A case study of Facebook use: outlining a multi-layer strategy for higher education

TY - JOUR

T1 - A case study of Facebook use

T2 - outlining a multi-layer strategy for higher education

AU - Menzies, Rachel

AU - Petrie, Karen

AU - Zarb, Mark

PY - 2017/1

Y1 - 2017/1

N2 - Many students are looking to appropriate social networking sites, amongst them, Facebook, to enhance their learning experience. A growing body of literature reports on the motivation of students and staff to engage with Facebook as a learning platform as well as mapping such activities to pedagogy and curricula. This paper presents student opinions of the use of a Facebook strategy within higher education through the use of focus groups. Results show that the Facebook strategy is useful in promoting collaborative learning alongside the face-to-face delivery of content. Participants rebuked the perceived blurring of educational and social purposes, which is prevalent in the literature, with the current structure allowing a clear divide between their different uses of the site. The development of further guidelines for the use of Facebook for education is encouraged and recommendations are provided.

AB - Many students are looking to appropriate social networking sites, amongst them, Facebook, to enhance their learning experience. A growing body of literature reports on the motivation of students and staff to engage with Facebook as a learning platform as well as mapping such activities to pedagogy and curricula. This paper presents student opinions of the use of a Facebook strategy within higher education through the use of focus groups. Results show that the Facebook strategy is useful in promoting collaborative learning alongside the face-to-face delivery of content. Participants rebuked the perceived blurring of educational and social purposes, which is prevalent in the literature, with the current structure allowing a clear divide between their different uses of the site. The development of further guidelines for the use of Facebook for education is encouraged and recommendations are provided.

KW - Communication

KW - Education

KW - Facebook

KW - Guidelines

KW - Online

KW - Social networking

KW - Student collaboration

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84940981955

U2 - 10.1007/s10639-015-9436-y

DO - 10.1007/s10639-015-9436-y

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84940981955

SN - 1360-2357

VL - 22

SP - 39

EP - 53

JO - Education and Information Technologies

JF - Education and Information Technologies

IS - 1

ER -