Social Networking Sites in “New Europe 2020” education:
A Bibliographic Overview
Plamen Miltenoff (St. Cloud State University)
Galin Tzokov (Plovdiv University)
Gary Schnellert (University of North Dakota)
John Hoover (St. Cloud State University)
1
Abstract:
A discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of employing
social networking sites, in particular Facebook for educational
purposes was organized by four faculty members from three
different educational institutions in two countries, the USA and
Bulgaria. The faculty organized an extensive bibliographic
overview of published research from around the world regarding
the application of social networking sites (SNS) in education.
The findings were organized into topics and issues regarding the
application of social networking in education. The bibliographic
review of publications reveals strong interest by all
stakeholders: administrators, instructors, students, and
librarians in determining if SNS, Facebook in particular, can
improve recruitment and retention for education and the learning
process for both K-12 and higher education. Parallels with Course
Management Systems such as Blackboard, Moodle, Sakai and with
other Web 2.0 tools are involved in the discussion. Suggestions
for future research, based on the conclusions are shared. Other
noticeable findings, such as difficulty of finding similar
research on other languages, then English, are reflected in the
article.
2
Social Networking Sites and their potential in education:
A Bibliographic Overview
Educational technology in the new Millennium is moving in
accelerating pace. The lightning recognition and adoption of Web
2.0 and its applications, including Social Networking Sites (SNS)
is leaving strong imprint on how education is conducted.
Educational leaders, faculty, and students from higher education
and P-12 (pre-school to 12th grade) display similar interest in
the adoption of SNS as potential teaching/learning tool. However,
the same administrators and significant number of educators are
often hesitant to encourage the use of Facebook, mainly because
of privacy issues.
We adopt the generic term social networking sites (SNS) in
reference to Facebook and similar applications, (Boyd & Ellison,
2007); Hargittai et al., 2010). We also employ the term social
networking sites as synonymous with social media. Social Networking
Sites are generally classified as Web 2.0 technology.
Review of the literature revealed a dominance of
publications in English language publications. While the rest of
the world is also pursuing SNS research, non-English language
publications are difficult to find. This is in contrast with the
3
direction established in the New Europe 2020 documents, which
sets education as a priority. However, the New Europe 2020
documents seek education, which aims fostering national
strengths. Essentially this means that each European nation will
establish SNS research in their own language. Which will expand
the research in the near future. (European Council – Conclusions,
2011).
This bibliographic review and the consequent research
conducted at educational institutions in the United States and
Bulgaria explores the opportunity to apply SNS as
teaching/learning tools. The application of tools with universal
interface, such as, e.g. Facebook may offer a possibility of
bringing educators and students from different countries closer
together.
The bibliographic overview was based on searches in the
following databases: Academic Search Premier and Science Direct
in the U.S. and SciVerse in Bulgaria. Sources such as the
Techblog of the Chronicle of Higher Education, the Distance Education
listserv (DEOS), and the listserv of the Library and Information
Technology Association (LITA) were followed for years and
information regarding SNS was organized accordingly. In addition,
an Internet search was conducted to survey information in
English, German, Russian and Bulgarian. Periodical and popular
literature from last several years were tracked for information
concerning the use of Web 2.0 tools, SNS and Facebook in
particular. The bulk of the literature reviewed for this article
4
is peer-reviewed material and to a great degree quantitative in
nature. It is worthy to note that the American School Board Journal as
very active in promoting the idea of SNS in education.
In the span of about six years, Facebook exploded in
popularity, its rapid adoption rivaling in scope only the advent
of the Internet itself. Facebook now boasts a feature movie about
its creators. News about Facebook and SNS appears daily in the
popular media. Facebook and its services stretch across borders
and continents and are subscribed by both males and females of
all ages. Facebook has been identified as the largest factor
contributing to the riots in Asia. The rapid increase of SNS is
clearly presented in graph by the Pew Internet survey: In April
2009, 46% of online American adults, age 18 and older, use SNS
such as Facebook, MySpace, LindedIn and similar. This increase is
in stark contrast to the 8% from February 2005.
