How TikTok can be a learning platform for students
ikTok is one of the most popular social media apps nowadays. From dancing to humor as part of the Internet’s subculture, TikTok has over a million short videos containing the things anyone
could ever possibly want. But can it also serve as a tool for learning?
Usually, the first thing that probably comes to people’s minds when TikTok is mentioned are the short dance videos to popular songs or edits and artwork progress clips of someone’s favorite character. But there’s more to the app than that. When one looks hard enough and uses the right search filters and keywords, TikTok has, surprisingly, an educational side.
Students are naturally curious and are mostly glued to their devices because of online learning, so the videos can be used as learning aids, especially during the pandemic, when almost everyone spends so much time on the Internet.
Like YouTube, Facebook, and other sites that allow one to make and post videos, TikTok is no exception when it comes to creating content that could whet one’s appetite for learning something worthwhile. Some of the educational videos on TikTok are made by people who know how to appeal to students with their sense of humor, aesthetics, and eye-grabbing techniques. In YouTube, one can also find compilations of TikTok videos centered around a certain topic tackled in class!
Since the main goal of social media like TikTok is to allow people to interact even when they are apart, students and teachers alike can use the app to do things close to what they do in school.
TikTok can be used for group activities like dancing, singing, and other similar activities. A group can upload a compiled video of their school-related activities on TikTok and tag the teacher so he or she can see it. Also, TikTok can also be used for learning, especially in creating learning aids. With the 15-second time limit that it imposes for videos, students can use this for summarizing what they have learned in a short, simple, and clear way. That is actually an excellent way to hone the students’ ability to interpret lessons. The popularity and appeal of TikTok can motivate students to do better in online learning and increase student-teacher interactions in a fun and innovative way.
What has to be done to pull this off effectively is for teachers and guardians to set boundaries and limits for each student’s TikTok account, making it clear that it will only be for educational use. Filtering and blocking mechanisms can be used to keep learners safe from harmful contents and keep them focused on learning. Privacy settings can also be used so only the teacher can view the students’ submissions. This is to avoid confusion among the multitude of TikTok videos.
It sure is amazing to see how online play and work can mix together effectively! As long as boundaries are set and the teachers are involved with the students, who in turn should be willing to learn, TikTok will not be just for the dances and memes. It could also be an instrument to facilitate student learning. In this kind of mechanism, learning becomes even more meaningful for students, and the hope is that this will translate to even more efficient and effective learning for them.
Like YouTube, Facebook, and other sites that allow one to make videos, TikTok is no exception when it comes to creating content that could wet one’s appetite for learning something worthwhile.
When one looks hard enough and uses the right search filters and keywords, TikTok has, surprisingly, an educational side.