If We Can't Reach 'EM, Maybe Mayor @Corybooker Can: Using Twitter to Increase Political Interest Among Introduction to American Government Students

44 Pages Posted: 29 Aug 2013

See all articles by Stephen Maynard Caliendo

Stephen Maynard Caliendo

North Central College

Suzanne Chod

North Central College

William Muck

North Central College

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

Given the degree to which the Millennials utilize the virtual world to build social relationships and obtain information, Twitter has the ability to be a powerful mechanism for fostering civic engagement. Rooted in civic education and technology pedagogy literature, this paper reports findings from three studies that were designed to test the effect of using Twitter in the college or university classroom on student political efficacy, interest and engagement. Students enjoyed using Twitter in the classroom, but there is no strong evidence that doing so increases political efficacy, interest or engagement. While it is clear that students who are actively using Twitter are engaging each other, are more attentive to politics, and have a heightened interest in politics, we cannot establish causality. We offer a number of specific ways that Twitter can be used to engage students in the classroom and offer possibilities for future research to more clearly establish relationships between Twitter use and course, department, or institutional outcomes.

Keywords: Twitter, civic education, civic engagement, efficacy, political learning, political interest, technology, pedagogy

Suggested Citation

Caliendo, Stephen M. and Chod, Suzanne and Muck, William, If We Can't Reach 'EM, Maybe Mayor @Corybooker Can: Using Twitter to Increase Political Interest Among Introduction to American Government Students (2013). APSA 2013 Annual Meeting Paper, American Political Science Association 2013 Annual Meeting, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2303542

Stephen M. Caliendo (Contact Author)

North Central College ( email )

30 N. Brainard Street
Naperville, IL 60540
United States
6306375344 (Phone)

Suzanne Chod

North Central College

William Muck

North Central College ( email )

30 N Brainard St
Naperville, IL 60540
United States

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