Facebook and learning: students’ perspective on a course

Abstract

Touted as a “technological powerhouse with unprecedented influence across modern life, both public and private” (Kirkpatrick, 2010, p. 15), Facebook has not only become a big part in the social lives of college students (Junco, 2011), but also in corporations (Shih, 2011) and academic institutions (Wankel, 2010). However, what does it really mean to students who are on the receiving end of the use of social media for learning? Do the students learn from these Facebook interactions? Or are they merely a fad and a social entertainment tool? What do the students really get out of these social media tools when evaluated against the learning and teaching goals of education? This paper looks at the relationship between learning and social media. It begins with the research question on the Singaporean undergraduates’ social networking profile and how they compare with the rest of the world. Two research questions were asked: How do they rate their learning experience when using the Facebook component of their Business Communication course and why do students use Facebook for learning. A total of 48 students were surveyed for this purpose. The results include the social networking profiling of the students, their ratings, feedback and reasons on the use of Facebook in their course. Other key issues such as its ease of use, its use as a communication tool and its social factor together with the “push” notion of learning are discussed. This includes discussion on some concerns about its use.