Find, Pin, Discuss: Incorporating Pinterest to Foster Community and Collaboration in Online Advertising Classes

Visual bookmarking app Pinterest, known for its aspirational and consumptive qualities of user's "pinning" work, has recently made concerted forays into the online advertising and marketing space. At the same time, its visual and collaborative qualities offer unique potential for application in pedagogy. This paper describes a pedagogical assessment study examining a Pinterest-based discussion board series. Results suggest Pinterest enhances students' sense of learning through contributing to enjoyment, sense of community, and perceived collaborative learning. These results support the utility of Pinterest-oriented discussions to foster collaboration and learning in online digital advertising and media courses. Suggestions for implementation and modification to in-person learning are offered.