course this summer as part of the iSchool’s Open Classes program.
In addition to teaching courses in the iSchool’s MLIS program, Jumba was one of the lecturers for the school’s extremely popular The Emerging Future: Technology and Trends MOOC.