Evaluating an Online Module: Using Social Media as a Professional Development Tool for Graduate Students in the Learning Design and Technology Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa

Abstract

The Learning Design and Technology (LTEC) program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa focuses on integrating and evaluating educational technology in various learning environments. With the increase of online technologies, social media can be utilized as a professional tool to connect, network, and collaborate with peers, colleagues, and other professionals, especially within the professional world of learning design and development. Currently, the LTEC Department has yet to provide instruction and guidance for LTEC graduate students on why and how to use social media effectively for professional purposes. The purpose of this learning assessment is to evaluate the impact of the online module on the interest and willingness of LTEC graduate students to use social media as a professional development tool within and beyond the LTEC Department. The project was designed using Krathwohl’s Affective Domain Taxonomy and the Keller’s ARCS Model and tested through asynchronous retrospective surveys and one-on-one interviews. Results show a positive change in interest and willingness to utilize social media to for professional purposes within and beyond the LTEC Department. Recommendations for further research include implementing higher level educational objectives, incorporating active participation strategies to observe behavior changes, and widening the target audience to encourage cross-departmental buy-in.