Campus talks: using social media not as a tool but as a teacher in higher education
What can university educators learn about teaching and audience engagement from social media? Two experts – a psychologist and a professor of public relations – share strategies for connecting with students, finding wider audiences for niche research and fighting misinformation
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Whether you love it, tolerate it, are a master of a compelling Bluesky thread or struggle with a LinkedIn update, social media has become an inescapable part of academia. But it’s complicated. On one hand, scholars use it to build their academic profile, share research with the wider public, celebrate career successes or publications, and connect with community and potential collaborators. And on the other, social media is a breeding ground for political polarisation, misinformation and harassment.
One aspect that is beyond question is social media’s ability to hook and maintain our attention. So, what can higher education take from social media’s compelling ways to improve teaching, critical thinking or outreach? How can teachers use its strategies to build engagement in class, for example? What can analysing influencers show learners about navigating AI-created content and deep fakes? What do online habits tell us about what students need from their teachers and each other?
For this Campus podcast episode, we talk to two very different guests, a psychologist in the UK and a professor of public relations in the US:
- Peter Lovatt is a UK-based expert on the psychology of movement and dance, a former professional dancer, and founder of Doctor Dance. During his 20 years working in university research labs, he led the Dance Psychology Lab at the University of Hertfordshire and was a dance psychology lecturer at the Royal Ballet School. His books include The Dance Cure: The Surprising Secret to Being Smarter, Stronger, Happier (Short Books, 2020) and Dance Psychology: The Science of Dance and Dancers (2018).
- Cayce Myers is a professor of public relations and director of graduate studies in the School of Communication at Virginia Tech. His work focuses on laws, regulations and ethics that affect public relations practice, and his books include Public Relations History: Theory, Practice, and Profession (Routledge, 2020) and Money in Politics: Campaign Fundraising in the 2020 Presidential Election (Lexington Books, 2023).
For more resources from our Campus contributors on this topic, visit our latest spotlight guide: What can higher education learn from social media?
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