(http://www.pewinternet.org/Infographics/Growth-in-Adult-SNS-Use-
20052009.aspx). Data from the United States, the United Kingdom,
Canada, and Australia show a comparable rapid increase of
Internet tools among the youngest adult generation, identified in
the literature as “digital natives” (Prensky; Bennett et al,
2008) and Millennials (Hansford and Adlington, 2009; Howe and
Strauss, 2007). During its short history, Facebook has survived
competition from other SNS applications such as Bebo (United
Kingdom), Orkut (Brazil and India) and Hi5 (Eastern Europe and
Asia). In addition, the allegiance to the collegiate constituency
of Facebook was challenged by applications such as Wirehog (Move
5
Over, Facebook--Here Comes Wirehog, 2005) and CollegeOnly (Li,
2010).
The popularity of Facebook among young people led to
attempts for adaptation of Facebook for educational purposes.
Johnson (2010) advised that the use of social networking tools in
education should acquire a specific term and proposed
“educational networking” instead of “social networking.” Renaming
SNS applications is only one indication that there is a need for
structured assessment of Facebook and SNS as a potential
educational tool.
Livingston and Brake (2010 focused on the the fast pace of
Facebook’s social penetration and acceptance. The authors argued
that the discussion of SNSs effects should be couched in
empirical research. Coherent public policy and comprehensive
education will likely minimize shortcoming and foster advantages.
Similarly, Galagan (2010) shares a teacher’s testimony focusing
on the challenges of the Web 2.0 invasion and way to resolve
them. Distance educators, naturally, are in the forefront of
embracing Facebook as a Web 2.0 tools (Getting Faculty Ready for
Web 2.0, 2008), though little data are cited to either support or
the denigration of SNSs.
A bibliographic overview reveals another visible trend; the
dominance of English language publications. Most of the
literature reviewed in this article originates from North
America, Western Europe, and Australia. Isolated publications in
6
English encompass Thailand (Couros, 2008), Hong Kong (Cheung et
al, 2010), China (Yan Yu et al 2010), Malysia (Kabilan et al,
2010), and Cyprus (Huseyin and Cavus, 2010). Our attempts to
retrieve Eastern European literature proved futile; perhaps, it
could be argued, the lack of resources from Eastern Europe
suggests the existence of a digital divide. It will be
informative for observers to track SNS events from emerging
nations in Asia and the Far East.
Most available literature deals with specific issues,
concerning SNS and practical solutions for the use of SNS in
education. These specific issues will be shared later in this
document. However, it is worth initiating the review with the few
articles on the educational implications of SNS (e.g., Hargittai,
Maranto & Barton, 2010). Other researchers identify SNS as an
example of so-called multiliteracies (Williams, 2008). Boyd and
Ellison (2007) offer the first comprehensive study of social
network sites. Australian scholars reveal a blueprint for the
assessment, measurement and application of Facebook in education.
Facebook’s application is studied in the context of first-year
college students. Thus, it is different from the usual research
on the use of Facebook among experienced students as part of the
technology application in education (Brownlee et al, 2009).
Another Australian team rightfully draws attention to an
existing digital divide among Millennials themselves (Hansford &
Adlington, 2009). Digital natives, as dubbed by Mark Prensky, are
not a homogeneous group; Vaidhyanathan (2008) and Hargittai
7
(2010) explain that it might be counterproductive to assume that
so-called digital natives are equally versed in technology. In
assessing the use of Facebook by the so-called Millinnials, it is
essential to consider differing levels of technology knowledge.
While SNSs unquestionably demonstrate a very high rate of
penetration among Millennials, unless proven, it cannot be
assumed by default that Millennials are consistently
technologically savvy and Facebook can be used as learning
platform based on the mere fact that it is an extensively adopted
communication tool. (Hargittai, 2010; Vaidhyanathan, 2008)
For the past several years, many researchers and policy
analysts have discussed the positive and negative implications of
SNS. Pasek et al (2009) claims that there is no negative
relationship, between course grades and this type of technology.
