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It is first of all quite interesting to see how many people regard LinkedIn and Researchgate and Facebook as social networks. It is in fact tools, and not social networks. Social Networks consist of a group of people, and the relationships a researcher defines on them - for example kinship, friendship, support, information sharing, etc. These structures can be studied to understand human behavior.

Yes, social networking sites can develop into education tools, depending on the underpinning perspective on learning. I found Facebook not sufficient, therefore I have developed a social networking site to support the learning of my post graduate students at UNISA, an open and distance institute for higher education. Based on the intensive use of the site, I have provided my students with an opportunity to learn from one another - and to take the responsibility for their own learning, as well as that of their peers.

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How can social media be used in the classroom?

Social media is often seen as the key driver of communications and marketing. A growing number of schools and teachers are utilizing social media in the classroom to further engage students in the learning process. Social media is a tool that teachers can use to make their classroom more engaging, relevant and culturally diverse.

Impact on Student Learning

Two main benefits of using social media in an online classroom: the sense of community it fosters among students, and the ability for students and professors to share information with each other.

Engaging students outside of school will increase achievement, attendance rates, graduation rates and students will find their learning much more relevant and meaningful.

A recent survey of more than 1,000 teachers found 47 percent of all K-12 teachers said participation in social media platforms could help enhance their students' education.

Examples of Use

Social media has a natural collaborative element. Students critique and comment on each other’s assignments, work in teams to create content and can easily access each other and the teacher with questions.

Many schools use Facebook and Twitter to communicate with students and parents, and students use social media to plan events. In class, teachers routinely ask students to power up their cellphones to respond to classroom polls and quizzes.

Students can post questions and answers to school math blogs, where a student struggling with algebra could find several classmates willing to walk him or her through a problem or even post video of the best way to solve it.

Cost

Social media tools are low cost or free for educators to implement in the classroom and across classrooms within a school or network.

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Aurea RosalPolytechnic University of the Philippines

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Aurea RosalPolytechnic University of the Philippines

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Nowadays, social networks are very much in use by almost everybody. In our country, many teachers use Facebook as a communication tool between the students and teachers. Assignments are also upload in Facebook and answers are also sent there, like in the case of fundamentals of research or thesis writing.