Transcript SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER EDUCATION: THE CASE OF …

SOCIAL MEDIA IN HIGHER
EDUCATION:
THE CASE OF FACEBOOK
NAOMI DU PLESSIS
VAAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
NORTH WEST UNIVERSITY:VAAL CAMPUS
September 2011
Any technology that is able to captivate so
many students for so much time not only
carries implications for how those students
view the world but also offers an opportunity
for educators (Unknown)
Why are we here?
Define e-learning
Investigate STUDENT-CENTRED LEARNING
Investigate Facebook as a teaching medium
What Facebook can do for students…
Teacher perspectives
Student perspectives
My personal journey using FACEBOOK in higher education
What Facebook can do for you…
E-learning
Education via the Internet, network, or standalone
computer.
e-learning is essentially the network-enabled transfer of
skills and knowledge.
e-learning refers to using electronic applications and
processes to learn.
e-learning applications and processes include Web-based
learning, computer-based learning, virtual classrooms and
digital collaboration.
Content is delivered via the Internet, intranet/extranet,
audio or video tape, satellite TV, and CD-ROM
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/E/e_learning.html
My e-learning experiences
WebCT & Moodle – Monash South Africa
Blackboard – UFS
NWU – eFundi – SAKAI
VUT – MyVUT – SAKAI
Facebook and Twitter @ NWU and VUT
Student-centred learning
Student-centred learning is about
helping students to discover their
own learning styles, to
understand their motivation and
to acquire effective study skills
that will be valuable throughout
their lives.
Student-centred learning
Teachers need to help students set achievable
goals:
encourage students to assess themselves and their
peers
help them to work co-operatively in groups, and
ensure that they know how to exploit all the
available resources for learning.
Student-centred learning
Learning is thus more a form of personal
development than a linear progression that
the teacher achieves by rewards and sanctions.
Errors are seen as a constructive part of the
learning process and need not be a source of
embarrassment.
The main principles of student-centred
learning are:
The learner has full responsibility for her/his learning
Involvement and participation are necessary for
learning
The relationship between learners is more equal,
promoting growth, development
The teacher becomes a facilitator and resource person
The learner sees himself/herself differently as a result
of the learning experience.
Just a few facts…
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1 in every 13 people on Earth is on Facebook
In 20 minutes 1,000,000 links are shared on Facebook
In 20 minutes 1,323,000 photos are tagged
750 million photos were uploaded to Facebook over New Year’s weekend
48% of 18 to 34 year olds check Facebook right when they wake up
50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given day
There are over 900 million objects that people interact with (pages, groups, events
and community pages)
Average user is connected to 80 community pages, groups and events
Average user creates 90 pieces of content each month
Australian’s spend more time per month on Facebook than any other country at
over 7 hours on average
Facebook makes money through advertising and virtual products
Some order must be created…
House rules on gadgets in class
Laptop use is invited when students are taking
notes or developing an essay.
Smart phone use is invited when a quick internet
search is needed.
In BOTH cases, there must be a classroom need for these
devices, or their use is not allowed.
I have encouraged use of Smart Phones as related to class activities, but ban the
personal use of them during class (i.e., if there is not a need for them to have the
phone out, I ask them to put it away).
Generation Z / Net generation cannot operate
without their gadgets…
Accounts students keep
98% of students have Facebook accounts (N=680)
(both VUT and NWU)
VUT = 100% Facebook and Twitter
VUT – not just to retrieve information – practical
experiences on and with the tools due to nature of
subjects
NWU – purely for communication between students
and myself this semester – rely more on eFundi
Facebook in my classroom
VUT – PR, Communication Science and
Media Studies
NWU – Communication Science,
Communication
Facebook in groups where I can send
subject specific messages to
Twitter only for VUT students this
semester
Twitter in my classroom
Communication Science, Media Studies and
Public Relations :
Twitter links
They follow specific people / products and
services
They twitter links to each other
Some open their own Twitter sites when they
start their own businesses
Colleagues views on Facebook…
Some lecturers are sceptical
Some don’t know how it works / do not want to know
how it works
Some are not interested
Some are too lazy to start their own sites – but they
find the use of Facebook valuable
5 subjects linked to FB in NDip PRM
3 others send messages via e-mail to me to be
published on Facebook
Comments from active lecturers
Convenient
Fast
In most cases students will receive the messages
Links to interesting information
No more clogging of notice boards
Reply from students…convenient as it is on smartphones
The grapevine …
5 W’s & H???
I migrated from mySpace to Facebook at its
inception
4 years in my subjects now
3 years for others lecturers
Twitter – 1 year
Other lecturers not using Twitter only Facebook
Accounts
Separate accounts for each subject
Twitter they follow who they want to / who
they need to
No specific Twitter account
Still playing around with Twitter not formally
using it
Google+ …let’s see what the future brings??
Students: Managing online reputation
TALENT SCOUTS: Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn create fertile
ground for unearthing information
that can help them better
understand the type of person
they’re looking to bring into their
organization.
According to a 2009 study
conducted by Harris Interactive for
CareerBuilder.com, 45 percent of
employers questioned use social
networks to screen job
candidates — more than double
from a year earlier.
Students: Managing online reputation
I let them Google themselves – shocking results
sometimes = eye-opening experience
Remind students of reputation all the time
Big brother is watching you…
Keep professional reputation
Speak to students on the management of their digital
footprint
Online identity is something students really need to
understand as a basic form of media literacy.
