There are websites that can help you fast-track your decision making process by allowing you to evaluate tools and compare different features. For example Digizen has such a tool.
- Is it free?
Although there are lots of free social media tools, there can be a trade-off. Firstly, how much time and energy will it take to learn and implement the use of the tool? Are there other tools that may initially have a cost that will actually be cheaper in the long term due to more shallow learning curves, easier implementation, and maintenance?
It may be that the "free" tool is being offered in exchange for you providing information of some sort. This might be personal information, tracking your movements, purchasing habits, personal views and opinions, and interests, so weigh what you're willing to trade for the SMT being free. (see page 3) Will the tool always be free or is this a time limited offer? Often there is a free version with add-ons that have an associated cost or perhaps it has been offered free to build up popularity and value, which then can be offered for sale (see page 3). Be aware that products may be provided free to build up a monopoly or reduce competition (see page 47). There is also the issue of legal oversight and antitrust issues not coming under the same laws as "paid for items". This still has yet to be decisively settled in the courts (see page 4) (see also page 606 in Free: Accounting for the Costs of the Internet's Most Popular Price). - If free, is the trade-off acceptable?
See "Is it free" - How much does the tool support the learning objectives of the course?
- Can you create an account without supplying personal information?
The less personal information you supply, the less risk there is. The more information you supply to sign up for a social media tool, the more the company knows about you, and the more your private information is out in the world potentially vulnerable to others that would purchase or steal it. - Can your personal data be erased if the account is closed?
This is a harm reduction strategy that makes your private information less exposed. Sometimes this is easy to do. Other sites make it more difficult. - Are privacy setting easy to find and navigate?
- Does the tool provide opportunities to learn / enhance knowledge and integration of digital citizenship?
- Is there digital safety information and / or education provided?
- Can you create an avatar type identity?
Some SMT's will allow, or you can, simply create a fictitious identity where you are not using your own identity or personal information. This then lowers the risk that your personal information and habits may be given away, sold or stolen. - If so, is the moderator able to link true identity to your avatar for monitoring and safety purposes?
- How simple and intuitive is the tool to navigate?
Tools that are not simple or intuitive will simply have students resist using them. This will also lower student engagement and or satisfaction. Less time will also be spent on learning as a result of trying to navigate the tool. - Is the tool age appropriate for your class?
- Is the tool skill appropriate to your class, and to you?
- Is the tool appropriate given the technology available?
- Can it be used with school / your existing hardware?
- Can it be used with students hardware?
- Can your students access the tool in school?
- Can your students access the tool outside of school?
Social media is more effective when it can be accessed and used spontaneously (A. Luxenburg, personal communication, October 17, 2015) - Does your class internet quality / bandwidth match the tools' requirements?
- Does the internet quality / bandwidth available to your students match the tools' requirements?
- Is it an open or closed tool?
Open tools are ones that the general public may access information from, or join your group. Closed groups are exactly that. They are by invitation only and not visible to those outside of the group. This does not allow you to showcase artifacts to people outside of the group but has a higher degree of safety to those in the group. - Are there age restrictions?
Some tools, such as Facebook, have a minimum age for people wishing to join the site. However, this does not mean they ask for proof. - Is it available for mobile devices? How seamless is it?
This is an opportunity to allow students to use their own devices. - Can it be easily synched between devices?
Synching between different types of devices can be technologically difficult especially if they are from different manufacturers and operating systems. If you check blog sites on SMT performance, it is quite common to see complaints concerning problems with syncing. - Can it be hosted on your school server?
Being able to host on your schools server can greatly reduce hacking or governmental scrutiny type privacy issues as long as security is high. - What country (ies) does the company use to house servers / databases? Are they secure?
For example, if your information is stored in the United States it can fall under the scrutiny of U.S. government departments under the USA PATRIOT Act (Cates, 2008) - Are there posted advertisements?
Many social media tools make their money through advertising on their sites. Some may have paid versions that do not have advertisements as you are footing the bill. For example, Wordpress, a tool for building websites and blogs has advertising on the free version, while the paid version does not. This can be further complicated when free versions are housed on company servers (K. Switnicki, personal communication, October 18,2015). There can be the perception that the moderator of the site approves the advertisements especially if there is not an educational / informational component addressing this. - Does it restrict inappropriate content?
Many sites seek to remove inappropriate content that is posted. Find out what the standards are, what is being removed, and when. For example Facebook has community standards and shares their process. - Is it easily customizable?
- Is there online support?
- Is there a search function?
- Is there online education / tutorials / video? Is it age appropriate for your students?
- Is there online education specifically for educators about the media?
- How conducive is the tool for promoting engagement: graphics, uploading media?
- Does the tool encourage making new connections between students?
Students that create new connections (cohort effect) are likely to be more highly engaged in the experience, which often equates into higher levels of learning and satisfaction. - Is it a personable and informal space? (Sturgeon & Walker, 2009, as cited in Social Media in Higher Education, page 9)
- Does it have a blogging or discussion feature?
- Are interactions able to be multi-way?
- Teacher /student interaction? One way / two way?
- Teacher / parent interaction One way / two way?
- Can you specifically respond to a reply?
- Can parents or others outside of the group communicate with the moderator?
- Can parents be given monitoring privileges of their child's work?
- Can teacher / moderator pre-moderate?
This means the moderator can scrutinize posts before they become public. The pro is that inappropriate posts can be removed before they go public. The con is that the interaction becomes less spontaneous and may feel as if "big brother" is watching always. - Can teacher / moderator post-moderate?
This means that the moderator only sees posts once they are public but can then amend or remove. - Can different moderators be assigned?
- Can moderators generate a student view of the tool?
This can be extremely important when trying to help students navigate a SMT or help them troubleshoot problems. - Can the posts be made visually appealing?
Can you "bold", use different fonts, use different colours? Can you post images? Can audio replies be made? - Can you reply to a post and attach files or images?
The more that students can reply informally and formally the higher the levels of community and engagement (Barnes & Lescault, 2011, as cited in Social Media in Higher education) - Do the content sharing tools encourage creativity?
- Can you download / upload files?
- Can students blog or make discussion posts to other students?
- Does the tool have the capability to be FUN, to be creative?
- Can you create subgroups within the larger community?
- Can the tool be adapted to create a more personal learning environment?
- Can the teacher select or restrict features to suit the class?
- Are there too many tools / options (too confusing without simple paths)?
Some SMT's have many options, that if they are not customizable, or able to be deleted, can create very confusing navigation paths for users.