Using social media in eLearning aligns with a variety of distance education principles including the following:

#1: Be present at your course:

Instructors can do live video chats, reply to students' comments on posts, react to students' posts (ex: like, love, vote), and participate in discussion posts. Instructors should also give prompt feedback on assignments, posts, and projects to motivate students and hold them accountable for their work.

#2: Create a supportive online course community:

Students should be encouraged to interact with classmates' posts, threads, comments, etc. The instructor should foster an environment that is safe, positive, and constructive to help all students succeed.

#3: Develop a set of explicit expectations for your learners & yourself:

Instructors should set clear expectations on when and how to be communicated with (ex: direct message, e-mail, comments), especially when using a social media platform. Instructors and students are also encouraged to create a separate social media account that is dedicated just to academics, rather than using their own, personal accounts to protect privacy, and keep a healthy work-life balance.

#5: Use synchronous and asynchronous activities:

Instructors can host live video chats or online events, as well as post the recordings or pre-made videos to create a blend of both synchronous and asynchronous learning. The instructor should consider the timing, dates, and accessibility of these activities to ensure flexibility for students.

#6: Ask for informal feedback early in the term:

Instructors are encouraged to gather student feedback throughout the course to create the most effective learning environment possible. Feedback can be gathered through discussion posts, polls, surveys, etc. on a variety of social media platforms to help the instructor make future decisions about assignments, assessments, and other coursework.

#7: Prepare discussion posts that invite responses, questions, discussions, and reflections: 

Instructors can post open-ended discussion posts and encourage students to post their thoughts, opinions, and ideas in the comments/replies. Students can also post video responses, images, polls, blogs, etc. to help initiate productive discussions among classmates.

#8: Think digital for all course content:

Instructors should post content/resources that can be accessed anywhere at any time. The resources should be accessible on a range of devices to provide flexibility for students. Instructors can also encourage students to create digital resources for others using a variety of social media platforms, such as YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.

#9: Combine core concept learning with customized and personalized learning:

Students can use social media platforms to make their learning visual, such as a digital portfolio, to help them make connections between core concepts. Instructors can encourage students to expand their knowledge in certain areas that students find interesting by searching for and participating in social media communities that surround that topic. 

#11: Assess as you go by gathering evidences of learning:

Students can post their projects/assignments on specific social media platforms throughout the course to help instructors assess their progress. Students can also offer peer feedback via comments, likes, etc. to help build a constructive classroom community. Posting throughout the course can create a culmination of student learning at the end of the term that students and instructors can reflect on later.

#14: Design experiences to help learners make progress on their novice‐to‐expert journey:

Instructors may consider using social media platforms that students already use, know how to use, and/or prefer. Instructors should include instructions on how to use the platform at the beginning of the course to help any students who may not be familiar with the platform. Instructors are also encouraged to share resources on how to use the different features offered on the platform, as well as troubleshooting information for when problems arise.