Critical Review-Face to Facebook(Latest)
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Transcript of Critical Review-Face to Facebook(Latest)
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8/12/2019 Critical Review-Face to Facebook(Latest)
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Face to Facebook: Social media and the learning and teaching potential of symmetrical,
synchronous communication. By: George VanDoorn & Antoinette A. Eklund,
MonashUniversiy
Social media has become an intangible asset in education. It works in creating students
engagement and assisting them in assignments. It is found that social media especially Facebook
is instrumental for out-campus students. This article ventures on the pros and cons and how
effective is social media specifically Facebook as a teaching potential in disseminating
symmetrical and synchronous communication.
The writers engaged in a study consisted of 20 students for duration of one semester to add the
lecturer as a Friend on Facebook. They were provided with Net Time to chat in real time
with the lecturer outside regular lecture and tutorial hours. During this Net Time , students were
allowed to ask the lecturer any questions that they had related to the unit. At the end of semester,
the students were given questionnaire concerning user familiarity, communication, quality of
CMC (computer-mediated-communication), quality of feedback from the lecturer and
usefulness. The questionnaire also questioned the students on their opinions regarding the
potential of the tool for educational use.
90% of the students found that Facebook was an appropriate teaching tool. This platform allows
for a sense of anonymity that is absent during lecture or face-to-face time. This allows for timid
students to be more frank about asking questions due to its less intimidating environment.
The study revealed that students found that the social media platform as being very beneficial for
immediate response in assisting them in assignments. My argument is supported by the following
data from the article:
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I got a quick response so I could quickly move along to the next part of my assignment.
Blackboard responses from other students often make me more confused, so a straight answer
from the lecturer was extremely helpful.
Facebook via chat, message (email) wall posts or comments are found to beneficial for students
especially during weekends or holidays and for those out-campus students who are working full
time, hence Facebook is found to be effective for long distance students by overcoming or
neutralizing distance.
The writer however brought out very interesting disadvantage of using this platform. Educators
have reasons to be cautious and necessary as the separation between teachers as the higher
hierarchy and student as lower hierarchy is blurred through CMC. VanDoorn and Eklund have a
similar view with Maranto& Barton (2011) as stated in page 5 of the article.
The writers concluded that a more comprehensive study to be followed by this pilot study to
determine the effectiveness by employing rigorous qualitative and quantitative research
technique. The writers also piqued at the practicality of employing this method due to its
resource-intensity nature. Educators need to be adequately resourced with the time to provide
this level of learning support (Michael Wong 2009).
The article is vastly researched to support the study with the outcome that CMC is highly
beneficial for student however fail to implore the quality of education as the outcome of CMC.
Were the assignments better with CMC as opposed to the students having to research for
materials and applying problem-solving and creativity in order to complete the assignment? Or,
were their understanding of the subject more in depth due to being spoon-fed on CMC? I
recommend that follow up study to include questions on the quality of their study and
performance. The lecturers should also be included in the study to survey the overall sentiment
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of having to be adequately present for student even after lecture and tutorial hours as done by
Stephen F. Austin (2012). An in depth study needs to be done in order to monitor the actual
effectiveness of applying CMC (Facebook) in education. Questions like; Will CMC reduce
attention span in the lecture room due to the notion of face to-face lecture time can be
compensated by Net Time? or Professional vs. Personal relationship issue, whereby students
are your friends?.
In summary, this article focuses more on CMC as a popular notion tool in education. This article
is suitable to be read by the IT administrators in education institutions. It is detrimental to look
into all aspects as to clearly determine that issue like privacy, technology connectivity and time-
consuming endeavor on the part of the educators will not blur the line of win-win situation
before implementing this initiative into teaching and learning environment.
REFERENCE
Michael Wong (2009). Facebook and Education. Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology.
The University of British Columbia. Retrieved on 2 Oct 2013 from
http://ctlt.ubc.ca/2009/01/30/facebook-and-education/
Stephen F. Austin (2012). Teaching with Technology: The Pros and Cons of Using Facebook in
the Classroom Workshop. Aaron Milstead, State University . Retrieved on 12 Oct 2013from http://pwcomp.sfasu.edu/teaching-with-technology-the-pros-and-cons-of-using-
facebook-in-the-classroom-2012-workshop/