How does social media connect with community
“Communities are ‘collections of people who are bound together for some reason, and that reason defines the boundary of the community’” (Major, 2015, p. 227). Based on Major’s points (2015), community set up a platform for people to collect and share information, experience and knowledge. It allows community members to learn from each other so that to achieve their goals. In addition, technologies create an opportunity for us to be convenient but not limited by time or place. It means people now can connect with others via social media. We do not have to gather by face to face. In other words, the emergence and development of technology has redefined the word “community”. It enable us to expand and enlarge our social relations.
Community brings the all different places people who have the same idea and ideal together, sharing experiences and beliefs with each other. Community can be many types; for example, onsite community is different from online community( also called virtual communities).An onsite course usually has a specific time and place, students used to work together and learn what the instructor teaches at that time and place. “Often an online course is asynchronous and ongoing, without a specific end to each session”(Major, 2015, p. 245).
Nowadays, social media has become an important communication tool for people’s study and life especially in online classes. Using social media to carry out online learning activities can achieve learning in life and social communication. The implementation of online learning activities can lead learners’ participation and interaction, and get inspiration from the design of online learning activities based on social media: Setting up a social presence, sharing information and experiences, creating a safe and common atmosphere, using effective and efficient online tools, working in groups to improve interest of learning.
Reference
Major, C. H. (2015). Teaching online: A guide to theory, research, and practice. Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press