The Social Networking To Facilitating Learning

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Laura Bradshaw

Abstract

This report was written to determine whether the use of using social media within the

higher educational setting has an impact upon teaching and learning. The research was

conducted using a variety of methods; student questionnaires (before and after research)

focus groups and student interviews. Data has been collected, analysed and triangulated to

determine the effects of using social media within the classroom.

The research gathered suggests that students learning increases when interacting with

others, collaboratively learning though he use of social networks encourages students to

share ideas and concepts and therefore learn from each other. The student research

participants over the short time of this research were more engaged in learning and were

better prepared for the next session.

From the research findings social media can attract learners to learn in a more creative and

accessible way. It creates opportunities for many engaging classroom activities which link to

the theory of "communities of practice" where learners interact and share ideas amongst

each other promoting their independent and collaborative learning.

However, with anything, there are also disadvantages of social networking to support

learning. The type of teaching and learning should link to theory to ensure it is supported by

a specific aspect of the curriculum. Data should also be gathered while using networking

sites to ensure the effectiveness upon teaching and learning.

Through the duration of the research, many other questions have arisen, such as, what is

the impact upon academic performance? Are the gaps narrows between marginalised and

mainstream students? What training is required for both staff and students? These

questions lead to opportunities for further research.

Introduction

With the use of social networking and with the development of a new technological,

developing world, more and more people are using social networking sites every day. (See

appendices one for a detailed list of the amount of users around the world.) As you can see

from appendices two, the amount of social network users is increasing significantly year by

year. As we also note from the data, the use of social networking is increasing across all age

ranges. Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, and Zickuhr (2010) found that 72% of all college students

have a social media profile with 45% of college students using a social media site at least

once a day. With so many students using social media on a daily basis, we must be able to

incorporate this into their daily studies to benefit student learning? Students now have

access to the world at their fingertips, as facilitators of learning; it is ultimately our

responsibility to undertake new teaching and learning methods to support this new

technological world. Social media has created new opportunities for students to learn

collaboratively and ultimately non personal ways for students to interact with learning and a

variety of research methods. The students involved in the study teach all have access to

social media which they are encouraged to use within sessions to enhance their learning,

except the more mature students of the group, this may be due to the fact they have not

been encouraged to use social media or have not had the opportunity to yet incorporate

this into their lives . This study aims to discover whether social networking enhances

student learning and development and what impact it has upon teaching and facilitating

leaning. Educators have been given this opportunity to take advantage of this new

technological trend and enhance their teaching and learning. The overall purpose of this

study was to examine and determine whether social media can increase students learning

and the educators teaching within the higher education sector.

Justification of the Study

The use of social media and social networking sites is ever increasing at an exceptional rate

by users all over the world; there was 1.43 billion social network users in 2012 and a 19.2

percent increase since 2012 (Arno, 2012.) Since the use of social media is increasing at such

an extensive rate it is important to discover if social media can be used for teaching and

learning potential. Around 73 percent of UK Internet users interact on social media

platforms (ProPortal, 2010) Could there be scope for teaching and learning potential with so

many users across England? With so many students across England having access to the

world at their fingertips, the question arises as to whether social media can be used by

educators to enhance learning and development in the classroom. (See appendices two for

further information regarding the use of social media.) These numbers show that social

network sites have penetrated all layers of society. An analysis of the users show everyone

is there: young, older, employed or unemployed," said Professor Steven Van Belleghem of

InSites Consulting. (ProPortal, 2010)

It is important to understand what social media is used for, many students use sites such as

Facebook for communication between several people; it is a simpler form of communication

and relationship builder. Facebook is used primarily by students to maintain relationships

with individuals they are acquainted with who live near and far (Quan-Haase & Young, 2010,

cited Proportal, 2010). What this study aimed to discover is whether the phenomenon of

social media can be incorporated into the university classroom to enhance learning and

develop teaching methods.

