Christine Greenhow
Associate Professor of Educational Technology and Educational Psychology | Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI, UNITED STATES
Education expert, focusing on the impact of social media and new technologies in teaching and learning, digital scholarship
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Biography
An expert in educational technology, Christine Greenhow studies learning and teaching in social media contexts with the goal of improving theory, practice and policy in K-12 and higher education. Winner of a 2018 Teacher-Scholar award from Michigan State University, Greenhow researches people's use of social media and learning and innovative teaching with social media in schools, classrooms, and out-of-school online settings. Her work has examined learning in Facebook and Twitter (e.g., reading, writing, social support/social capital, science learning, argumentation, civic engagement, identity, 21st century skills) and the design of social networking apps for education. Her work is also exploring how social media are changing research and scholarship practices. Her work aims to increase our understanding of the intellectual and social practices occurring in online, popular culture-inspired environments, analyze how those practices align, contradict or herald strategies, skills and dispositions valued in formal education, and use these insights to design more engaging spaces for learning. She was a visiting fellow at the Information and Society Project at Yale University, resulting in a book Social Media and Education: Toward a Digital Future (2016) about social media, global education and policy. Her work has been featured in local, national and international news media. She has been active in educational reform efforts and is the co-founder of an award-winning educational non-profit. Currently, Greenhow is the Secretary for the American Educational Research Association's Learning and Teaching Division and its former Communications Director.
Industry Expertise (3)
Writing and Editing
Education/Learning
Social Media
Areas of Expertise (6)
New Digital Forms of Scholarship
Teaching and Learning
Educational Technology
Social Media and Education
Educational Psychology
Learning Technologies
Education (3)
Harvard University: Ed.D., Education and Technology
Boston College: M.Ed.
Dartmouth College: B.A., Government and English
Links (3)
News (8)
Lansing School district offering virtual school option for K-12 students
WSYM online
2021-06-24
Christine Greenhow is an education and technology expert from Michigan State University. She says we can expect to see more districts adopt this learning model because it gets students in line with employment trends. “I mean we see this with workplaces. So, I think these trends that students are taking hold of in virtual learning might set them up for the workplace of tomorrow that's more remote," said Greenhow. Throughout the pandemic, many in the education realm have talked about a widening achievement gap.
Students and Robots, in Harmony
Inside Higher Ed online
2018-01-10
'Three years ago, Christine Greenhow, associate professor of educational psychology and educational technology at Michigan State University, attended a faculty meeting that would set her on an unexpected path. Presenters from the institution’s design studio showcased two different models of robots: a Kubi, which “looks sort of like an iPad on a neck that sits on a desk,” according to Greenhow, and a Double, which can roll around hallways...'
Five Surprising and Innovative Uses of Learning in 2017
ELearning Inside online
2017-12-16
“I teach graduate courses where the primary pedagogy is discussion-based,” Professor Christine Greenhow said. “When you’re in a discussion with some people in the room and others streaming in, you have these faces on the screen and you’re trying to talk to someone, look at their face, look at the camera, and look at other people in the room. You can’t have the same interpersonal experience.” The robots have begun to solve this problem.
Robot Learning Improves Student Engagement
MSU Today online
2017-12-01
The first-ever study of Michigan State University’s pioneering robot-learning course shows that online students who use the innovative robots feel more engaged and connected to the instructor and students in the classroom.
3 Unusual Ways College Professors Can Use Twitter
EdTech online
2016-08-05
In 2012, Christine Greenhow, assistant professor of education at Michigan State University, conducted a study that found students who used Twitter as part of the classroom experience felt more immersed in the course content and more connected to teachers and other students, ultimately boosting their grades. “[The students] feel it is connected to something real, that it’s not just learning for the sake of learning. It feels authentic to them,” she says in a blog post.
Professor Says Facebook Can Help Informal Learning
The Chronicle of Higher Education online
2015-06-30
In a paper released on Monday, Christine Greenhow, an assistant professor of education at Michigan State University, argues that using informal social-media settings to carry on debates about science can help students refine their argumentative skills, increase their scientific literacy, and supplement learning in the classroom. Past studies have shown that informal settings, like conversations with friends, can facilitate learning, but according to Ms. Greenhow, very little has been studied about informal online contexts and social networks, like Facebook applications.
Budgets, curriculum and...Twitter?
Detroit Free Press online
2014-10-27
Christine Greenhow, an assistant professor of educational psychology and educational technology at Michigan State University, has studied social media use among higher education professionals, and found most are using it to keep up-to-date on trends, promote their work and collaborate with others. "Twitter is increasing in use among professionals," Greenhow said. "It still tends to be a niche practice among about 15% of folks, but that's growing."
Twitter Has the Chatter
Inside Higher Ed online
2014-08-19
Christine Greenhow, an assistant professor of education at Michigan State who specializes in social media use, said users who have relied on Twitter for conversations about research may be looking for the same opportunities across multiple social networks. Rosenberg’s strategy, in other words, may not be a bad idea for scholars at the outset of their careers. “If I have a certain impact on Google Scholar and a certain impact in traditional databases and on Twitter, isn’t that all part of how we make the case that our work is impacting others?” Greenhow said. “Scholars preparing to be scholars today need to have a more expansive view of how they track their impact.”