This finding is contrary to those reported by other researchers
(Karpinsky,2009; Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010), which show a
negative impact for SNSs on grades. Students are drawn to
Facebook because of the social interaction (e.g., Pempek et al,
2009; Yan Yu et al 2010).
The application of Facebook in education is split into
several polarizing topics: e.g., students’ involvement in the
learning process, privacy, moral and ethical consequences, etc.
Proponents and opponents of SNSs’ use in education, explore
whether Facebook distracts students and whether it negatively
affects grades (Marklein, 2009) or, on the contrary; does it
involve students in the learning process (Maranto and Barton,
8
2010; Lester and Perini, 2010; Networking it, 2008; Skerrett et
al, 2010; Towner et al, 2007).
Data-mining students and collecting suggestions about
Facebook is the bedrock of a learning community began as early as
2006 (Towner et al, 2007). Public, school and academic librarians
have been the most staunch proponents of Facebook as a tool with
the potential to improve student-teacher’s interactions and
communication (Stewart, 2009).
Facebook application in education faces strong criticism.
Negative implications include the disruptive nature of social
networking sites in the classroom (Jones et al, 2010; Study
Confirms Pervasive Issues with Social Networking in Academia,
2009), which leads to blurred boundaries between real and virtual
learning spaces (Thomas, 2010) and pollution of language
(Philology, Etymology, and Phonetics, 2009). The notion for
caution regarding the use of SNS, which usually is voiced by
educational administrators, often finds support among teachers
(Boon and Sinclair, 2009).
The issue of privacy has frequently been addressed by policy
analysts (Couros, 2008; Ellaway, 2010; Rosen, 2010; Schwartz,
2009; Vaughan, 2009. The intensity of the debate increases as
analysts consider K-12 education (MacDonald et al, 2010; Mazer et
al, 2009; Kist, 2008; Maranto and Barton, 2010; Minocha, 2009;
Schwartz, 2009; How to Make Facebook Your New Best Friend, 2006).
As discussed in the Chronicle of Higher Education, privacy concerns
9
regarding SNSs acquires different dimensions than Facebook
privacy in general: Facebook educational use to a great degree
connected with boundaries of teacher-students relations
(Schwartz, 2009).
A British survey reveals that eighty four percent of 4,000
teachers believe that SNSs help them share ideas, regardless of
time and place (Networking it, 2008). Ninety five percent of
British students use SNS, mostly for interrelationships, although
face-to-face socialization is still important (Madge et al,
2009). Administrators interpret these facts differently. British
higher education administrators found it unacceptable for
students and instructors to use social networking as a tool to
criticize the institution (Cunnane, 2010). Canadian
administrators evidenced a similar view, where the danger of
harming the reputation of the institution motivates
administrators to demand development of principles, which must
precede the use of Facebook (Ellaway, 2010). Fister (2008)
raises the point that with the advent of Facebook as part of the
Web 2.0 movement, it might be time to reflect on the morals and
ethics of society and academia and readjust the norms.
An Ohio Educational Association memo of October 2007 urged
teachers to remove their profiles from Facebook, in a clear
contrast with the attitude of “information specialists,
linguists, librarians, compositionists, rhetoricians, and others
who study and embrace Web 2.0” (Maranto & Barton, 2010, p. 37;
see also Pu-Shih, 2009). The memo is also in stark contrast with
10
the opportunities for social engagement argued by both students
and instructors (Maranto & Barton, 2010, p.44).
Some of the authors emphasize the positive opportunities for
education presented by SNS (e.g., Towner et al, 2007; Roblyer et
al, 2010; Oblinger, 2008; Mazer et al, 2007; Madge et al. 2007;
Connell, 2009). Educators readily share best practices for
introducing students to social networking tools starting as early
as kindergarten (Ramig, 2009). School districts, such as
Minnetonka in Minnesota, organize efforts to develop a plan for
strategic use of social networking tools (McCrea, 2010).