Theoretical Framework

The concept of using social media as a tool for enhancing learning can be linked to the

theory of Vygotskys (1950) social constructivism. Social media sites can provide essential

tools to create a constructivist classroom. Below are some ideas of how to create a social

constructivist classroom;

The teacher’s role is not to transmit knowledge but to facilitate, using social media

will encourage students to discover information and new ideas independently.

Discovery is processed by offering a range of necessary resources.

Provides scaffolding at the correct level for the student.

Another theory that can be linked to this study is Bruners Discovery learning. Discovery

Learning encourages students to explore and discover facts independently by manipulating

objects and information. Social media can play a major part in Discovery Learning as it

encourages students to research for themselves using a wide variety of research methods.

Social media can also be linked the theoretical framework of Community of Practice by

Etienne Wegner (2006.) Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern

or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

(Wegner, 2006, cited Communities of Practice, 2006)

Communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective

learning in a shared domain of human endeavour: a tribe learning to survive, a band of

artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a

clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel

techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope. In a nutshell:

Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for

something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. (Wenger circa

2007, cited Infed, Communities of Practice, 2010)

Collaborative learning can also be linked to this study as online classrooms can be created

for study outside of the classroom environment. Students can use podcasts, webcams and

many other various sources of connection and collaboration to support their study.

See appendices four for uses of social media for collaborative learning.

Research Questions

RQ1. How effective is social media with teaching and learning?

RQ2. Can social media be used for academic purposes?

RQ3. How well do students respond to the use of social media within the classroom?

Methodology

There are extremely limited research on using social media at present, therefore I used

primarily qualitative methods to research the chosen topic. The qualitative data used

within this research surveyed a sample of twenty four Childhood Studies Foundation Degree

mature students to investigate the impact of using social media upon teaching and learning

in a higher educational setting. The survey covered preliminary data on the types of social

media technology used by students, the purposes of their use of social media and the

impact upon them as students.

The interviews carried out aloud for two way conversation, allowing for the interviewer and

the students to dig deeper into the research and reasons behind it and therefore being able

to collect more reliable data-the interviews are included within the appendices.

Three method of data collection were used; questionnaire, discussion and interviews.

Students from one of the researcher’s classes participated in the study. I would have liked

to have used two groups (around forty students) to gain more information but due to time

constraints, this was not possible. Questionnaires would be completed before the study

and after to analysis the impact upon teaching and learning and to also enhance validity and

reliability of the research. See appendices three for examples of questionnaires.

Data Collection Methods

All twenty three students were asked if they would participate with the study and all

agreed to do so. Students were asked to complete a questionnaire before the study

(appendices three) and will be asked to complete the same questionnaire once the study

has been completed to determine the effects upon the use of social media and whether

there has been some development.

Additionally, interviews were also undertaken. There was good variant range of

participants which ensured a good mix of theoretical categories: age, the types of social

media used by the varied ages of students, when they used social media and for what

purposes, this also gave students the opportunity to discuss any concerns they have for

using social media in the classroom.

I also intended to set up a group forum, where students could anonymously discuss their

honest opinions regarding the use of social media in the classroom, however, due to

time constraints this was not possible.

Ethical Considerations

This study was designed to discover whether teaching and learning can be enhanced with

the use of social media. Students did not have to participate if they did not wish to do so,

no names have been mentioned throughout, and all research is anonymous. Permission has

been obtained from students were required to do so, students were asked to voluntarily

participate and were not coerced into doing so.

The results that have been obtained are accurately represented and are within context and

also ensured personal and biases are not included.

Informed consent was also considered, students were all fully informed about the research

before it began, they were told what it would include, why and where it would lead.

Data Analysis

Three forms of data were collected to be able to triangulate the data and to be able to

note changes over a period of time. The questionnaire was completed by the students

before and after the research to determine any changes that may have occurred.