Impact of FB and Twitter in class
Some are distracted
Cyber bullying
Competitive – want to get to info first
Hungry for new information
Cheating in practical sessions
Online learning community is extension of traditional
classroom experiences
How do institutions feel about social
media?
A huge waste of time with no redeeming pedagogical value
Powerful learning tools with the potential to engage learners
in new and exciting ways,
VUT – locked between 8 – 3 daily – at present NO official
policy yet
B Tech students now open during office hours
NWU open – most use eFUndi (Sakai) daily and catch FB and
Twitter on their phones
Facebook in HE: Quo Vadis?
Universal commercial site is here to stay.
We should use it for advertising and for communications—and certainly
for emergency messaging.
Advertising, marketing
Online applications
Course information
Implications for teaching and learning?
Facebook also emphasizes the importance of creating
content over simply consuming it.
Facebook allows students to express themselves,
communicate, and assemble profiles that highlight their
talents and experience.
To understand the elements of social networking that
students find so compelling and to incorporate those
elements into teaching and learning.
Implications for teaching and learning?
Information literacy—the ability to explore the
opportunities and risks of the Internet
Choices about how to use technology in
creative and useful ways while avoiding the
pitfalls.
Facebook has the potential to teach students
about appropriate citizenship in the online
world.
Downside of Facebook
Public even though it feels like a
private forum.
Little assurance that the people behind the
profiles are who they represent themselves to
be.
Number of FB friends you have is sometimes
considered a measure of personal popularity –
post pics and comments to favourable
Downside of Facebook
Although some students understand how and when to separate
private from public content, many lack the discretion to present
themselves— and others—appropriately online.
Find themselves in trouble over pictures and comments about
themselves, questions of libel and copyright come into play
Facebook addiction
Updating photos, site and roaming others can take
hours per day with no particular goal in mind
Basic rules using FB in education
Respect others
Be a valued member.
Don’t spam
Stay on topic
Be transparent.
Be respectful.
Be accurate.
It’s a conversation.
Did you make mistakes?
Be a Leader.
The case of Farmville
Farmville is a farming simulation social
network game developed by Zynga in
2009.
Clone of Farm Town, Happy town and
other online farming games.
Gameplay involves the various aspects
of farm management such as ploughing
land, planting and growing of crop,
harvesting and raising livestock.
Pros and cons of Farmville
Negative:
• Time consuming
• Eating bandwidth
• Obsession
• In August 2011 a court heard
that Adam Hamnett, of
Greather Manchester was so
desperate to buy virtual
animals for his FarmVille
account that first he robbed
from a blind man, Brian
McKenzie, and then murdered
Peter Boustead when his
friends threatened to report
the matter to the police
Positive:
• Time management
• Planning
• Time lines
• Financial planning
• Budgeting
• Investigation into
certain crops etc.
Follow news feeds
Have students follow news feeds relevant to the course material
in order to keep current information flowing through the class
BBC
CNN
ABC
NEW YORK TIMES
EUROPEAN NEWSPAPERS AND TV CHANNELS
Poll your classes
Learn a foreign language
Students create their own news
sources and info on campus
Media Studies students to follow
politicians
Create subject specific sites for
students
Schedule events
Send messages
Extensions to class discussions
Share multimedia content
Post class notes
Shy students get to communicate
Learning circle commitments
Students form learning circles / study syndicates
LC’s can create their own page
Inform everybody about everything without phoning
or SMS’s
Cost and time effective
Make announcements
Critical thinking and brainstorming
Share interesting website
Posting homework
Movements on campus
Benefits of FB for students
Inviting atmosphere
Get to know everybody at beginning of the year
Informal
Students are comfortable with Facebook
Keeps information current
Collaboration between different subjects and year groups
Benefits of FB to students
Students talk about their academic work outside of varsity
times
Ambient awareness and get to know students better
Teach students personal responsibility
Access to information, news and speakers such as on
www.ted.com
HOW TO? FOR LECTURERS
KEEP THIS IN MIND…
Use as a course management
system such as Sakai, Blackboard
Stay active. Keep posting messages, use as
many Facebook apps and resources as
possible, and update status reports so your
students know you are engaged and you stay
an important part of the Facebook experience.
KEEP THIS IN MIND…
Create a separate account just for your
classes
Manage privacy settings.
Friend students carefully.
Ask students to put you on limited access
to their pages.
Create lists.
SOME RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS
weRead
More teaching and learning
applications
NEAT CHAT – learners can chat on Facebook groups, they can
share files, send private message and share group work
STUDY GROUPS – students can collaborate with class mates and
plan homework
KOOFERS – share old test papers, quizzes, work out their own
test questions
BOOKTAG – you can create arbitraty book lists, label them and
share with your classmates
PeerPong – discover everyone’s expertise and connects you
with the best person to answer any question
CONCLUSION
Keep the digital divide in mind
Do not rush into it
Everybody must be comfortable
Encourage students to get smartphones
Constant communication that can keep you busy
Watch the power of student-centred learning!!
References
• Matt on May 26th, 2009Social Media guidelines
http://webcomm.fiu.edu/2009/05/social-mediaguidelines/
• Aliza Sherman May. 26, 2009
http://gigaom.com/collaboration/10-goldenrules-of-social-media/
• 7 things you should know about... Facebook
http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7017.p
df
• http://www.onlinecollegeclasses.com/blog/20
09/100-awesome-facebook-apps-forproductivity-and-learning/
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FarmVille