1. Pamela Obarowski
EME 5404
Social Networking in Education- Week 3
With each technological device and website that is brought into existence, our
society is becoming increasingly wired. This trend shows no sign of weakening, and
presents a whole new educational paradigm that needs to be addressed. As educators,
we must either adapt our teaching methods to meet the demands of the 21st century
learner, or risk being left behind in this changing civilization. While this may seem to be
a daunting task, the numerous Web 2.0 tools currently available could help facilitate
such a shift.
According to the 2007 National Small Business Association (NSBA) survey, an
overwhelming 96% of students reported using various social networking sites (Bowers-
Campbell, 2008, p. 79). Discovered in the same survey was the fact that 60% of these
social network users communicated with others about schoolwork online (Bowers-
Campbell, 2008, p. 79). Taking these statistics into consideration, social networking
sites appear to have a lot of potential to become useful educational tools. Discussed
next are different avenues through which Facebook can be used in education, and more
specifically, in college.
Posting discussion questions and course announcements on Facebook are two
techniques that are currently being used by the professors in the University of Florida’s
College of Agriculture (Rhoades, Irani, Telg, & Myers, 2008). These UF professors are
among the 30% of educators who use social networking sites to facilitate
communication with their students (Blankenship, 2010, p. 11). Facebook offers a blank
canvas upon which college professors can hold an out-of-class discussion. The initial

2. set-up of such a discussion board is not at all time-consuming, and simply requires the
professor to sign up for a class site on Facebook. Once the page is created, the
professor can post a discussion question, which students may then view and respond to
at their leisure. Time limits for such discussions should be set to hold students
accountable, but this too is flexible. Advantages of using social networking sites such
as Facebook to facilitate class discussions include “greater student engagement,
greater student interest, students taking more control of their education and more
responsibility for their education” (Blankenship 2010). According to Myers (2003),
students participating in a virtual class discussion reported being more confident and
comfortable than when participating in a traditional classroom discussion (as cited in Lei
& Pitts, 2009). These gains far outweigh the amount of effort involved in establishing an
educational environment on Facebook.
Social networking sites can also be used for simple course announcements.
Many teachers exclusively use e-mail as a means to communicate with their students.
However, as people move away from or change their e-mail addresses, this line of
communication may be lost. By establishing a course page on Facebook, educators no
longer need to maintain an accurate and current list of e-mail addresses for each
student. An announcement can be posted to the course Facebook page, which
students can then view at their convenience. This decreases the workload on teachers,
while increasing the amount of responsibility the student has for his/her own education.
For this and other reasons, such a teaching technique is suited for higher education
students, who can be held accountable for their actions.

3. In addition to being an avenue of public communication between professor and
the entire class, Facebook can serve as a private meeting place. Frequently, student-
teacher interactions are limited to the structured and formal setting of the classroom or
lecture hall. Private office hours are often forgotten or pushed aside because of time
constraints or other demands. However, office hours assist in developing a deeper and
more meaningful relationship between professors and college students (Lei & Pitts,
2009). According to Nadler and Nadler (2000), “higher levels of informal contact with
faculty correlated positively with students' academic performance, satisfaction with their
college experience, and retention” (as cited in Lei & Pitts, 2009). The chat function on
Facebook has recently served as a medium for virtual office hours. After establishing
virtual office hours with the students, professors can log onto any computer and have an
informal meeting with a student. This practically effortless access benefits both
professor and student. While it has been reported that not as many students take
advantage of these virtual meeting times as one may first assume, the value of such an
opportunity extends past its actual utilization. College students, who perceive their
professors to be easily accessible beyond the classroom, exhibit a higher level of
overall course satisfaction (Lei & Pitts, 2009).
While Facebook and other social networking sites can be employed as
educational tools, they must first be repurposed for such uses. “The idea of creative
repurposing is important because most technologies that teachers use typically have
not been designed for educational purposes” (Mishra & Koehler, 2009, p. 16). Prior to
using Facebook as a means to communicate with one’s professor or classmates,
students may view Facebook as merely a site to visit for entertainment purposes. A

4. shift in students’ perception of the site is necessary before teachers fully ream the
benefits of its use. To achieve this repurposing, educators must first ensure that they
are familiar with all aspects of the site. After completing this task, professors should
then properly introduce the site’s connection and importance to the class. Through
careful introduction and implementation, educators can transform Facebook into a
valuable teaching tool that is both engaging and convenient.
Utilizing Facebook and other social networking sites can assist educators in their
quest to meet the needs of the 21st century learner. However, accompanying this
technology is a new set of potential hazards. Social networking sites increase student
visibility and reduce privacy. Considering the rise of inappropriate relationships
between students and teachers, both parties should be meticulous in setting personal
and professional boundaries (Harris, 2008). If professors choose to use Facebook as
part of their class curriculum, clear standards and norms need to be established for all
students to follow and respect. The setting of such norms may help reduce the risk
involved in using the site. Educators need not be afraid to experiment with Facebook
and other Web 2.0 tools, but should always proceed with extreme caution.

5. REFERENCES
Blankenship, M. (2011). How Social Media Can and Should Impact Education. The
Education Digest, 76 (7). Retrieved from
https://www.wdhstore.com/hispanic/data/pdf/nov29-howsocial.pdf
Bowers-Campbell, J. (2008). Cyber “Pokes”: Motivational Antidote for Developmental
College Readers. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 39 (1). Retrieved
from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accn
o=EJ816621
Harris, K. (2008). Social Networking Sites as Student Engagement Tools. Diverse
Issues in Higher Education, 25 (18). Retrieved from
http://diverseeducation.com/article/11837/
Lei, L., & Pitts, J. (2009). Does It Really Matter? Using Virtual Office Hours to Enhance
Student-Faculty Interaction. Journal of Information Systems Education, 20 (2).
Retrieved from http://www.allbusiness.com/education-training/education-
systems-institutions/12384604-1.html
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2009). Too Cool for School? No Way! Using the TPACK
Framework: You Can Have Your Hot Tools and Teach with Them, Too. Learning
and Leading with Technology, 36 (7). Retrieved from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accn
o=EJ839143
Rhoades, E., Irani, T., Telg, R., & Myers, B. (2008). Internet as an Information Source:
Attitudes and Usage of Students Enrolled in a College of Agriculture Course.
Journal of Agricultural Education, 49 (2). Retrieved from
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accn
o=EJ839887