This document discusses using social networking to enhance students' learning experiences. It defines social networks and their growing popularity. Studies show that social networks now represent the fastest growing internet segment and are used by 45% of web users. Popular networks like Facebook have hundreds of millions of users. Research also suggests that 55% of online American youth use social networks for communication. The document then discusses social learning theory and how social networking can be used in education by providing collaboration, resources, and forming online communities of practice. A case study is described that used a social network in two graduate courses and found students welcomed the experience, felt more involved in their learning, and that it helped build a sense of community.

1. Using Social Networking to Enhance
Students’ Learning Experiences
Steve C. Yuen, Ph.D.
Professor
The University of Southern Mississippi
Steve.Yuen@usm.edu
2010 MECA Conference, Jackson, Mississippi, February 10, 2010

4. What is a Social Network?
• A social network is an online service for
communities of people who share an interest
with one another to collaborate.
• A social network service focuses on building
online communities of people who share
interests and activities, or who are interested
in exploring the interests and activities of
others. Most social network services are web
based and provide a variety of ways for users
to interact, such as e-mail and instant
messaging services (Wikipedia).
Barnett: Social Networking March 8, 2008

5. Universities and Social Networking.
http://www.slideshare.net/sparkbouy/universities-and-social-networking/

8. connected

9. Popular Social Networks
•Facebook
•Friendster
•LinkedIn
•MySpace
•Ning

10. Social Networking Factoids
• Social networks now represent the fastest growing
Internet segment – 3 times the rate of overall
Internet growth. (2009)
• Social networking sites are growing at the rate of
47% annually, reaching 45% of total web users.
(2006)
• Social networking and blogging are now the 4th
most popular online activities, according to
Nielsen’s recently released Global Faces and
Networked Places report. (2009)
Source: Nielson Netratings

11. • The most visited social networking site in the world (Nielsen
Report, 2009),
• More than 300 million active users (Facebook,2009)
• Average user has 130 friends on the site
• More than 2 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
• More than 14 million videos uploaded each month

12. • 50 million Twitter users
• A monthly growth of 1,382% as reported
by Nielsen.com in March 2009

13. Pew Internet & American Life Project
• 2007 National Study
– 55% all online American Youth between the age
of 12 and 17 use social networking sites for
communication.

14. Pew Internet & American Life Project

15. Social Learning

16. Social Learning
• Best explained by situated learning theory which is rooted
in Vygotskian perspectives on learning (Lave & Wenger,
1991)
• People learn from one another, via observation, imitation,
and modeling. The theory has often been called a bridge
between behaviorist and cognitive learning theories
because it encompasses attention, memory, and
motivation (Albert Bandura, 1977)
• Shift the view of learning from a cognitive process to a
process of participation in the social world
• Learning emerges from engagement in social interaction
• Focus on the learning that occurs within a social context.
It considers that people learn from one another, including
such concepts as observational learning, imitation, and
modeling

17. Social Networking in Education

18. Social Networking in Education
• Provide a casual place of learning
• Develop literacy and communication skills
• Encourage students to express their own
thoughts
• Provide effective collaboration and
communication
• Offer a channel of resources and
knowledge exchanges

19. Social Networking in Education
• Provide a source of social support and
socialization for different learners
• Enhance students’ learning experiences
• Develop e-portfolios
• Form communities of practice
• Build an online learning community
• Offer immersion in a foreign language
environment

20. A Case Study
• Conducted in the US and Hong Kong
• Designing and teaching two courses that
involved the use of a social network
• Purposes
– Obtained specific information about the process
of the social network instructional approach
– Investigated students’ perceptions on the use of
social networking in education

21. Participants
• 30 students enrolled in graduate level courses
in educational technology from two universities
(USM and CUHK) during the spring semester in
2008
• Majority of participants in both courses were
part-time in-service teachers who were pursuing
a master’s degree or a graduate minor in IT.
• The courses were offered in a blended learning
or hybrid format

22. Design of Social Network
• Ning was chosen as an online platform to create
a class social networking site
• Allowed students to create their own profiles;
upload photos, audio, podcasts, and videos,
create and join discussion groups, send
messages and publish blogs and presentations
• Designed for private use
• Only class members in the courses were invited
to join the class social network
• No guest or outsider was allowed to join and
participate in the social network

30. The Results of My Case Study
• Increasing interest in the use of social networking in
education
• Students in the course welcome the opportunity to
experience and explore the use of social networking in
teaching and learning
• Students found the class social networking site was user-
friendly and gave them a sense of belonging
• Students had positive experience of using social
networking in learning
• Students felt more actively involved in the course that use
social networking
• Using a social networking site in a class could build a
sense of community among learners

31. Collective Intelligence and
E-Learning 2.0:
Implications of Web-Based
Communities and
Networking
Chapter 16 - Using Social Networking to Enhance Sense of
Community in E-Learning Courses
http://book.yuen.us/book1/

41. The End
Questions or Comments?
Thank You for Attending My session!
This presentation is available on the Web at:
http://www.slideshare.net/scyuen/