Back to the “wall”: How to use Facebook in the college classroom

Authors

  • Caroline Lego Muñoz Fairleigh Dickinson University
  • Terri Towner Oakland University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v16i12.3513

Keywords:

social network sites, social networking, Facebook, pedagogy, education, higher education, social constructivism, online learning, Web 2.0, social media

Abstract

The evolving world of the Internet — blogs, podcasts, wikis, social networks — offers instructors and students radically new ways to research, communicate, and learn. Integrating these Internet tools into the college classroom, however, is not an easy task. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to examine the role of social networking in education and demonstrate how social network sites (SNS) can be used in a college classroom setting. To do this, existing research relating to SNS and education is discussed, and the primary advantages and disadvantages of using SNS in the classroom are explored. Most importantly, specific instructions and guidelines to follow when implementing SNS (i.e., Facebook) within the college classroom are provided. Specifically, we show that multiple types of Facebook course integration options are available to instructors. It is concluded that SNS, such as Facebook, can be appropriately and effectively used in an academic setting if proper guidelines are established and implemented.

Author Biographies

Caroline Lego Muñoz, Fairleigh Dickinson University

Associate Professor of Marketing Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship

Terri Towner, Oakland University

Assistant Professor of Political Science

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Published

2011-12-01

How to Cite

Muñoz, C. L., & Towner, T. (2011). Back to the “wall”: How to use Facebook in the college classroom. First Monday, 16(12). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v16i12.3513