Using Facebook in HE: An OU case study
Open Learning has released an early online article, "The use of Facebook to build a community for distance learning students: a case study from the Open University". I've long wrestled with the concept of using social media in formal HE for a variety of reasons - but the format proposed by Callaghan and Fribbance works. I suspect their successful use of Facebook is based on three main characteristics:
The authors concludes that "Using everyday technology to connect with students, remind them of sources of informal learning and nudge them to think about contemporary social science issues in a critical way, the Faculty Page would appear to make a contribution to overcoming isolation and creating an academic community". Their work is certainly proof-of-concept; as the authors add, however, more research as to the benefits of such a Facebook overlay on student participation within their modules is needed.
My main difficulties with social media in formal education relate to relevance at the level of the module. How could social media provide a true 'social' engagement, without sacrificing informality to rigid purpose and outcome? Would students be required to open up their personal accounts to a host of classmates - who will generally be strangers? And, would social engagement at the level of a module be restricted to a small group of people, bound by a relatively small association (at module level)? The case study here neatly answers all three, in the name of extra-module community. Nice one. I'm convinced!
- It's purposeful, and facilitated.
- It's optional.
- It's cross-programme, rather than intra-module (adding variety and scale).
The authors concludes that "Using everyday technology to connect with students, remind them of sources of informal learning and nudge them to think about contemporary social science issues in a critical way, the Faculty Page would appear to make a contribution to overcoming isolation and creating an academic community". Their work is certainly proof-of-concept; as the authors add, however, more research as to the benefits of such a Facebook overlay on student participation within their modules is needed.
My main difficulties with social media in formal education relate to relevance at the level of the module. How could social media provide a true 'social' engagement, without sacrificing informality to rigid purpose and outcome? Would students be required to open up their personal accounts to a host of classmates - who will generally be strangers? And, would social engagement at the level of a module be restricted to a small group of people, bound by a relatively small association (at module level)? The case study here neatly answers all three, in the name of extra-module community. Nice one. I'm convinced!
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