YCash OMDE 670 Research Project Final Draft

8/3/2019 YCash OMDE 670 Research Project Final Draft

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Facebook As a Student Support Tool

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Running Header: FACEBOOK AS A STUDENT SUPPORT TOOL

Facebook and Student Support Services: Enhancing Student Contributions to Online Classroom

Conferencing

Yuvetta Cash

University of Maryland University College


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Abstract

Distance education (DE) and E-Learning programs offer students the opportunity to

enroll in education programs without the limitations of time and physical space. As a result,

Distance education and E-Learning programs continue to be increasingly popular. At the same

time, there is increased popularity in the use of Web 2.0 features such as the social networking

site Facebook (Saeed, Yang, Sinnappan, 2009) The purpose of this research project is to

present an argument for using Facebook as a student support service tool. By utilizing the

Facebook group feature, students can create course specific study groups that can assist

students in developing a greater sense of community and develop deeper connections with the

course material. Students can in turn take the knowledge gained in the study groups and apply

it to the formal classroom discussions, thereby increasing the quality of the contributions made

by students, and the richness of the classroom discussions overall. The researcher provides

recommendations for implementing a study group program and identifies the Master of

Distance Education program at the University of Maryland University College as a candidate for

a Facebook study group program.


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Introduction

E-Learning institutions and most of the students that they service have a common goal:

the educational success of the student. One method used by teaching institutions to

accomplish this goal is the development, facilitation and promotion of student support

services; which are the programs, services and systems designed to support students

throughout their entire educational program and to help student to achieve their educational

goals (Brindley, Walti, Zawacki-Ritcher, 2008). Student support services are designed to

address varying needs of students as well as to help students with many aspects of the learning

programs. The support services offered to students are a pillar in the design and operation of

successful teaching institutions (Brindley, Walti, Zawacki-Ritcher, 2008).

In order to remain relevant and effective it is important that the student support

services of E-learning programs evolve with the current trends in courses of study/careers,

technology and student identity. Remaining relevant also applies to the types of services that

are offered and the method in which the services are delivered. In today's world, social

networking applications such as Facebook are common place; so much so that the creators of

personal computers, smart phones and other personal electronic devices design these products

with convenient, built-in social networking application, or apps. For this reason, it is important

that the designers, managers and policy makers for E-Learning programs take notice of the

growing popularity of Facebook, and consider the possibility of incorporating it's use into

aspects of student support services.


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The focus of this research project is to explore the use of the social networking

application, Facebook, as a tool to support some students with making meaningful online

conference discussion post. Facebook is an international Web based social networking system

that allows users to interact with each other in several different ways, one of which is through

a group feature. Facebook Groups are a space within Facebook that "provide a closed space

for small groups of people to communicate about shared interests(Facebook, Web Services,

2010, para 1.)". The group feature of Facebook is a possible virtual venue for students to

create course specific study groups for the purpose of discussing course content and course

readings. The discussions and student-student interaction can result in students making deeper

connections with the course content, and building a greater sense of learning community.

This paper includes a literature review, analysis and recommendations for implementing

a Facebook student study group program at a distance learning program such as the Master of

Distance Education program at the University of Maryland University College.

Literature Review

Student Support Services

Student support is the programs, services and systems designed to support students

throughout their educational program and to help them to achieve their academic goals

(Brindley, Walti, Zawacki-Ritcher, 2008). Student support services help teaching institutions to

meet the academic related needs of the student, and to meet the mission goals of the teaching

institution. In the their co-authored article entitled The Current Context of Learner Support

in Open, Distance and Online Learning: An Introduction, Brindley, J. E., Walti, C., & Zawacki-


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Richter, O., provide a foundational definition of student support in the context of distance

learning. The definition identifies the three core facets of student support services which are:

tutoring and teaching, counseling and advising, and administrative services. Additionally, the

authors provides background information on the evolution of distance learning programs in

general and the relative evolution of student support services for distance learning programs.

Yoni Ryan,(2008) provides supportive data for this research project in the article

"Pushing the Boundaries with Online Learner Support". The basis of the article derives from

Ryan's observation that "most online students need high levels of support in order to be

successful and to minimize the rate of program dropout (Ryan, 2008, p. 125)". Ryan (2008)

presents a strong argument for the benefits of student-student interaction and the correlation

between student-student interaction and building knowledge of subject matter. Research

suggest that schools should promote and reinforce to students the academic value of

participating in student run "forums, bulletin boards, and FAQ pages" (Ryan, 2008, p. 131).

