Miscellanea U: post‐disciplinary networks in social media

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the pedagogical, disciplinary, and institutional implications of social media for higher education. Design/methodology/approach The paper examines current theories on educational technology and social media in the context of specific social media (Second Life and iTunesU) used in pilot programs. Findings The paper finds that social media dramatically alter the material contexts in which we make decisions about how to organize people and information in higher education. The operation of social media, particularly the low costs of group formation and risk‐taking, is difficult to accommodate within the traditional institutional structures of higher education. Originality/value This paper expands the conversation of social media in higher education beyond the limited (though certainly significant) tasks of technical innovation and policy making to recognize the larger institutional and disciplinary challenges and opportunities they represent.