Intellectual networking | News & Events | University of Calgary
Ullyot started by requiring students to post their questions to him (@ullyot) via Twitter on the weekends before he would introduce new texts in class. Tapping into the resulting dialogue was a way for Ullyot to identify student preconceptions about the Shakespeare plays, and plan how best to deliver the course’s content during class time.
“Coverage of a topic is just as important as exemplifying critical practices, and teaching to the students who are in the room,” says Ullyot. “Twitter is known for its limitations — to 140 characters — but this limited tool can expand minds. It encourages ways of thinking and talking about the texts that’s more flexible and responsive to student needs.”
Not only did Ullyot notice a substantial increase in the number of student tweets over time, he also witnessed growth in expert thinking, intellectual discourse and dialogue among students.
“Students are already using Twitter in their daily lives,” says Ullyot. “This project was about taking student habits that were already established and repurposing them for intellectual use.
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