Journal 5 for Unit 5: Social Media

Journal 5 for Unit 5: Social Media

Implementation of  Teaching Tools In STEM

Hello! Welcome to the the inclusive project for STEM students and professors. As an initiative to promote learning and diversity in STEM I am interested in working alongside NCSU in creating an inclusive learning environment. One of the ways of doing this is by creating 3d models that can be implemented in STEM courses for tactile learning. Our goal is to minimize any learning disparities in STEM education. Students should have the privilege of participating in any course regardless of their learning disabilities or limitations.

This week I wanted to research Profound 3d, a company that sells 3d printers and promotes their use in educational settings. Check them out at: profound3d.com They state to promote more than just 3-D printers. Profound supplies and parts for 3-D printers that will get the job done.

Profound 3D has:

• 500 followers on twitter
• 62 subscribers on youtube
• 192 followers on instagram

This companies social media accounts were created in 2015.

After checking on linked in, John Marello, a specialists in e-commerce and marketing is head of the social media platforms.

Based off “The Science People See on Social Media” article social media post that are being shared include:

• research funding
• visuals
• profiles of scientists
• calls to action
• explanation of a concept
• new discoveries
• promotions
• conflicting findings
• travel
• reposts fro page archives
• research misconduct
• non-science related topics

The authors of this article, Paul Hilton and Kenneth Olmstead pointed out that a lot of engaging posts were politically tied to commentary on Trump’s presidential budget plans. Other high engaging post are visually intriguing or posts that strike discussion amongst people. It is important to also consider that algorithms impact how many people are exposed to these scientific accounts.

 

• What are some things that are innovative about their account?
  • Components that add to the ingenuity of this account includes their multi platform usage. The targeted audience is able to follow them across multiple social media platforms. Comprehensive and detailed YouTube videos are also available for those who wish to see demonstrations of the product and its application in classroom settings.
  • I appreciate how Profound 3d has a whole section on their website and social media platforms labeled “3D in EDU.” They provide blog related content for guidance on their products and vision for tactile teaching tools in the classroom.
  • The account does a good job in following and interacting with other accounts that share similar interest in STEM and education. They follow other 3d printing and digital a manufacturing accounts.
  • Visual posts include event participation, sales/ads, and partnerships.
  • Consistent engagement with social media followers. Post recognize current scientific discoveries, recognize faculty, and national holidays.
  • Their blog relates content provides information of tactile teaching in practice. They used this page to introduce perspectives from around the world, as well as how they are creating engineering software. They include how they’ve set up classrooms in Poland.

 

• What could they be doing better, based on the readings from this week?
  • I believe that social media platforms do not gain popularity overnight unless they are one in the few to be lucky enough to go viral. Considering that 3d printing is a fairly new concept in education and that these social media accounts date back to 2015 I think that engagement is promising. The visuals, blogs, and research found on the twitter account show good engagement.
  • More promotions with larger audiences would help the platform grow and introduce the concept to many more people.
  • Getting on new platforms such as Tik tok would help increase exposure

Below are images of Profound 3d social media accounts: