Using Peer Evaluation Through Social Media Tools to Motivate and Improve Learner Performance

Digital photography is both a science and an art. The creation of a quality photograph requires knowledge, thoughtful consideration, and attention to details. As a Digital Art lecturer at a large community college in Hawaii, the researcher noticed that many digital photography students lack the required level of engagement and motivation necessary to succeed as digital photographers. Constructionist learning theory holds that active collaborative social learning is more effective than traditional objectivist methods. Flickr is a Web 2.0 social networking photo sharing site that easily facilitates active collaborative social learning. Using Flickr and peer feedback, the researcher conducted an action research study to determine the efficacy of using peer evaluation through social media to motivate and improve learner performance. The researcher used Google Forms to created two surveys: 1) a pre-participation survey to determine the attitudes and thoughts of the participants before they began the study and 2) a post-participation survey to determine what, if any, effect the action research study had on the participants. The results of the study showed marked improvements in both learner motivation and performance. The implication is that peer evaluation through social media facilitates active collaborative social learning and is an effective tool in visual art education.