Twitter Journal Club in Medical Radiation Science

Abstract

Introduction: Social media has emerged as a powerful platform for engagement and learning. There is a growing trend toward the use of social media among health care professionals and professional groups to disseminate and discuss knowledge. Twitter is one tool that may enhance continuing professional development (CPD) for the medical radiation technologist. To evaluate the potential benefits of Twitter to CPD among medical radiation technologists, this study explored the integration of Bloom's taxonomy with Twitter-based professional activities.

Approach: In 2015, the Medical Radiation Journal Club (https://medradjclub.wordpress.com/) commenced a monthly Twitter-based journal club for medical radiation professionals. This study investigates the application of Bloom's taxonomy of the Twitter-based journal club for CPD purposes.

Outcome: The Twitter-based journal club provides a valuable platform for CPD. The combination of journal articles, supplementary reading, online blog, and the one-hour Twitter discussion engages all levels of Bloom's taxonomy; remember, understand, apply, analyze, evaluate, and create. A deeper insight revealed that the Twitter journal club provides an authentic learning environment suitable for CPD in which participants consume, collaborate, and produce.

Conclusions: This evaluation demonstrated that the Twitter journal club can provide an authentic learning environment with all the cognitive dimensions afforded in a formal classroom or face-to-face journal club. Indeed, in some ways, these cognitive dimensions are enhanced in the Twittersphere.