title: Microblog use and student engagement in the large-classroom setting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Encouraging student engagement in the large-classroom setting can be difficult. Challenges include the depersonalized nature of the environment and the fact that students frequently find asking questions and participating in class discussion intimidating. Social media has the potential to address these barriers, but this has not yet been formally evaluated. Our study analyzed the impact of microblog use on students' question-asking behaviors (an indicator of student engagement) in a large-classroom setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Formative evaluation of a large-classroom medical humanities course identified microblog use as a potential tool to facilitate greater student engagement. A microblog was thereafter incorporated into the course. Student engagement was operationalized as question-asking behaviors before and after microblog incorporation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paired t tests showed that the total number of questions asked was significantly greater in the microblog-available classes, t (2)=12.12. In addition, significantly more individual students asked questions in the microblog-available classes, t (2)=17.39.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study, demonstrating an increase in question-asking behavior after incorporation of a microblog, has important implications for educators who seek to enhance student engagement and learning in the large-classroom setting. In addition, innovative use of emerging technologies (such as microblogs) as educational tools requires continuous assessment and iterative change to maximize benefit. More research is needed to evaluate what specific barriers to engagement are overcome by microblog use and whether microblog use can similarly benefit other courses.
authors: Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.
authors: Adam K
authors: AK
authors: Saperstein
authors: Christy J W
authors: CJ
authors: Ledford
authors: Jessica
authors: J
authors: Servey
authors: Lauren A
authors: LA
authors: Cafferty
authors: Stacey H
authors: SH
authors: McClintick
authors: Ethan
authors: E
authors: Bernstein
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D057218:Blogging; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate; D006809:Humanities / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D013337:Students, Medical