[Lior] Ansley Colclough November 1, 2017

Because Twitter has become a significant platform for discussions around controversial issues, it behooves students and instructors in digital literacy and rhetoric courses to use Twitter as a research tool and discussion platform. However, the speed and scope of Twitter dialogue can make it difficult to track conversations. Factor in the prevalence of Twitter bots, filtering from advertising algorithms, and the ideological self-filtering known as homophily, and monitoring controversies on Twitter becomes even more challenging. 

Fortunately, one can categorize sources, locate specific information, and organize the Twitter activity under observation by using Twitter’s under-utilized Tweetdeck feature. Tweetdeck provides a way to watch conversations on micro and macro levels over a period of time. It also provides a more concentrated search tool than the hashtag searchbar, allowing Twitter users to filter Tweet activity through a variety of filters, such as Tweet popularity or by location of the account. 

This lesson plan is intended to guide instructors and students in using Twitter’s List feature and Tweetdeck feature. First, this lesson plan walks through using Twitter as a form for class discussion as a social media alternative to the Canvas discussion forum. The lesson then moves on to using Tweetdeck to research and observe larger dialogues around trending issues.

Learning Objectives

The objective of this lesson is for students to understand how to research online dialogue around controversies, and organize reliable sources on Twitter. The goal is to understand how to 

1) categorize and isolate specific information sources by manually compiling a list or 2) effectively research a specific hashtag or topic. 

To these ends, this lesson plan will show you how to use Tweetdeck as:

• An organizational tool; to categorize specific Twitter conversations by List
• A research tool; to monitor conversations within a list around a specific topic and a search engine tool; to search conversations for specific information
• And a digital literacy exercise, showing students how their information feed is curated and equipping students to take a more active role in curating the information shown to them online. 

• Connector.
• Assignment Length
• At least one class period should be allotted to allow all students to create an account and compile a Class List if necessary.
•  If the instructor opts for verbal feedback after the assignment, then approximately 15 minutes should be set aside in the subsequent class session to allow students to discuss the assignment. 
• The instructor has the option of assigning the compilation of research list as a homework assignment. It is recommended that students should be allowed a minimum of several days to complete the homework assignment. 

• Required Materials
• Every student requires a computer. It is recommended to use a digital classroom if available. The instructor will need access to a computer and a projector. Internet access and access to Twitter is needed. No other software required.
• Skills Necessary
• No prior experience is necessary for students. It is recommended that the instructor review the Skills Workshop video below and practice using Tweetdeck prior to class. 
• It is also recommended that the instructor set up a class for the account using a separate email address.

Access and Adaptability

Close captioning is provided on the Skills Workshop video below. For visually impaired students, see Twitter’s accessibility guidelines and the DWRL’s Accessibility Plug-in Tutorial. 

Assignment Description

This assignment has three parts. First, the instructor shall walk the students through creating a class List on the website Twitter as an example of how to create a list. As the later steps in the lesson shall show, the Class List provides an optional alternative to Canvas as a discussion forum throughout the semester. Secondly, the instructor shall walk the class through creating another List; this time, composed of a set of sources around a topic or controversy of a student’s individual choice. The third part requires the students to demonstrate ability to create and search Lists on their own, with the instructor nearby to answer questions or troubleshoot problems. 

The students will continue to use the Tweetdeck feature as part of either a short homework assignment or as a semester-long project. The length of the assignment is left to the instructor’s discretion. 

Instructor Preparation

• Set up a Twitter account for the class. It is recommended to use separate email.
• Familiarize oneself with List and Tweetdeck tools if unfamiliar. Consult the Skills Workshop video below as needed.

Student Preparation

• Optional: set up Twitter account prior to class lesson if necessary. 
• Each student should have access to a computer and internet. It is recommended that instructors use a digital classroom if available. 

In-Class or Assignment Instructions

• This first class session has three parts. In the first part, the instructor shall walk the students through setting up the Twitter accounts they shall use for the class. The class will compile a List of their classmates’ Twitter accounts together and practice communicating with Tweetdeck. It is recommended that instructors and students watch the Skills Workshop video in class together to provide an overall description of the project before going through the steps together.
• Students will 1) Create a Class List and follow one another and the instructor 2) create a List of relevant accounts and sources who Tweet on a controversy of each student’s choice 3)Practice using TweetDeck to search List activity for specific keywords and filter through Lists and hashtags by location, activity, user verification, and other factors.  
• The class shall discuss the Tweetdeck feature and how they used it (or did not use it) in researching controversies online at the end of the assignment. This may occur in the following class session, or at the end of the semester if the instructor chooses to extend the project into a longer assignment. 

Skills Workshop

Assessment Suggestions

• Suggestions for Traditional Assessment

Instructors have the option of informal and/or formal assessment. An informal assessment would consist of verbal feedback at the end of the workshop session. A formal assessment consist of a short essay provided at the end of the semester or at the end of the assignment, to the instructor’s discretion. 

Possible conversation starters include: 

• Which specific filters (location, popularity, etc.) were most useful or least useful in your assignment? 
• How do you think this may have differed if you had chosen a different topic? 
• How many Lists did you find necessary to research your project? 
• Did you rely primarily on Lists manually compiled of relevant sources or Lists compiled from hashtags? 
• Did you ultimately use Tweetdeck primarily to monitor ongoing conversations, or “distant read,” or as a search tool to isolate specific Tweets or information?

Answers to these questions may vary depending on the structure of the class and the student’s topic. 

• Suggestions for Portfolio-Style Assessment

The instructor has the option of extending the assignment into a semester-long project. Students would submit a short description of how the Tweetdeck did, or did not, affect the way the researched controversies on Twitter. Potential angles may include most or least effective filtering features (location, verified user, popularity, etc.), most or least effective strategies (for example, using Tweetdeck to monitor ongoing conversations or specifically as a tool to isolate specific Tweets). The descriptions would be evaluated on the basis of composition and reflection so as not to penalize students who may have remained ambivalent to the project.