Working with social media in tertiary education: a contested space between academics and policies

Managing the use of social media in tertiary institutions is not as straight-forward as it may first seem. There is a multiplicity of facets which interplay within this space, from the espoused University policies on the one side of the coin, to the actual practices by students and staff on the other. At times, this misalignment is not the result of deliberate waywardness. For academics, deciphering and adhering to institutional policy whilst simultaneously attempting to enrich students’ learning experiences is a difficult feat. This paper explores this contested space, examining the tensions between social media as a disruptive technology, coupled with the interpretation of institutional policies. Our analysis points to a call for clarity in and around institutional policy in the implementation of social media for teaching and learning in higher education.