Examining the Use of Twitter in Online Classes: Can Twitter Improve Interaction and Engagement?

Oct 15, 2026

Student engagement promotes communication and knowledge acquisition, a concept challenged in online environments where instructors and learners have fewer physical opportunities to connect. Limited studies suggest social media can support engagement in online classrooms, particularly as learning formats transitioned during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examines how postsecondary students used social media tools for personal, professional, and academic purposes, and how Twitter, required for course evaluation, influenced interaction and engagement.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages19

Reading Time48 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Research focus

Data and analysis

Key findings and recommendations

The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning | Volume 13 | Issue 1 | Article 9 | | --- | --- | | Winter 02-15-2022
Examining the Use of Twitter in Online Classes: Can Twitter Improve Interaction Engagement?
Linda Rohr
Memorial University, [lerohr@mun.ca](lerohr@mun.ca)[ ](lerohr@mun.ca)Laura Squires
Memorial University, [les162@mun.ca](les162@mun.ca)[ ](les162@mun.ca)Adrienne Peters
Memorial University, [apeters@mun.ca](apeters@mun.ca)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca](https://www.cjsotl-rcacea.ca)
[https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2022.1.10892](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2022.1.10892) | and | Recommended Citation Rohr, L., Squires, L., & Peters, A. (2022) . Examining the use of Twitter in online classes: Can Twitter improve interaction and engagement? The Canadian Journal for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 13(1) . [https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2022.1.10892](https://doi.org/10.5206/cjsotlrcacea.2022.1.10892) Examining the Use of Twitter in Online Classes: Can Twitter Improve Interaction and Engagement? Abstract Student engagement promotes communication and knowledge acquisition, a concept that is challenged in the online environment as few opportunities exist to physically connect instructors and learners. Limited research suggests that social media is a tool that can positively impact student engagement in the online classroom, which is especially relevant in the case of the COVID-19 pandemic and learning formats transitioning online. Specifically, Twitter, a favoured format for sharing news, entertainment, and professional networking, may provide a platform and an opportunity for engagement between students and the instructor outside of the traditional, formal classroom setting. This research explores how postsecondary students enrolled in two introductory online self-directed asynchronous courses used social media tools for personal, professional, and academic purposes and how Twitter, as a course evaluation requirement, contributed to interaction and engagement. Relying on 104 pre-and 34 post-semester surveys, our analysis revealed that while Twitter was not used as widely as other social media platforms, a notable proportion of students shared positive perceptions about Twitter’s use. Further analysis revealed some polarizing results with recommendations for successfully implementing Twitter in online learning. La participation des étudiants et des étudiantes favorise la communication et l’acquisition des connaissances, concept qui est mis au défi dans l’environnement en ligne du fait qu’il existe peu de possibilités de connecter physiquement les enseignants et les enseignantes avec les apprenants et lesapprenantes. Des recherches limitées suggèrent que les médias sociaux sont un outil qui peut affecter positivement la participation des étudiants dans les salles de classe en ligne, ce qui est particulièrement pertinent dans le cas de la pandémie de la COVID-19 et des formats d’apprentissage qui sont passés en ligne. En particulier, Twitter, un format privilégié pour partager les nouvelles, les distractions et le réseautage professionnel, pourrait présenter une plate-forme et une occasion de participation entre les étudiants et étudiantes et les instructeurs et instructrices hors du cadre traditionnel formel de la salle d classe. Cette recherche explore comment les étudiants et les étudiantes du niveau post-secondaire inscrits dans deux cours d’introduction en ligne asynchrones auto-dirigésont utilisé des outils de médias sociaux pour des besoins personnels, professionnels et universitaireset comment Twitter, en tant qu’exigence d’évaluation de cours, a contribué à l’interaction et à la participation. Notre analyse, basée sur 104 sondages pré-semestre et 34 sondages post-semestre, arévélé que, alors que Twitter n’avait pas été utilisé aussi largement que d’autres plates-formes demédias sociaux, une p

FAQs

What question does the study investigate about Twitter in online classes?

The study examines whether Twitter can improve interaction and engagement in online classes.

How did the researchers analyze the impact of Twitter?

The analysis relied on 104 pre-semester and 34 post-semester surveys from postsecondary students in online asynchronous courses.

What do the results suggest about implementing Twitter for online learning?

Findings show notable positive perceptions despite narrower use compared with other platforms, along with polarizing results and recommendations for successful implementation.

Oct 15, 2026

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