Strategies for the Classroom flickr photo by pshab by kevin lim - teaching & learning center 22nd February 2008

Lots of people using it daily...

So much written about it...

Everyone’s building around it...

Heck, people are cloning it!

What is Facebook? History Who’s Using It Things you can do Personal Profile Messaging Groups Events Applications Media Sharing News Feed For the Classroom 1. Opportunities Promotes conversation It’s Spontaneous Integrate your stuff (RSS) Reputation as Motivator 2. Challenges Application Spam Getting Informal? What Privacy? Walled Garden 3. Questions Workshop Agenda

What is Facebook?

History

Who’s Using It

Things you can do

Personal Profile

Messaging

Groups

Events

Applications

Media Sharing

News Feed

Facebook is a social networking site Reinforces & expands your real-world social connections Fosters communities of people who share interests and activities Economical way to keep your friends updated Discover new interests and friends image source: http://lifegoingdigital.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_27.html What is Facebook?

Facebook is a social networking site

Reinforces & expands your real-world social connections

Fosters communities of people who share interests and activities

Economical way to keep your friends updated

Discover new interests and friends

February 2004 Facebook created by Mark Zuckerberg and four others Initially for Ivy League universities, then to international colleges and high schools (.edu) Sept 2006 Opened for anyone to join Facebook’s social network May 2007 Facebook Platform launches for user applications image source: http://lifegoingdigital.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_27.html Source: Facebook Timeline Facebook History

February 2004 Facebook created by Mark Zuckerberg and four others

Initially for Ivy League universities, then to international colleges and high schools (.edu)

Sept 2006 Opened for anyone to join Facebook’s social network

May 2007 Facebook Platform launches for user applications

More than 65 million active users Over 6 million active user groups 85% market share of U.S. university students Over half of users return daily Users spend an average of 20mins per day on Facebook image source: http://lifegoingdigital.blogspot.com/2007/11/blog-post_27.html Source: Facebook Press Room Who’s Using Facebook?

More than 65 million active users

Over 6 million active user groups

85% market share of U.S. university students

Over half of users return daily

Users spend an average of 20mins per day on Facebook

Things you can do... Personal Profile, Messaging, Groups, Events, Applications, Media Sharing, News Feed

Personal Profile, Messaging, Groups, Events, Applications, Media Sharing, News Feed

Personal Profile

Messaging: Inbox

Messaging: Notifications

Messaging: Pages Update

Messaging: The Wall

Messaging: Poking

Facebook Groups

Facebook Groups

Facebook Events

Facebook Events

Facebook Applications

Not exactly long tail, but short head. Only a few apps rule, with 87% of usage going to only 84 apps! Source: O’Reilly Facebook Applications

Facebook Photos

Facebook Videos

Facebook News Feed

Opportunities Advantages of using Facebook for class

Advantages of using Facebook for class

Promotes Conversations

It’s Spontaneous The Third Place : Being a shared space not owned by neither faculty nor students may mean equal standing in power. This motivates the user by choice (self-interest), rather than coercion . Informality: Informal channels allow for more spontaneous interaction. Distinguishing motivation for using Blackboard vs. Facebook Image Source: http://mchabib.com/2006/10/05/digital-library-as-third-place/

The Third Place : Being a shared space not owned by neither faculty nor students may mean equal standing in power.

This motivates the user by choice (self-interest), rather than coercion .

Informality: Informal channels allow for more spontaneous interaction.

Distinguishing motivation for using Blackboard vs. Facebook

Integrate your stuff You can easily integrate your resources into Facebook Posting Links, Notes, Photos, Video Automated posting via RSS -based applications (e.g. FriendFeed) You can even write your own Facebook platform application !

You can easily integrate your resources into Facebook

Posting Links, Notes, Photos, Video

Automated posting via RSS -based applications (e.g. FriendFeed)

You can even write your own Facebook platform application !

Reputation Motivation Reputation: The willingness to help others can all work to increase one's prestige in a community. “ Applying Games Mechanics To Functional Software ” by Amy Jo Kim Five Game Mechanics 1. Collecting 2. Earning Points 3. Feedback 4. Exchanges 5. Customization

Reputation: The willingness to help others can all work to increase one's prestige in a community.

“ Applying Games Mechanics To Functional Software ” by Amy Jo Kim

Five Game Mechanics 1. Collecting 2. Earning Points 3. Feedback 4. Exchanges 5. Customization

Challenges Dangers of using Facebook for class

Dangers of using Facebook for class

Application Spam Plenty of Facebook applications trick users into send invitations to their friends to “unlock” features. When a friend adds such an app, the cycle continues . Competition between application developers to get larger user base. Finally, Facebook decides to stop it ( 21st Feb 2008 ). Users can block specific apps, and clear all pending requests.

Plenty of Facebook applications trick users into send invitations to their friends to “unlock” features.

When a friend adds such an app, the cycle continues .

Competition between application developers to get larger user base.

Finally, Facebook decides to stop it ( 21st Feb 2008 ).

Users can block specific apps, and clear all pending requests.

Getting Informal? Leisa Reichelt coined the term “ ambient intimacy ” Refers to the constant sense of closeness users feel with their circle of friends through technologies that informally reveal us to each other. Cory Doctorow called out Boyd’s Law where “Adding more users to a social network increases the probability that it will put you in an awkward social circumstance ”.

Leisa Reichelt coined the term “ ambient intimacy ”

Refers to the constant sense of closeness users feel with their circle of friends through technologies that informally reveal us to each other.

Cory Doctorow called out Boyd’s Law where “Adding more users to a social network increases the probability that it will put you in an awkward social circumstance ”.

What Privacy? The original News Feed scared Facebook users Under users pressure , Facebook finally let users adjust what appeared in public Facebook Beacon makes you endorse what your purchase Not everyone aware they have to opt-out ; change privacy options The Wall vs. Personal Message

The original News Feed scared Facebook users

Under users pressure , Facebook finally let users adjust what appeared in public

Facebook Beacon makes you endorse what your purchase

Not everyone aware they have to opt-out ; change privacy options

The Wall vs. Personal Message

Walled Gardens A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities Most traditional social networking sites are “ walled gardens ” (e.g. Facebook) Trap user content to derive ad revenue Can’t leave? Loss of coordination .

A social network service focuses on the building and verifying of online social networks for communities of people who share interests and activities

Most traditional social networking sites are “ walled gardens ” (e.g. Facebook)

Trap user content to derive ad revenue

Can’t leave? Loss of coordination .

Takeaways thoughts on participation

thoughts on participation

Benefits of Participation collective intelligence - collaborative transparent - instant gratification non-hierarchical - democratic potential for passion - ownership open to public - reputation permanence - searchable resource

collective intelligence - collaborative

transparent - instant gratification

non-hierarchical - democratic

potential for passion - ownership

open to public - reputation

permanence - searchable resource

Questions let’s discuss

let’s discuss

Kevin Lim “ Jack of all trades, Master of some.”