The Digital Classroom: How to Leverage Social Media for Infectious Diseases Education

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Saman Nematollahi, University of Arizona; Daniel J Minter, University of California San Francisco; Brooke Barlow, University of Florida; Nathanial S Nolan, Washington University in St Louis; Jennifer Spicer, Emory University; Darcy Wooten, University of California San Diego; Nicolas Cortes-Penfield, University of Nebraska Medical Center; Ashley Barlow, MD Anderson Cancer Center; Miguel A Chavez, Washington University in St Louis; Todd McCarty, University of Alabama Birmingham; Emily Abdoler, University of Michigan; Gerome Escota, Washington University in St. Louis
• Language: English
• Date: 2022-05-15
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: [e-mail].
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciac048
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
• Volume: 74
• Issue: SUPPL 3
• Start Page: S237
• End Page: S243
• Grant/Funding Information: This supplement is supported by the Infectious Diseases Society of America.
• Keywords: medical education; PHYSICIAN; Infectious Diseases; digital strategy; TWEETORIALS; GUIDELINES; VIDEOS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Microbiology; virtual learning; Science & Technology; TWITTER; social media; SCHOLARSHIP; 12 TIPS; Immunology; infectious diseases
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Pharmacy; Health Sciences, Medicine and Surgery

Abstract

Social media (SoMe) platforms have been increasingly used by infectious diseases (ID) learners and educators in recent years. This trend has only accelerated with the changes brought to our educational spaces by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Given the increasingly diverse SoMe landscape, educators may find themselves struggling with how to effectively use these tools. In this Viewpoint we describe how to use SoMe platforms (e.g., Twitter, podcasts, and open-access online content portals) in medical education, highlight medical education theories supporting their use, and discuss how educators can engage with these learning tools effectively. We focus on how these platforms harness key principles of adult learning and provide a guide for educators in the effective use of SoMe tools in educating ID learners. Finally, we suggest how to effectively interact with and leverage these increasingly important digital platforms.