As stated early, there are three core facets or components of student support services.

Thorpe (2003) in the article "Rethinking Learner Support: the challenge of collaborative online

learning", explains that the delivery and application of the core components of student services

should vary based on the needs of the students, and the clearly defined goals of the program or

department. Thorpe (2003) encourages the use of new technology systems and features to

increase student support services but warns that technology alone does not equate to progress.

Thorpe's research highlights the effectiveness and benefits of incorporating new technology

within student support services.


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Wozniah (2007) focuses on making connections between distance learning theory and

the need to support students in asynchronous discussions, which are discussions that "take

place over time and not in real time" (Wozniah, 2007, p. 209) , such as online classroom

conferences. Wozniah (2007) highlights the "notions of interacting in a learning program"

(Wozinah, 2007, p. 209) presented by Moore (1989) that says online interaction takes on one of

three forms: learner-content, learner-instructor, and learner-learner (Wozniak, 2007). Wozniah

(2007) makes a strong association between small group collaboration and the retention of and

connections to course materials.

Learning Communities and Collaborative Learning

A learning community is a group of people with common education goals and interest

who come together, physically or virtually, to share their ideas. (Blackman and Thimdeau,

2008) The members of online learning communities come together in various online locations

including chat rooms, online classrooms, message boards and social networking platforms. For

the E-Learning student, an online learning communities provides a place to connect with other

students, discuss course material and learn from the experiences of others.

Research in the field of distance education supports the positive effects of learning

communities. Blackman and Thimdeau (2008) in a work entitled "Learning Communities"

methodically define learning communities in general, as well as the definitions for "virtual

learning communities" and "knowledge building communities" which are specific types of

learning communities that are relative to this research project. According to Blackman and

Thindeau (2008), are virtual learning community are learning communities that only exist in


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virtual location and is facilitated through the use of computer-mediated communications. A

knowledge building community focuses on developing, maintaining and furthering knowledge

for a specific purpose (Blackman and Thindeau, 2008). The research identifies benefits for

students of collaborative learning in online learning communities. The primary benefits are the

conscious connection with others and the creative process that stems from student-student

interaction (Blackman and Thindeau, 2008). The research also offers methods and techniques

for developing and implementing learning communities as a tool for student support.

Brindly, Walti, and Blascke (2009) discuss the pedagogical benefits and student

motivation for online collaborative learning. The research suggest that a student's participation

in classroom conference discussions are driven by motivation (such as assessments and grades)

and the student's prior knowledge of how to effectively communicate in a collaborative

environment. The information supports the concept of utilizing collaborative learning tools

such as study groups, because the interaction and connections to course materials that are

made in a study group can become a motivation to participate more effectively in the formal

classroom area.

Brindly, Walti, and Blascke (2009) also provide a list a pedagogical benefits of the

collaborative learning environment which are the development of "critical thinking skills, co-

creation of knowledge and skill, reflection and transformative knowledge" (Brindley, Walti, and

Blaschke, 2009, p.2). Brindly, Walti and Blascke do not deal specific with the benefits of study

groups or collaborative learning apart from the formal classroom, however, they do provide

other information about how to improve the participation level in the classroom conference.


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This information can be used in the planning and goal setting stage of implementing a Facebook

study group program.

Zehang (2008) focuses on training tutors and other E-Learning professionals to

effectively lead and facilitate learning communities. The arguments presented by Zehang

(2008), are based primary on distance learning (DL) policies and current practices regarding

computer mediated communication (CMC). Zehang's research also provides suggested steps

for engaging students within a learning community and key elements on structuring a learning

community

Academic Uses for Web 2.0 and Facebook

Web 2.0 refers to internet features that provide the general public with the opportunity

to create, edit and author material on the World Wide Web (Qiyun & Lit Woo, 2009). Web 2.0

applications include wikis, blogs, photo/document sharing sites, social networking and other

such features (Qiyun & Lit Woo, 2009). One such feature is Facebook, a primarily free social

networking site that provides registered users with a platform to interact with each others, in

several ways. The design of Facebook allows users to engage in highly social interaction with

others by engaging in synchronous (real time) and asynchronous (over time) dialogue, and by

sharing documents, photos, videos, and hyperlinks to other websites. Some Web 2.0 features

such as wiki, blogs, and document sharing sites have begun to be utilized be E-Learning

instructors and E-Learning program professionals. Facebook will also prove to be a good

addition to DL programs as a student support service tool.


