In 2011, the center of excellence in e-learning of KATHO (university college Belgium) organized a small project with students of the teacher training. The people involved in the project explored new methodologies and social media to make the course more interactive and collaborative compared to courses that stick to the common learning management system, Blackboard. The project aimed to experiment and to inspire teachers to develop more interactive and online coaching. This brief paper is meant to share some of our experiences and conclusions concerning working with web 2.0 facilities. The experience with creating a closed learning environment within Facebook in combination with some wikis in Googledoc was finished with an assessment, resulting in findings, recommendations and implications for future applications.

1. Filip Vervenne – short paper, june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.
THE EDUCATIONAL USE OF
FACEBOOK
…
a try-out in a course 2011-2012, Belgium

2. Introduction/context
in a course called “ANI-MATE”, an experiental project from
the Centre of Excellence in E-learning KATHO university
college…
* in teacher
education, students
3rd year
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

3. How Facebook occurred…
 We kind of organized a small research within
the course, engaging the students with 2 tools:
 The students had to make reflections on 3 items:
intertainment (=internet-entertainment),
educational games, social media. We used a
wiki for this part.
 For the interactive part, we asked from each
student 5 contributions on FACEBOOK, linked to
the Filip Vervenne - of the -3 items in the wiki...
content june 2012 EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

4. WHY FACEBOOK ?!
1. Students are on Facebook…
2. Individuals spend a lot of time on
Facebook…
Undergraduate students surveyed spent 51 minutes a day on
Facebook (Stutzman, 2008)
3. Interaction, that’s where Facebook is all about, isn’t
it?
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

5. OK OK, we faced SOME PROBLEMS ,
for e.g.
1. In the beginning: some students just couldn’t
find me on Facebook. The best was to give
them the link in Blackboard so I was one click
away. Some students also had difficulties to
find the notifications with the introduction
and instructions.
2. One student connected to the course with her
private account. Had to throw her out, the
content was euh…
3. Contributions disappearing…?
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

6. PROBLEMS … can be solved…
 First problem: we cannot presume that all students
know how to work with Facebook => Appropriate
coaching!
 The best is to give them a link in the used PLE or LMS so
you stay one click away.
 Put introduction and instructions (about how to work with
Facebook, the aim of,…) both on Facebook and in the used
PLE or LMS.
 Clear instructions: never with a public account,
neither teacher, neither students… Neither using the
friends-account.
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.
 Work with a small group of students to keep the

7. + some positive
impressions/experiences/effects
 a real feeling of a learning community
a dynamical working space, community beyond the
classroom
 facilitating interaction, communication
teacher-student, student-student.
Even chat available amongst students/teachers working
synchronously…
Point of view for the teacher also a good coaching tool, tracking of
who is doing what when…
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

8. someone
contributes and
drops a link…
other students
like…
and/or interact
and learn form
their peers
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

9. specific
determined
private account
for everyone !
teacher in the
interaction
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S

10. WHY NOT?!
Findings, recommendations…
Facebook can benefit the instructor and
student
 tapping different learning styles
 diversifying, expanding pedagogical portfolio
=> the variety in approaches,
taps the difference in learning styles
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

11. WHY NOT?!
Findings, recommendations…
Facebook can benefit the instructor and
student
 creating online peer collaboration
 creating a classroom community beyond the
classroom
 increasing teacher-student
and student-student interaction
=> the interaction, participationU.S. contribution
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver,
and
empowers the (incidental) learning

12. WHY NOT?!
Findings, recommendations…
Facebook can benefit the instructor and
student
 Facebook is appealing to students
=> since learning is all about motivation…
 Last but not least: addressing to 21-st century
skills and literacy
=> we must be familiar with the tools of this era
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.

13. REMARKS, SHARING IDEAS AND EXPERIENCES: PLEASE
CONTACT ME
FILIP.VERVENNE@KATH
O.BE
Filip Vervenne - june 2012 - EDmedia, Denver, U.S.