Minnetonka school district, as many other school districts in the
U.S., faces a tough question: How much financing will it take to
enable a technological turnaround?
Recruitment and retention are the two buzz words for higher
education administrators when it comes to Web 2.0 tools, Facebook
in particular, (Orrell, 2008; How Students Choose Colleges,
2010). In addition, Educause, the leading organization for
advancement of information technologies in education, offers
online sessions on using social networking sites as retention
tools
(http://www.educause.edu/E09+Hybrid/EDUCAUSE2009FacetoFaceConfere
n/HowtoUseSocialNetworkingasaRet/176050). Educators report the
impact of Internet telephony and Facebook on international
students (Greengard, 2009), which is a new trend in retention;
administrators need to consider the wide ranging diversity of
student populations. Facebook entangles the hopes of
11
administrators to resolve the issue of retention as well as
students’ engagement in the learning process (Santovec, 2006; 319
Read 2006). In K-12, administrators are considering Facebook as
an option for online communication with parents, alumnae and
donors (Carr, 2010).
A 2006 report (Read, 2006) raises consideration of higher
education administrators to use Facebook as a vehicle for
freshman orientation programs. Similar opinion regarding the use
of SNS as an opportunity to meet peers on campus are reported in
a later British study (Madge et al, 2009).
A poll of higher education administrators reveals an
increase in willingness to use social networking sites (Joining
the Social Media Conversation, 2009).Joly (2007; 2008) promotes
the use of Facebook in higher education. Teacher’s self-
disclosure in Facebook is considered by students an effective
teaching method (Mazer et al, 2009). These opnions coincide with
the research on online education that retention is based on
community, and building community is based on personal presence,
which can be achieved through Facebook self-disclosure.
The necessity of policy and the need for moral and ethics
discussed above is reflected in Fister’s (2008) report regarding
a controversy between a student and a professor. The student was
charged with cheating when using Facebook as collaborative tool,
while instructor’s directions were that students should work
independently. The incident is reminiscent of faculty rejection
12
of Wkipedia shortly after its inception (Read, 2007), which was
swiftly followed by a wide acceptance of Wikipedia as legitimate
reference tool. An increasing number of instructors report their
affinity to promote collaboration on SNSs as a teaching tool
(Aquino, 2009; Charlton et al, 2009; Harrington and Floyd, 2009).
One way to explain the incident reported by Fister (2008) can be
the inherent discrepancy between the pace of technology adoption
by students and faculty. A survey conducted by Roblyer et al
(2010) suggests that instructors are much less prone to venture
into using Facebook or any other technology; this different rate
can impede a discussion of the need for revision of policies
regarding academic honesty.
In addition to the varied paces of technology adoption in
education, another factor adds to the complexity of adapting
Facebook for educational use. Berg et al (2007) noted that
students want to be left alone on Facebook, a place where they
can procrastinate, not learn. This is an issue, which precedes
Facebok. Before Facebook blew away instant messaging, students
considered “teaching” with instant messenger an invasion of their
privacy (Wymer, 2006). Likewise, it is worth exploring whether
the “hip” professor “friending” students via Facebook might
actually be reducing her effectiveness in what is seen as an
unwanted intrusion.
Facebook potentially changes the structure of educational
institutions and teacher-student relationships. The use of
Facebook may pose a risk of “fraternizing” (Lipka, 2007;
13
Facebook: Some Implications for Academic Freedom, Intellectual
Property, and Education, 2009); on the other hand it could
strengthen the learning community and bring students and
instructors closer in their quest for knowledge (Ellaway, 2007;
Lipka, 2007; Mazer et al, 2007; Minocha, 2009; Skerrett, 2010;
Selwyn, 2009; Steinfeld et al, 2008).
