Learn with Lynda: Twitter Chats

This month Learn with Lynda is spotlighting the Organising Twitter Chats a new 51 minute course from Brian Honigman. You will need to be familiar with Twitter to be able to benefit from this course (if you are new to Twitter why not join in with the TEL team’s 10 Days of Twitter running at the end of this month).
Twitter chats are when a group of Twitter users meet at a pre-determined time and discuss a specific topic using a designated hashtag for every tweet they contribute. Usually a host will tweet out a question (which will be prefixed with Q1, Q2…) which participants will respond to (using the corresponding prefix A1, A2…) and interact with each other. Twitter chats typically run for an hour.
Participating in Twitter chats provides a chance to network with other people and increase your knowledge through shared interests. They might be a good way for you to foster student engagement in your course, check knowledge and understanding or encourage debate.
Topics include:

• Developing a strategy
• Interacting with chat participants and guests
• Sharing rules of conduct
• Promoting your Twitter chat
• Participating in other relevant Twitter chats
• Using metrics to monitor your results

This Lynda course is ideal if you are planning on hosting a Twitter Chat. You will learn about the basic features of a Twitter chat, develop a winning strategy by defining your theme, goals, and audience, and select the perfect hashtag and host. Then you will be able to work out your chat topics and questions, choose and prepare your guests, and set and share rules of conduct. You’ll also learn how to promote your chat by sharing it across channels, sending reminders, and including visual media.
Don’t forget to let us know what you think of the course! Was it helpful? Do you have a Twitter account? Are you new to Twitter? Have you participated in a Twitter chat? What do you think about the potential of a Twitter for communicating and engaging with your students (or peers)? Are you planning a Twitter chat? As ever let us know in the comments. And don’t forget to follow us in Twitter: @YSJTEL!

Emma