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Community building and knowledge sharing by individuals with disabilities using social media
Author(s) -
Sweet Kayla S.,
LeBlanc Jennifer K.,
Stough Laura M.,
Sweany Noelle W.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of computer assisted learning
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.583
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1365-2729
pISSN - 0266-4909
DOI - 10.1111/jcal.12377
Subject(s) - social media , thematic analysis , psychology , learning community , informal learning , knowledge building , sociology , pedagogy , world wide web , computer science , qualitative research , social science
Abstract The use of social media to share information, enhance learning, and connect with an online community has grown rapidly over the past 10 years. As social media becomes a more common tool in both formal and informal education, it is imperative to understand how it is used by individuals with disabilities. Through a systematic study of the literature, 215 articles on social media used by individuals with disabilities were selected and 29 selected for in‐depth thematic analysis. Six major themes were identified: community , cyberbullying , self‐esteem , self‐determination , access to technology , and accessibility . To confirm these six categories, we expanded our search, yielding an additional 30 articles, for a total 59 articles reviewed in‐depth. Interactions between individuals with disabilities within online communities often had the goal of acquiring knowledge or learning new information. A communities of practice theoretical framework is used to discuss interactions among the elements of social media design, learning, and the building of community by individuals with disabilities.