Validity determines whether the research truly measures that which it was intended to

measure or how truthful the research results are. In other words, does the research

instrument allow you to hit "the bull’s eye" of your research object? Researchers

generally determine validity by asking a series of questions, and will often look for the

answers in the research of others. (Joppe, 2000, cited Understanding Reliability and

Validity in Qualitative Research 2003)

From the questionnaire before the study began, it was noted that students did not use

social media for academic purposes. What I wanted to discover was whether through

this study this can be encouraged and impact upon teaching and learning.

The questionnaire after the study suggested that students were mostly encouraged to

use social media and could see the benefits for their future studies, education and

overall development. This was also found through the interview and group discussion

where most students expressed the opportunities social media has after the study.

Other findings will also be discussed throughout the study.

RQ1. How effective is social media with teaching and learning?

What I aimed to discover to begin with was how students used social media and the

potential for it to be used within the higher education setting to bring new ideas,

concepts and teaching methods to the classroom. So, to begin I researched into how

many of my research group used social media, why and how they used it. From the

researched gathered, I discovered that social media was used by twenty one of the

twenty three out of the group. It appeared to be the more mature students who did not

use social networking and had no interest in doing so but did explain that they would like

to use it to enhance learning. The twenty one students that said they have a social

network account, eighteen said that they used social media for personal reasons as

opposed to academic study, therefore only three out of the whole group use social

networking for academic purposes. The most popular networking sites used by my

research group are: Facebook and Twitter mainly for communication purposes. Some

other sites were also mentioned within the questionnaire; however, Facebook is the most

popular with my interviewees.

All the interviewees explained that they used social media for personal use rather than

for academic purposes as they are user friendly and easy accessible. The question

raised by the students as to how social media can be used for academic purposes. The

feelings and attitudes towards using social media for teaching purposes was a mixed

response, some students were really keen to pursue new teaching and learning methods

while others seemed more hesitant and could not see the possibilities.

Data from the questionnaire suggests that students would take the opportunity to use

social media in class and could the potential it had. The two more mature students of

the research could not see the potential it had; this may be due to their lack of

experience with social networking and their lack of integration with it. To develop the

students understanding further the students will be encouraged to use social media in

their own time to research and gather information. Students will also be asked to

undertake directed learning activities using social media. This may lead to students

changing their perception of the use of social media.

However, most of the research group did see the advantages and potential social media

has twenty members of the research group discussed the benefits and the social world it

opened up to them. At the top of the list was the amount of information they were able

to discover and add to their studies which extended their knowledge and understanding.

Many (around fifteen of the research group) also discussed how ‘easy’ social media was

to use and to find what they wanted relatively quickly. Some noted that they could also

add more ‘creativity’ to their work/studies, some have used movie maker; wrote blogs

and a variety of other tools to support them with their studies. One of the students did

explain however that they found some of the resources complex and difficult to use and

also explained that she found it rather confusing due the amount of resources that were

available to her.

RQ2. Can social media be used for academic purposes?

Most of the participants mentioned that the use of social media "extended the

classroom beyond the walls of the university, it felt they had the opportunity to extend

their classroom and studies." where they can learn from other

professionals/people/theorists from anywhere in the world. Many of the research group

now use Twitter as an academic resource. During the research I set up my own twitter

account for students to follow me and then have access to a world wide range of

theorists, other professionals and a wide range of new resources. The students found

this extremely positive and also joined other social networking groups such as LinkedIn

and Blogger. The use of social media opens students up to a wide range of resources

and can also possibly enhance job opportunities/career prospects with contact with a

wide range of professionals from all over the world, gaining advise and expertise from

other all over the world.

Most of the research participants had fully integrated social networking into their

research for this study, however, there were some opportunities that were not

undertaken such as the use of podcasts, video linking and other varieties due to the time

constraints.

However, I did not see this as a disadvantage as the students had only just come into

contact with this wide range of resources and to use them all within such a short period

of time was just impossible. With the continuous use of social media within classes the

students will develop the skills and knowledge to use more effectively. Timing of the

research was a major issue; I would have to have continued further to see how much

further they could have taken their learning and development. I do continue to use

social media at every opportunity in sessions.