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Diaz (2010) provides a definition and brief description of the evolution of Web 2.0

features, and offers considerations for integrating Web 2.0 features into the formal

infrastructure of an E-Learning programs. Diaz argues that although the features of Web 2.0

applications are good and can be helpful, improper use of the applications can have a negative

impact on a learning program. Diaz (2010) offers a list of issues to consider before

implementing a Web 2.0 feature into an education program. The list includes intellectual

property issues, privacy, how data will be used, quality assurance, and implementation plans.

The research pinpoints areas that require thorough investigation prior to moving forward with

the implementation and incorporation of a Web 2.0 feature into an E-Learning program.

Lim (2010) discusses statistical data regarding the use and design of Facebook and also

reports the results of an experiment conducted to measure the frequency in which students

participated in classroom discussions hosted on Facebook. The analysis demonstrated that

students participated more frequently in the course discussion hosted on Facebook compared

to the participation rate of the classroom conference discussion hosted within the learning

management system. The research presents a strong argument for using Facebook to aid

students with conference discussions.

Madge, Meek, Wellens & Hooley (2009) reveal that with more research Facebook is a

potentially good candidate for online higher education courses. Concerns, such as students

using the study group for socializing more than course related interaction, were strongly

stressed by the authors. The concerns were based on the high percentage of undergraduate

students who use Facebook for social purposes and if they would be able to mentally and


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practically separate the solely social personal purposes of Facebook from the a new academic

purpose (Madge, Meek, Wellens, 2009).

Qiyun and Lit Woo (2009) provides analysis about the educational uses of Web 2.0

features, including Facebook. The research indicates that the highly interactive features of

Facebook provide a close resemblance to the social connections made in a face to face setting.

(Quiyun and Lit Woo, 2009). According to Qiyun and Lit Woo (2009) "Facebook can help to

maintain immediacy among students" (Quiyun and Lit Woo, p. 199). Qiyun and Lit Woo

explain that the profile and group features of Facebook help to facilitate the immediacy of

students (Qiyun and Lit Woo, 2009). The profile feature provides the type of personal

information that students would share with each other such as their hometown, place of

employment, hobbies and likes. The group feature is the virtual location where the student

meetings would occur.

Qiyun and Lit Woo (2009) report the results of a study of graduate level students who

developed a Facebook group for the exclusive purpose of collaborative learning for a particular

course. The graduate students were the only Facebook users who had access to the group and

they were able to share ideas and documents and while interacting on a social level. The

research reports that the experience for the student was highly effective.


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Analysis

The Problem

A significant part of an online distance education course, specifically at the graduate

level, is the classroom conferences discussions. The design and purpose of the online classroom

conference is to simulate the classroom discussions that take place in face-to-face courses.

These discussions provide students with an opportunity to interact with the instructional

faculty (student-faculty interaction), interact with other students (student-student interaction),

and to connect with the course material. The interactions and connections that occur during

course discussions can aide students in deepening their understanding and developing

reflective insight of the course material (Moore and Kearsley, 2005). Accordingly, there are key

advantages associated with participating in the online conference discussions. For that reason

many instructors encourage participation in the classroom conferences by factoring the

students' participation into the course grade.

There are some students who are able to successfully navigate the task of conference

participation without the need for additional student support services, however, there are

other students who can benefit from additional support in this area. For the students who

require extra support, a creative student support tool can help them to master the conference

discussion aspect of the course. It is important to state that there may be more than one

reason why some students are unable to effectively participate in the online conference

discussions such as; the course design, individual student learning style, poor written

communication skills, lack of interest in the course subject material, poor time manage or


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intimidation of the conference process. The proposed Facebook study groups would help to

minimize intimidation for the conference process and promote a sense of learning community

by providing students with a place to discuss the course material and interact with other

students. Providing support to students who require extra support can help to increase their

success within a given academic program, and increase their connection with other students in

the program. Table 1 summarizes the focus points of this research project.

Facebook and Student Support Services: Enhancing Student Contributions to Online Classroom

Conferencing.

THE PROBLEM Poor/Minimal participation by some students in online classroom

conference discussions due to intimidation of the conference

process.

A SOLUTION A student support tool to help minimize intimidation of the

conference process and promote learner community.

THE RECOMMENDATION Optional Student Study Group hosted on the internet social

networking site Facebook

THE BENEFITS 1. Increase the success of some students within a given academic

program

2. Increase student connections with other students within the

academic program.

Table 1 Research Project Focus Points

Methodology for Research

The literature review provides the foundational information for this research project.