The use of social networking sites is becoming ubiquitous
among American adolescents and pre-teens. As of 2008 (National
School Boards Association and Grunwald Associates’ survey), “96
percent of American children ages 9 to17 who have Internet access
have used social networking technologies… Yet more than 80
percent of districts prohibit students from online chatting and
instant messaging at school, and more than 60 percent prohibit
blogging” (see also Richardson, 2007, p. 68; Ward, 2008, p. 53;
Teacher’s Pal, 2008). In 2007 and 2008, Richardson and Ward
argued in an opinion piece that teachers must tap into the
knowledge of students to figure out how to utilize social
networking tools versus prohibiting their use. Of course, as
Richardson and Ward’s argument is not based on longitudinal data,
their point must remain conjectural. Lower grades, bullying, and
sexual predators are only some of the factors that build a
negative reputation around social networking and keep educators
from utilizing SNS. Similar attitudinal barriers findings were
reported in UK by Charlton, Devlin and Drummond (2009).
Selwyn (2009) also looked for a solution of how best to
apply Facebook in education in terms of building a learning
14
community. Based on 909 student interviews, Selwyn outlined
themes of Facebook use and the “auxiliary” role of Facebook in
the learning process. Grant (2008), on the other hand, report
other results, namely that Facebook harms students by distracting
them during classes and making them sleep deprived due to
addiction. This controversial findings are a reminder that
establishing good practices for using Facebook as an educational
tool must be the goal when pursuing application of SNSs in
education.
Facebook is seriously considered by administrators in both
higher education and K12 for administrative purposes (Weis,
2010). The January 2010 issue of the Association of the
California School Administrators urges administrators to embrace
Web 2.0 tools (Weis, 2010; Wayne, 2010). On the other hand, the
facts reveal that, although K-12 administrators employ Facebook,
K-12 students remain blocked from using SNSs in educational
settings (Nagel, 2010).
As early as 2007, SkoolPool, an application for Facebook was
developed as a tool for recruitment, a not uncommon use of SNSs
(T.G., 2007). An exchange between school board members regarding
the use of Facebook as a communication tool among school
administrators emphasizes the participatory nature of the medium,
yet, similar to the concerns of their British colleagues
(Cunnane, 2010), T. G warned about inappropriate use (You were
asked to start a Facebook page?, 2009). The early years of social
networking sites are inevitably connected with the cautious
15
attitude of K-12 administrators. To a great degree, such
attitudes stem from the fact that the lack of a structured
approach on how to address the implications the rapid advent of
technology and the Internet in P12 and higher education (Brydolf,
2007).
A great number of authors advocate building on the lessons
learned from the negative sides of social networking by focusing
on the opportunities it offers; seemingly in a notion that
follows the venerable folk aphorism: If you can’t beat them—join
them (e.g., Couros, 2008; Maranto & Barton, 2010; 266 Mazer et
al, 2009; Schwartz, 2009). One of the common themes in addressing
the challenges and opportunities presented by social networking
is developing policies for educational use. As early as 2006,
Kermit Hall, President of the State University of New York at
Albany, suggests addressing such concerns (Q&A: Facebook and
Legal Limits to Institutional Response, 2006)
Social networking reinforces the old notion of school
librarians and faculty working together (Harris, 2010; Stewart,
2009). Not surprisingly, librarians, both in K-12 and higher
education are in the forefront of adopting Facebook as a learning
tool and are very active in the use of social networking tools in
educational environments (Harris, 2010; Ward, 2008; Kenneth and
Seeholzer, 2009). Academic librarians habitually see the
potential and the positive sides in using social networking sites
(Conell, 2009; Chu and Nalani, 2008; Click and Petit, 2010).
