The idea of using a social media community (no matter how ad hoc) as a go-to space for information and support around professional interests begins to confirm social media as a space where peer learning and scaffolding takes place.
The questionnaire sought evidence of scaffolded learning dynamics or behaviours through a series of questions on correction and steers. These seemed the most definable moments of scaffolding as the intervention of a corrective comment or steer can be seen as an attempt to guide or support the learner in their own learning process. The responses received seem to confirm that such scaffolding actions do take place. Half of all questionnaire participants reported having been corrected in a social media space, with men more likely than women to report being corrected in a social media space (Table 3). Notably over 60% of participants indicated that they had themselves offered advice to steer or correct a peer (Table 4) and almost 80% of participants reported having observed others being advised or corrected in social media (Table 5).
Table 3: Responses to question 18(a) “Have you ever been corrected in a social media space” cross tabulated with gender.
Table 4: Responses to question 18(b): “Have you ever offered advice to steer or correct a peer in a social media space”.
Table 5: Responses to question 18(c): “Have you ever observed others being advised or corrected in a social media space”.
These multiple-choice responses were supported by qualitative questionnaire and interview data. In these responses several significant trends emerged.
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