There was one major obstruction when using social media-other resources need to be in

place, as podcasts may not link at the particular time of requirement, or the internet

connection may be down amongst many other reasons. However, social media can be

successful inside and outside of the classroom.

RQ3. How well do students respond to the use of social media within the classroom?

Some of the younger students of the group used social media for more personal uses,

such as chat, connecting with friends and developing relationships opposed to using it for

research purposes which may therefore affect overall learning and development if

students are not fully engaged and aware of the overall advantages of social media in

general.

From my own professional background, there could be limitations that also affect my

teaching such as not being able to prevent what students post on social networking

sites. An example of this happened quite recently, not through this particular study but

did coincide with it. One particular student had an issue with one of the modules and

posted comments to other students on the Moodle website. This could damage the

reputation of the University, the teachers/lecturers involved and students who read the

comments. There are positives and negatives of social media as with anything else.

Through the study I did use Twitter for academic purposes, I had not explained to the

students it was for study purposes as I wanted valid and reliable results. If the students

would have known about it this may have persuaded them to use Twitter more than they

usually would have done. I set up a Twitter account and for students to ‘follow’ me and

be able to access to a range of sources that I had found. The outcomes of this were

very positive. The students have instance access via their mobiles of resources and

information to guide them through their studies. They had instant access to various

theorists and other professionals where they could research further into their chosen

module. I did not find any negative uses of this other than students being able to

publish comments which may affect others, but overall, throughout the study the use of

Twitter was successful. However, this may have been due to the time constraints of the

overall study, if this had been studied over a longer period of time, the results may have

changed slightly. This opens the door for future research.

There were a number of concerns brought up in the interview. Some students

mentioned the possibility of bullying and negative comments over the internet which

is easier for people to do as opposed to face to face; friendship groups/study groups and

professional relationships may be altered due to the use of social networking where

students may voice comments about other student’s and therefore lading some students

to feel excluded and unsupported. Again, this could possibly lead to future research.

One of the main findings from this study is that there are so many more opportunities

and areas for research.

The more mature students of the group also expressed concerns regarding privacy and

Use of their identity y others users of the internet. They did not feel comfortable joining

the class Twitter group because of this. One student explained that "I don’t feel

comfortable using my details on the internet, it’s just not my thing." They had also

explained that they preferred the traditional aspects of the classroom, teacher led with

aspects of group work and the use of the library. When asked why, the students

responded, "I don’t feel comfortable using social networking due to the lack of

security….I also wouldn’t know where to start, I have only just got used to using

Moodle!" This then therefore leads me to the point of the lack of training for teachers

and students.

Could there therefore be a lack of training within institutions to use information

communication technology? Most students of the research group seemed to think so.

One of the questions was "Do you then think if training was given, you would use social

media?" The responses were mostly positive, fifteen out of the twenty one explained

that training would enhance their knowledge and promote the use of social media for

educational purposes; could it therefore be up to the institution to promote and develop

the skills for use of social media to be used effectively? Again, this leads to further

questioning, however, to support students learning and development students and

facilitators of learning need to be aware of the opportunities for teaching and learning

within their practice.

There are also other barriers to teaching and learning such as time constraints in using

the technology. One main factor that I personally came across was the amount of time

it took to set up podcasts and forums for use in the session. This took quite a long time

to organise and set up. It also takes up time at the beginning of the session, even more

so if you have to wait for a previous lecturer to leave before your lesson starts and then

starts eating into your teaching time. There was also a heavy reliance upon technical

support staff to ensure there was internet connection for the session and to ensure

laptops were on hand for some sessions. There were also difficulties with access to

laptops, some did not work and therefore students had to share and some occasions

other tutors were using them. This research has depicted many obstacles that students

and teachers may come across when incorporating social media into the classroom.

Reflection

This study has discovered that there is a requirement to utlise a varied amount of

teaching and learning resources within the classroom which students respond very well

too. Educators can now break away from the traditional teaching techniques and

methods to enhance our teaching and promote learning by using social media with

access to other professionals, theorists, other student’s from far and wide-an unlimited

amount of information at their reach.

