On 6 January, four people lost their lives after rioters stormed the US Capitol Building in an ultimately unsuccessful bid to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 US Presidential Election. Following this event, there has been widespread condemnation of Donald Trump, ultimately leading to his impeachment. Senior Lecturer Dr Paul Reilly wrote a blog for Medium on the topic, explaining how online disinformation played a role. Read the article here
A new article has been published today in the Journal of Social Media for Learning, authored by PhD student Paul Fenn and Senior Lecturer Dr Paul Reilly. The article, entitled 'Problematising the use of Snapchat in Higher Education Teaching and Learning' can be found here: https://openjournals.ljmu.ac.uk/index.php/JSML/article/view/383 Abstract: There has been relatively little research exploring how Snapchat can be used within Higher Education teaching to date. In this viewpoint, we draw on extant empirical data to explore the strengths and weaknesses of using the Instant Messaging (IM) app to support student learning and teaching within universities. We conclude by considering whether it is appropriate to fully integrate apps like Snapchat into Higher Education in light of the revelations of data misuse by these platforms. The growth of ‘surveillance realism’, whereby citizens feel increasingly powerless at their personal data being repurposed by these companies for financi