Twitter as a medium for pharmacy students’ personal learning network development

ObjectiveTo evaluate PY3 students’ perceptions about sharing weekly health news on Twitter while developing their personal learning network (PLN).MethodsA survey evaluated students’ comfort level with Twitter and its use for delivery of medical/pharmacy news. Familiarity with the concept of PLN, favorite resources, primary topics of interest, and plans for future use were determined.ResultsOverall, 266 students completed the survey—36% were comfortable using Twitter, 21% were aware that medical/pharmacy news can be delivered via Twitter before the project, and 79% were new to PLNs. Favorite resources included health care/government organizations and newsletters. Professional development was enhanced by following professional sources (67%) and classmates (59%). Students plan to continue using Twitter as a social network (51%) and as a PLN (60%), following the same individuals (65%), organizations (71%), and lists (67%).ConclusionsStudents appreciated Twitter as a tool to facilitate development of PLN.