Before there was Twitter - even before the term "social media" was ever used - #RotoloClass was exploring phenomena like social networks and user-generated content that reshaped how the world communicates, shares information, and does business. A first-of-its-kind course covering social media theory and behavior, Social Media in the Enterprise (better known as #RotoloClass) quickly became one of the most popular electives at Syracuse University, with thousands of enrolled students and countless more engaged on social platforms between 2006 and 2016. 

 

The course was created by Dr. Anthony Rotolo, then an adjunct professor and instructional technologist who pioneered a groundbreaking teaching method that integrated real-time social media use into the classroom and beyond. Students were told to use their phones in class to share thoughts on Twitter (now known as X) in real-time while the conversation was displayed live on screen. Even quizzes were done this way, with students quickly polled on key concepts of the lecture and reading materials. Rotolo's method was engaging, unpredictable, often hilarious, and highly effective for motivating learning engagement. #RotoloClass social feeds often generated hundreds of posts per hour, and one national media outlet went to far as to dub the course "a Twitter legend."

 

Another popular aspect of #RotoloClass was the "Viral Video" assignment that challenged students to apply psychological and sociological concepts of "memes" to create their own viral videos. Many students attempted this task over the years, but only a few succeeded in reaching true viral status - and one student's assignment even landed a guest appearance on the Ellen show! This illustrates the main takeaway from the assignment: going viral is a difficult task sometimes achieved through careful calculation and most often with sheer luck.

 

#RotoloClass featured a roster of expert guest lecturers over the years, including author Chris Brogan, whose bestseller, Trust Agents, was one of the class texts. Dennis Crowley, founder of the social network Foursquare, also spoken to the class on several occasions, along with leading journalists and digital media professionals, Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, and brand leaders.