#DLNchat: Where the Digital Learning Network Connects

What’s the best metaphor for describing the role of an instructional designer? How can digital learning help improve graduation rates? How might adaptive learning courseware change the work of faculty? Who should be responsible for protecting students’ privacy? How do you learn about new edtech products?

Those are just some of the questions we’ve asked at #DLNchat, and the answers from your peers abound! The chat is now hosted by our partner WCET and meets every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 1pm PT /4pm ET. See the list of upcoming #DLNchats (and other EdSurge events).

But what exactly is #DLNchat? It’s the Twitter chat for the Digital Learning Network. Let’s start with some basics…

What is a Twitter chat?

A Twitter chat is an opportunity for individuals to meet on Twitter at the same time to discuss a specified topic. Users participate in a conversation by following—and importantly, tweeting with—a particular hashtag. We’ll use #DLNchat as an example:

1. Before the Twitter chat starts, a host, @wcet_info, announces the topic and time for the chat.

2. At the specified time, log into Twitter and search for the chat hashtag, #DLNchat.

Pro-tip: using an app like TweetDeck makes it easy to save hashtags like #DLNchat in columns for future use.

3. The host, @wcet_info, will post questions using Q1, Q2, Q3, etc. to indicate the questions. These will often appear in the form of question cards as well.

4. Participants respond via tweets using the #DLNchat hashtag! This is when things get fun. Everyone in the chat will share their answers to the questions with an A1, A2, A3, etc. to show which question they are answering.

5. Chat it up. Participants will respond to each other’s answers and often share other comments related to the topic and links to resources, photos, gifs, videos… At #DLNchat we always have a playlist to groove along to too!

6. Don’t forget to add the hashtag #DLNchat to ALL your tweets so everyone in the chat sees them.

Pro-tip: if you tweet from the Twitter search bar on your laptop or mobile device the #DLNchat will be auto-added to your tweet.

Twitter chats are a great way to connect with new people, #DLNchat especially for anyone interested in digital learning in higher education. Be sure to follow your new contacts after a #DLNchat and to check out all the great resources that are shared. One more pro-tip before you go: don’t get overwhelmed! You don’t have respond to (or like) every single tweet you see. And if you miss a question, you can always go back to it, including “A’s” in your responses will make it so everyone knows what question you’re referring to.

Didn’t we make that easy? See you at the next #DLNchat! We meet every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at 1pm PT/4pm ET. Join the Digital Learning Network to get updates about all upcoming chats.

Recaps of our past chats are below. #DLNchat is co-hosted by EdSurge, WCET and EDUCAUSE.