Technology is an established part of the lives of students. But university lecturers are becoming increasingly frustrated at how they must compete with tablets and laptops for students’ attention in the lecture hall. In the U.S., Dartmouth computer science professor Dan Rockmore has recently stoked debate in a “New Yorker” article arguing that laptops should be banned in the classroom.
Perhaps weary lecturers should be looking at the problem from a different angle and asking whether social networking sites such as Facebook can actually become a good place to teach. Or at least communicate with their students.
Some research has argued that Facebook and other social media networks have educational potential. Facebook can promote interaction between students and teachers – such as making announcements, discussions and sharing resources.
Other South African research investigating student use of Facebook and lecturer engagement with students via the platform found lecturers saw it as an easier and quicker way to contact students. Students, particularly shy ones, were more comfortable asking questions via Facebook and they also felt lecturers were more approachable after they had interacted with them via Facebook.
But teachers have to combat the fact that growing evidence suggests the value of Facebook in higher education does not yet relate to formal learning at all, but rather to students’ quest for social networking.
Previous research has found that students prefer to keep Facebook for their personal lives rather than bringing it into the educational setting. They prefer to use Facebook for more informal learning (communication about course content and peer support) rather than formal learning.
