Abstract:

While the use of social media is still expanding, many researchers and educators are finding a growing potential in social media for science communication. This advancement has encouraged researchers to explore and utilize new online interaction tools for promoting public engagement in science. Innovations in social media technologies have multiplied on a scale never before seen, revolutionizing not just the way in which we communicate, but also how we interact with others (Weisgerber & Butler, 2010). In education, in order to achieve effective student engagement, it is essential to facilitate the way they interact, collaborate, and share information and experiences. This necessity is more emphasized in science education and communication since interactivity has been proposed to be a new and better mode of science communication (Cocheret de la Monière 2006; Van Woerkum and Van der Auweraert 2004). For this purpose, social media could be employed in informal science learning contexts as a platform for interaction between students, teachers, and the public (Battrawi & Muhtaseb, 2013).

Many social media tools play a major role in involving students in discussions on science related topics, not only with other students and teachers, but also with the public. According to Hargadon, educators may soon reach a point at which it is difficult to imagine education without social networking tools (Hargadon, 2009). Other social networking tools might play an additional role in crowdsourcing for scientific events since they provoke interaction and contribution (Battrawi & Muhtaseb, 2013).

This paper highlights/describes the interactive features of social media and investigates online practices and activities surrounding the use of social media in facilitating interaction between students, teachers and the public. Online interactions on specific science events were followed/observed and analyzed using the example of 'Creative Minds' Facebook page where scientific events were created and real-time live monitoring for animals were employed as a venue for interaction between students and the public on science-related topics. The study presents techniques and guidelines to science educators on the use of social media in enhancing interaction and engagement with science. Challenges are discussed and guidelines for improving the use of social media for promoting online interaction and engagement with science are also proposed.

Keywords:

Science Communication, Social Networks, Science Education, Science Literacy, Informal Science.