The process is simple, if when reading/watching/listening to on-line content that makes you think about the course you teach in the wider field of ‘political economy’ that share it over twitter and attach the hashtag #mypoliticaleconomy.
The basic functionality of twitter means a # hashtag make possible a particular type of group content sharing using a microbloging platform. You can later search for your tweets or people you follow on twitters tweets, you can create Storify stream of particular topics or within a time frame.
In short, sharing to the hashtag creates a digital repository of content that can be used for teaching that is searchable at a later date. We don’t know what the potential of this technology is so we are experimenting with this form of social media engagment to see if we can create a useful resource for follow pedagogues looking for new ways of teaching political economy by using examples from everyday life and the world around us. A functioning repository of content shared between teachers and students on a common area of study could potentially become an intellectual commons.
Importantly, hashtags are mostly un-moderated discussion forums -we will have no control over who or what is shared – a hashtag is an open platform of engagement, meaning discussions are open and transparent, but difficult to police. Therefore, this experiment explores new ways for those teaching and learning political economy and cultural economy to share ideas and content, #mypoliticaleconomy is specific enough to ensure intentional use.
We ask everyone to share and promote #mypoliticaleconomy to see if content sharing between university teachings related to the key issues, concepts, ideas and case studies used to teach the wide array of political economy courses on offer. For example,
- Share course-related readings, case studies, reports, or research findings
- Encounters with media stories, everyday stories, art installation, radio or television programme that made you make the link between the outside world and the ideas and facts presented in this module
- Content that roots concepts in events, places and things
- Experiment with social media as a learning and networking tool by asking questions or offering reflections on your own style and teaching of political economy
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