Summary

In our ever-expanding globally connected world, the role of technology has and continues to significantly impact higher education. The use of technology, specifically social media, in the explicit curriculum is but one side of the reality – use in the implicit curriculum is the other. The learning experiences of students and the environment in which these experiences occur are paramount to shaping the professional character of students. In many ways, social media can and should be used to model the profession's purpose and values. Programs have used social media to manage their narratives and attractiveness to ensure long-term viability in a competitive market. Viability for social work programs requires honest messaging in how it is dedicated to human interchange, the spirit of inquiry, the support for difference and diversity, and ethical practices. Integration of social media in implicit curricula include communicating a program's commitment to anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI); recruiting students; sharing assessment outcomes with stakeholders and the larger public; attracting qualified faculty and staff; and student development. For a program to effectively use social media, several factors should be considered. Who makes the final decision for the program? Whose voice is represented? How might one's ideologies impact their decisions to post information? How do programs critically examine its use of social media? What images are used? Are they representative of the intersectionality of students' identities? This interactive workshop offers participants an opportunity to discuss the use of technology and social media, and its connection to and use in the implicit curriculum. Using a readiness tool, participants will explore the positionality and power associated with social media, and how technology can be used to create learning environments that are reflective of its students while respecting and supporting diversity and differences.

Keywords (separate with commas)

technology, social media, learning environment, implicit curriculum, diversity, inclusion