However, noted were privacy issues (this was expressed by the more mature students,)

some students were concerned about their personal details being able to be accessed by

others on the internet as discussed earlier, technical problems, issues with access to

laptops for students to use in class. However, the potential is there to create a new and

creative learning establishment where teaching and learning can be innovative and

respond to the needs of the students. One student explained that "Lessons are much

more interesting!"

Training was also mentioned within the study, educators and students require training to

use social media effectively and so students and educators understand the use of social

media, the benefits it has, the learning that can be undertaken and also the concerns

and consequences of its use, this is also an area which requires further research.

What was also interesting which I found through the research is that gaps can be

bridged between higher attaining students and those with additional

requirements/needs, lessons can now be differentiated to the extent that gaps could be

reduced due to the accessibility and variety of methods use. One student explained that

she found the content easier to understand and was able to learn at her own pace, again

this has led to further opportunities for research.

This research has raised many questions throughout, to determine a true and wider view

on the impact upon academic performance needs to be further researched.

Limitations

There were several limitations while undertaking this action research. One major

limitation was the time constraint, I would have liked to have undertaken forums and

other social media groups for my particular research group to see how they reacted to

social media individually, however, and this was not possible during the conduction of

this research.

The research group could also have been biased towards the study as they were my

personal tutor group which could have caused the results to be swayed to be more

biased and positive towards the use of social media within the classroom.

For future research, this could be extended over a whole year to determine a true

result of the effects of social media upon teaching and learning and also with a much

larger research group.

Conclusion

The main question that this study aimed to answer was whether social media impacted

upon teaching and learning within the classroom which this study has been able to partly

answer. Further research does need to be undertaken as discussion with in limitations

section, however, from this study we can determine that social media does have an

impact upon teaching and enhances the student experience.

What educators have to try to do in their sessions is to balance the relationship of

informal and formal use of social media to encourage students to use as a tool for

learning and development. Students need to be guided correctly to ensure learning is

formal rather than using social networking purely for personal communication this can be

developed through training sessions for students and teachers and also can be looked at

in further depth with additional research. I believe that it does seem reasonable to say

that learning can take place through the use of social media when used appropriately by

the facilitator and student. As noted through this research, the use of social media can

open doors for students professionally and academically, enhancing research and

job/career opportunities. From this study, I have listed a number of findings that can

enhance teaching and learning.

Social media can be used as assessment tools for tutor and student, an

excellent form of peer assessment, encourages student self-reflection, other

forms of assessment are endless.

Social media can be used optionally-give the students options as to whether

they want to use it so students are not pressured into doing so, this will relate

more to the students who do not use social media, or do not have access

already. With time, all students may be using social media, more for

academic purposed. The amount of sites dedicated to education and studying

is growing by the day.

The use of podcasts was highly effective within the session, students are able

to listen to other professional’s discussion regarding the chosen topic, which

stimulated knowledge and understanding and also opened up various

discussion points within the class and therefore extending learning-however,

there were constraints such as poor accessibility at times due to no or poor

internet connection. However, these are hurdles to overcome in the future.

However, the research did come across hurdles, such as time constraints, issues with

accessing websites and podcasts, problems with the use of laptops, mainly being the

limited amount of them and the quality of them-they are very slow at starting up,

therefore wasting valuable teaching and learning time.

As mentioned earlier within this study, more research needs to be undertaken, I

personally would like to undertake this again but with a larger group and over a longer

period of time to fully see the potential social media has upon teaching and learning.

With social on the increase and more and more students using social media everyday it

is imperative that we as educators meet the developmental needs of the students and

adapt teaching and learning develop and enhance the learning experience of our

students. It is really exciting to be an educator at the minute, there are new

opportunities to teach and learn with unlimited to access the world and all its resources

which can only benefit student learning and development and the teachers methods of

teaching.

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