Social university challenge: constructing pragmatic graduate competencies for social networking

With the strong acceptance of social technologies by student users, the academic applications have swiftly followed, bringing a social dimension into every area of university life. However, there have been concerns raised about the impact of social media on students. Some Universities have started including social media skills training in the curriculum. For educators, it is important to understand students’ attitudes towards social media itself and the inclusion of social media skills development. This article presents the results of a qualitative study of students’ positions towards social media and the impact on their professional activity, as well as the need for teaching skills in social technologies. We argue that students are not fully aware of the implications of social media use despite, or sometimes because of, their regular use. Based on 23 semi-structured interviews with students at a UK business school, we bring to light the positions which learners take towards social technology education and argue that structured training is needed. We offer a framework for social skill development and conclude that social technology integration into pedagogy increases the employability skills of business graduates.