Academic Twittering: Breaking Down the Classroom Walls

We've noticed lots of interest in Twitter (and other micro-blogging services) at colleges, and so it's worth noting that David Parry, an assistant professor of Emerging Media and Communications at the University of Texas at Dallas, explains his philosophy for using Twitter. He offers some fresh pointers to others who have experimented with the service. For instance, he expands on what he means by using Twitter to break down the classroom walls: "Students attend college where their identity as a student is just part of what they do and who they are. Many of them have jobs, commute to school, etc., and thus the social aspect of the campus life has changed," he writes. "If this is the case then these 'new' ways of socializing such as Facebook and MySpace are where students are forming their learning communities, ones which do not entirely, perhaps only minimally, overlap with their classroom experience. Thus to extend the walls of the classroom, make education relevant to all aspects of students lives rather than just what they do four-five hours a day we need to think of ways to extend the ways we form and foster learning communities." What do you think?
Source: Wired Campus