Instructors' Lived Experiences of Social Media in Interior Design Education: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study

Social media is about communicating, collaborating, and sharing information. The problem is that the adoption of social media technologies by instructors in higher education still remains slow: the role of social media within teaching practices has been marginal (Manca & Ranieri, 2016; Rogers-Estable, 2014; Veletsianos, 2012). In particular, there is little known about the experiences of interior design instructors and the use of social media technologies. The purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to examine the lived experiences of interior design instructors who use social media technologies. The theory that best guides this study is social constructivism. The constructivist framework for this study encompasses both instructor and student who collectively aspire to higher intellectual understanding. This qualitative study involved twenty participants' lived experiences in response to an open-ended interview. The nature of this study was to gain understanding of the instructor's experiences. Three research questions that guided this research were: How have experiences with social media technologies influenced the decision for instructors to use social media technologies, what was it like for instructors to participate with students using social media technologies, and what examples of successful use of social media technologies can be shared? The meaning-making of this study relies on the thick, rich descriptions given by the participants' lived experiences. Transcripts of data were analyzed by using a recommended phenomenological method of line coding where themes and patterns were identified. For purposes of coding, the software HyperRESEARCH by Mac was utilized. Results of this study show that interior design instructors who communicate, connect and share knowledge with their students through the use of social media technologies experience enhanced learning environments. Interior design instructors who empower social media technology use as part of a new age of learning imbue the desired characteristic of a mentor. Further research on social media connections between instructors and graduated students may show evolution of continued knowledge growth. The dynamic relationship of teacher and student in a timeless engagement through social media technologies is a commitment to understanding benefits of knowledge sharing capabilities and social capital for future learning.