Should we use Twitter in our classrooms? Communication students in Dr. John A. McArthur’s social media seminar at Queens University of Charlotte set out to open the door to that conversation by hosting a Twitter chat on March 31, 2010 and inviting educators and students to join in the conversation.

Students and faculty from Queens and around the nation discussed the benefits and drawbacks of the use of Twitter for classroom instruction. Among the most discussed topics were the creation of a classroom atmosphere, the student-student and student-professor connections, self-censorship in online platforms, the ability for students to speak out in a new way, and questions about faculty adoption of Twitter.

Moreover, many students pointed to the ability of Twitter to effectively promote writing and editing skills.

Faculty members from other institutions suggested that their colleagues may be apprehensive of Twitter, or simply unsure of the field’s best practices. However, participants also noted that, when faculty members promote Twitter as a classroom technology, student engagement and collaboration abound.

Read the full transcript of the Twitter chat here.

#comm360 is an initiative led by Dr. John A. McArthur (@JAMcArthur), Assistant Professor and Director of Undergraduate Programs in the School of Communication at Queens University of Charlotte (@QueensUniv).