According to its website, the American University Social Media Club is one of the first active Social Media Club Education Connection (SMCEDU) chapters in the country. It aims to “create a network of social media users, to advance media literacy, encourage ethical behavior online, learn from media professionals, share the lessons they have learned and advocate for revolutionary new teaching methods utilizing social media and new technologies within American University.”

Alex Priest (@alexpriest), president of the club, and Megan Ackerman (@MissMeganEmily), vice president of the club, fielded questions and talked about whether using Twitter and Facebook during class amounts to a distraction or a teaching opportunity and how their club is a great reflection of what American University students are like.

1. ASMH: Who first came up with the idea to found AUSMCEDU and why?

MA: Alex Priest, the club’s president, is also the club’s founder. Alex has been involved in social media and began to get really involved in the Social Media Club (@socialmediaclub), and particularly in the Social Media in Education Project (SMCEDU) about a year ago. Over the summer of 2010, Alex began the working on the idea of a Social Media Club at American University.

AP: The idea was sparked through conversation with Yong Lee (@yongclee), Andi Narvaez (@andinarvaez), Steve Radick (@sradick) and James Walker (@jaywalk1), especially. They’ve been instrumental to the founding and success of the organization.

MA: Alex’s intention was, and still is, to create a network of students who are passionate about social media and who also believed that social media belonged in education. Alex and I really believe that education should be based around a conversation and that social media offers so many tools to professors and students to enhance the conversations. When we started up the club in September of 2010, it was Alex’s vision that we established the club with.

2. ASMH: How large is the AUSMCEDU community?

MA: There are currently seven executive board members. We have about 110 students on our mailing list; 50 of them are on our Facebook group and participate in discussions and whatnot; and there about 15-20 core members who come to almost every meeting.

3. What are some of the goals of the group?

MA: First off, to make the Social Learning Summit a success! We are really putting all of our efforts this school year into the conference, because it exemplifies everything we believe it. It’s helping to create a network of social media users at AU, in D.C. and all over the country!

The conference is going to be all about where social media and education connect, with panels about ways professors can use social media in the classroom, how students can market themselves online as a good job candidate and how social media is changing the way things are done in the world so that students and teachers can learn how to prepare themselves for the changes that are sure to come in education.

AP: And at its heart, the organization is about creating better learning. The conference is a huge step toward this. We believe that technology, conversation and innovation in the classroom are essential to moving higher education forward, and the status quo simply isn’t good enough for modern students.

4. Would you encourage other universities and colleges to host SMCEDU groups?

MA: Definitely! It’s been a great way for us social media users to get out from behind our laptops and smart phones and network with other students. I learn something new everyday from the other members; they will tweet about a new iPhone app, or will mention an awesome new website that lets you make Powerpoints online… Having people as interested in social media like me in a club with me makes finding out things so much easier!

Also, it’s been great for the school. We think this conference will bring a lot of great media to AU, and a lot of the professors are really interested in learning from us! We hosted a panel at our school’s teaching conference that took place in January, The Ann Ferren Teaching Conference, where we talked about ways professors can use social media to benefit their lessons. We brought in panelists from different backgrounds: professors, professionals and one of our members, Miranda Gale, represented the student opinion and the professors who attended loved it! One took what she learned from the panel and used it when the school was shut down due to snow and actually got a lot of attention for it, and the office that puts on teaching conference is going to do a second panel!

5. What are some of the greatest social media challenges facing higher education institutions today?

MA: Well one thing that we have found is that many professors still see technology as a distraction! They see a laptop up and assume that the student is on Facebook the whole time. And maybe they are right, but that’s why we encourage them to use the same platforms! While you’re lecturing, have students ask questions via Twitter, post articles on Facebook… you can display the Twitter feed and Facebook page while your lecturing to see what’s going on with your students!

6. What are some of the most important opportunities higher education institutions encounter in social media?

MA: It’s honestly the best way to connect with the students and what is more important than a higher education institution being connected to the students? You can see what students think about classes, professors, different study areas, food offerings… It’s like the Princeton Review but instead of begging your students to fill out a boring survey, they are saying it, as they are thinking it, in the open!

Why use ratemyprofessor.com? Just see what the students are tweeting! The more boring the class is, the more you will see them tweeting to their friends or about wanting to go out (or worse, about how much they hate your class). But if the student is engaged, like really engaged, their feed will have tweets with quotes from class or will mention what they are doing and THAT is a very powerful thing!

7. To what extent, if at all, is AUSMCEDU an official AU group?

MA: We are completely, 100 percent official. American University recognizes us as a student-led on-campus organization; we did all of the training, got all of the signatures and recruited members. But what makes us really official is that we are a good representation of what AU students are like. We like to have fun, we know how to work hard, we care about our education, we are always looking at what’s the next best thing and we are constantly trying to figure out ways to help and benefit others.