Tweetorials for Medical Educators

Abstract

Social media has solidified its role as a key forum for medical education. Twitter is one of the most widely used online platforms and is increasingly recognized as a relevant venue for medical education and academic scholarship.1,2 Yet, producing high-quality content in a single 280-character tweet remains a challenge.The tweetorial (a portmanteau combining tweet and tutorial) has emerged as a method to overcome Twitter's character limit for individual tweets while taking advantage of the tools it provides (eg, addition of graphics, hyperlinks, and polls). Defined as a “collection of threaded tweets aimed at teaching users who engage with them,”3 tweetorials are created and consumed by medical educators and learners. Unlike individual tweets, tweetorials are typically planned and drafted in advance and posted synchronously. These threads teach key concepts, tell stories via a narrative approach, supplement and critically appraise new research, and highlight educational best practices.4 The most effective tweetorials share key elements, such as clearly defined educational goals, high-quality visual elements (if applicable), lower cognitive load, and linear progression of ideas (Figure). With the ability to reach audiences far larger than those in traditional formats, such as lectures, tweetorials provide educators with a unique opportunity to expand their academic profiles.1

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