Similar are the attitudes toward Facebook and social networking
16
sites by the British librarians (Secker and Lloyd, 2008). Pan et
al (2009) go beyond promoting Facebook in education and rally to
integrate it in their information literacy program targeting
First Year students. Similarly, Canadian librarians are rallying
teachers to apply Web 2.0 tools as part of the information
literacy for the 21st century (Branch, 2009). Academic
librarians, similar to teachers and administrators, are aware of
privacy issues and working toward assisting faculty with
expanding their traditional commitment to privacy (Fernandez,
2010). Ishizuka (2009) reports librarians’ attitudes congruent
with the usual librarian trend to be ahead of the curve, yet
librarians will cave under the pressure of the administration to
cautiously approach the implementation of Web 2.0 tools.
The literature constantly reminds educators that they are
falling behind in utilizing Facebook as educational tool (DeVoe,
2009). An interesting glimpse of the early days of librarians on
Facebook and other SNS is provided by the American Library
Association (Social Networking Services, 2007)
Research conducted by a for-profit company in August and
September of 2009 reveals that six out of ten educators have SNS
accounts, mostly in Facebook, and would like to use the account,
but don’t. Another conclusion of the survey is that those who
have a Facebook account are more likely to use technology in the
classroom (Survey: Educator Participation in Social Networking
Lags Well Behind Interest, 2010). Similar are the trends in the
U.K., where teachers are advised by the Teacher Support Network
17
to prevent students’ access to Facebook (Vaughan, 2009). The
irony is that a year later the same Teacher Support Network has
on their web site (http://teachersupport.info/) a mashup linking
to Facebook.
The emerging of social networking tools raises serious
issues, which in isolated cases have grievous consequences and
thus shape the opinion about SNS in education. For example, Stacy
Snyder, a teacher from Pennsylvania, had posted a picture on her
MySpace account with a caption “Drunken Pirate.” The posting led
to administrative actions by the university she was attending.
Stacy Snyder’s story ties up with the issues of privacy, which
goes beyond educational settings and it is a major societal
concern right now (Rosen, 2010, Reed 2007; Foulger et al, 2009).
Stacey Snyder’s case and the case described by Fister (2008) are
the opposite trend of what Mazer et al (2009) refer to in their
research. They claim that self-disclosure of instructors via
Facebook increases the rapport with students, although the
authors also warn that Facebook must be used with caution.
Further, Foulger et al (2009) are working toward a model, which
can prepare future educators with the “ethical vulnerabilities
that may be unlike those encountered in other areas of the
teaching profession” of using Facebook in education ( p.18).
Peripheral to education, ethical issues involved in the use of
Facebook and similar SNS are discussed by professional
organization, such as the American Psychology Association (Taylor
et al, 2010).
18
Another topic fueling debates is the issue of intellectual
property. SNS and their popularity opens again the controversies
around the issues of intellectual property. (Facebook: Some
Implications for Academic Freedom, Intellectual Property, and
Education, 2009; Bauerlein, 2009).
An unique approach to the use of Web 2.0 tools in education,
Facebook included, is presented by a South African researcher who
looks at the impact of social networking tools on the concept of
learning spaces. Facebook and similar blur the difference between
physical and virtual environments in education, and thus “space
and learning are inextricably linked, such that the space in
which a particular type of learning takes place is an integral
part of the definition of that particular kind of learning”
(Thomas, 2010, p. 508). A similar notion is reflected in boyd and
Ellison (2007) in terms of bringing “online and offline social
networks” and by Skerrett et al (2010) about the impact of the
“third space,” the out-of-school experience, including social
networking sites.
Thomas’ research about the connection between physical and
virtual environments needs to be tied up with the notion that
social networks are used to “solidify offline connections, as
opposed to meeting new people” (boyd and Ellison, 2004, p. 12).
