As educational technology continues evolving, research from Educational Technology Research and Development Volume 68, Issue 4 sheds light on two fascinating areas: social media’s impact on learning and the promise of adaptive learning technologies.
Vanessa P. Dennen et al.’s Social Media, Teenagers, and the School Context explores how platforms like Instagram and TikTok shape student engagement. While social media can provide collaborative learning opportunities, concerns about distractions and misinformation remain. Meanwhile, Tian Luo et al.’s “Like, Comment, and Share” highlights how higher education professionals leverage social media for professional development, demonstrating its dual role in both formal and informal learning.
On the adaptive learning front, Florence Martin et al.’s Systematic Review of Adaptive Learning Research presents an analysis of how AI-driven personalization enhances student success. These systems tailor content to individual needs, making learning more efficient. However, ethical concerns—such as data privacy and potential bias in AI-driven recommendations—must be addressed for widespread adoption.
With these insights in mind, how can educators balance the benefits of social media while minimizing its risks? And how do we ensure adaptive learning systems remain equitable and unbiased?