Top 10 reasons your students will thank you for using Snapchat as a tutorial tool.

I was confident that my students liked Snapchat tutorials, this was reflected in the level of engagement in them with my 2nd and 3rd year undergraduates, studying Prosthetics and Orthotics at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.

Knowing they liked Snapchat tutorials wasn’t quite enough, I wanted to know why, so I asked them. Here are a few of their responses:

1. “It’s good as you get a rapid response and the tutorials are good because you can save it and can sometimes cover things we miss when self studying of even put into practice what we have learned.” Lewis.
2. “It’s a lot less formal so can ask a question and have a conversation about something without a well planned out question and having to structure it all.” Andy
3. “You get a quick response.” Chloe.
4. “Easy to access. Most have Snapchat on their phones, and can quickly ask the question and get a quick response instead of logging into MyPlace (Moodle) and searching for the specific PowerPoint.” Sarah.
5. “You don’t just see your questions, you see everyone’s and sometimes it’s things you didn’t think about before.” Serena.
6. “I find it to be less formal, and more comfortable to ask multiple questions compared to e-mails. ” Meghan.
7. “Snapchat tutorial is good because I actually enjoy reading the info, and I can absorb key information on the go, without feeling as though I have to sit down and study.” Lui.
8. “You can see if you’ve seen it which is great, as with e-mails you never know if it has been sent over.” Bhavna.
9. “Because of a quick response, it gives the impression of a conversation and can get a better rapport with both lecturer and class mates.” Sarah
10. “It was good when you asked us questions and we got written feedback almost right away.” Meghan.

 

To me, it seems the students like the less formal platform on which they can connect effectively with me, this was a recurring theme in the responses. Ease of access was also important. Our students aren’t keen on the Uni VLE MyPlace (Moodle) due to the number of steps required to get to the relevant information. With Snapchat, I am available 1 click away.  I have to say the students have not abused this, they also use the Snapchat chat group to communicate with and help each other.

The students also highlighted that they liked the quick responses and knowing that I was available to them. I would not instigate a tutorial when I was not ‘there’ to participate.

Why did I decide to start Snapchat tutorials? I wanted to explore a different way to help the students learn, to really understand the material we have covered in class. I decided to ‘meet them where they are’ and for my UG students this is Snapchat. Give it a go, be brave!

What can I help you with to get started with Snapchat tutorials, please leave comments below.