Boyd and Ellison’s observations are confirmed by Subrahmanyam et
al (2008), whereas the latter team also confirmed the findings of
boyd and Ellison that SNS are used to strengthen offline social
networks. On the other hand, Kenneth and Seeholzer (2009) point
19
out that students clearly distinguish educational and social
spaces on the Web, which is confirmed with earlier studies
(Wymer, 2006)
Additional topics researched in the bibliography compiled on
the educational use of Facebook include academic freedom
(Facebook: Some implications for academic freedom, intellectual
property, and education.(2009), the integration of Facebook with
other SNS, e.g. Twitter (Young, 2010), and Facebook as a data-
harvesting tool for educational administrators (301 What Can Be
Measured, 2009). Additional concerns raised in the bibliography
include the level of involvement of educational, non-profit
institutions with commercial products such as Facebook (Mitrano,
2008). Last but not least, according to the compiled
bibliography, the research reflects dominance of “Facebook”
awareness among instructors in the medical field and English.
With several exceptions of research done by instructors on
chemistry, the “exact” sciences are not presented in a rather
opulent research of the educational use of SNS. It is noteworthy,
though, that both K-12 and higher education are equally vested in
establishing parameters for the educational use of SNS.
Among the large number of articles devoted on the use of
Facebook in education, a great number comprise serious
quantitative or qualitative approach (e.g., Steinfield et al,
2008; MacDonald et al, 2010; Roblyer et al, 2010; , Subrahmanyam
et al, 2008; Selwyn, 2009; Chu and Nalani, 2008; Yan Yu et al,
2010; Huseyin and Cavus, 2010). The use of SNS in education is
20
represented only in the English-speaking world. Sporadic articles
in English about the application of Facebook in education appear
in the publications from other countries, yet a clear digital
divide is noticeable in this aspect. On the other hand,
Facebook’s own group “Facebook in Education” reveals clearly that
educators from around the world do care about the possibilities
of using SNS. The peer-reviewed world might be offering a skewed
view with its dominance of English language as lingua franca; an
impediment which defies the potencies of the Internet or
perpetuates the limitations of old, pre-Internet norms. Moreover,
as boyd and Ellison (2007) have noticed, the Anglo-centric
approach influences the limitation of topics and how they are
addressed by researchers. Both authors draw attention to the fact
that a global process is actually turned into a very local, if
not parochial feature. The use of SNS in education, as many other
topics in education, has a long way to go before it turns into a
true global approach.
Since the inception of social networking sites, there is
much confusion in the educational world whether SNS should be
embraced or banned from the learning process. Mitrano (2008)
outlines three challenges with Facebook as a possible “killer
app” for education: 1. Educating both adolescents and their
parents on how to use Facebook; 2. Customizing Facebook to the
needs of higher education; 3. Considering the legal and policy
implications on a global scale.
21
Facebook, similarly to other Web 2.0 tools, is not a silver
bullet and will not resolve issues and problems in education.
Findings in a study about the impact of the shootings at colleges
and the use of Facebook to reach out to each other, reveals that
while there were short-term benefits, there was no lasting
effect. Facebook like any other technology requires intimate
knowledge of use and consequent profound experience applying it
didactically. There will be no blueprint-, textbook-like manual
to guide instructors and students; only a pool of “best
practices,” which can assist both educators and mentees to make
better choices how, if at all, to apply SNS in the learning
process.
“So devil or darling, social networking is here to stay.
Used with care it can be a powerful tool not only to engage
pupils, but also to network with colleagues” (Network it, 2008).
If it is not Facebook per se, it will be a similar social
networking application, which will inherit the positive sides of
Facebook and continue to evolve. In recent news, it is reported
that social SNS with specific application for education has been
tested at universities (Parry and Young, 2010).
Wirehog is gone, but it is a reminder how whimsical such
applications are in the time of the Internet. Facebook is
attempting to assert itself in P-24, but it can be replaced
anytime by another interface. Then what? It is not how we use the
application itself; it is the didactic around using such tools
(Move Over, Facebook--Here Comes Wirehog, 2005). Moreover,
22
academia just released its answer to Facebook – Sophia (http://
www.sophia.org), a social teaching and learning network. It will
be interesting to see what direction instructors and learners
will take in Europe and around the world.
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