The current literature offers information on the topics of: student support service, online

classroom conferencing, collaborative learning and learning communities, and academic uses

of Web 2.0 features/application, such as Facebook. Although there is sufficient literature to

support this project, additional analysis beyond a basic literature review is necessary in order to


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establish the validity of the research focus which is: Can student support for E-Learning

classroom conferences be enhanced by using optional Facebook study groups?

In addition to providing the foundational information for the research product, the

literature review process lead to the development of the following sub - questions:

What are the benefits of building a learning community? What is the current method of addressing the problem? Why use Facebook? Who should be allowed to participate in the study groups? What are policy and management issues of a Facebook study group? What are the cost associated with developing a Facebook study group project? Are there distance learning institutions who are currently using Facebook for academic

purposes?

What are recommendations for implementing Facebook study groups?The methodology for this research project is a critical analysis of literature, resources, and case

studies that address the sub-questions.

The Importance of Learning Communities and Collaborative Learning

A learning theory is composed of ideas and concepts that help to explain the why, how

and circumstances under which people learn (Moore and Kearsley, 2005). Learning theories

identify areas of lack in a learning/educational process and how to strengthen those areas.

Learning theories are an important part of the educational process and should therefore be


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considered in each aspect of an educational program. Learning theories also apply to the

development and implementation of student support services for DE programs.

The foundation of DE programs rests on the tenants of the Theory of Transactional

Distance as defined by M. Moore (2005). Transactional Distance is " the gap of understanding

and communication between the teachers and the learners caused by the geographical

distance that must be bridged through distinctive procedures in the instructional design and the

facilitation of interaction" (Moore and Kearsley, 2005, p. 223). The theory explains that in DE

there is a great potential for students to develop deficits in understand due to the lack of

physical proximity to the course instructor. The degree of the deficit or gap in understanding

can vary based on different factors, but can none the less, have an effect of a student's ability

to fully grasp the full concepts of the course subject material.

In an attempt to minimize the effects of the transactional distance the theory of

mandates that there must be a "bridging" (Moore and Kearsly, 2005, p. 223) between the

student and instructor. One way to create a bridge is through a continuum of communication

interactions over a period of time. Moore (2005) refers to this continuum of interaction as

"dialogue" (Moore, 2005, p. 224). Dialogue is not exclusive to face-to-face or telephone

communication, but rather refers to any ongoing exchange over a medium of communication.

Moore (2005) suggests that the interaction happens in three distinct situations: "learner-

teacher, learner- content, and learner-learner" (Moore and Kearsly, 2005, p. 225).

Garrison (2005) builds on Moore's (2005) theory by offering additional modes to

minimize transaction distance. Garrison (2005 )proposes that collaborative learning is a


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method to significantly reduce transaction distance because "the dynamics of the virtual group

creation a sense of socialization, affection, inclusion and solidarity which lead to successful

social construction of knowledge" (Moore and Kearsly, 2005, p. 226).

Constructionism and Connectivism are other theories that support the use of learning

communities. "Constructionism" describes the process of gaining deeper understanding of a

subject matter by learning from the ideas and experiences of others (Moodle Website, 2009,

para 3). Connectivism, is a newer learning theory developed by Siemens that addresses the

dynamic of learning in a group and being a part of a learning community. According to Siemens

theory, "learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions" (Bell, 2011, p. 103). Study groups

are a type of learning community; they are a common place for people to meet to discuss and

gain additional and/or deeper knowledge about a particular subject matter. Learning theories

support the use and effectiveness of learning communities.

Current Methods to Encourage Classroom Conference Participation and Collaborative

Learning

A primary focus of student support services for DL programs is to provide students with

techniques to help them successfully navigate and complete online courses. Although most DE

programs provide quality student support services, some students would benefit from

additional support in the area of classroom conference posting. There are currently two

primary methods of supporting and motivating students in this area; they are guidance from

the instructor, and conference feedback from the instructor and/or teaching support staff.


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In addition to providing instruction in the course subject matter and material, and

helping students to develop meaningful connections with the course content, the role of the

online course instructor includes providing students with a clear expectation of the course

requirements. An instructor or teaching assistant must be able to provide some level of

guidance to students about the benefits and processes of active participation in the online

classroom conference discussion. According to Starr-Glass (N.D.), an effective approach to

developing a sense of community within the conference area is for the teaching staff to practice

"instructor authenticity" which Star-Glass (N.D.) describes as the instructor offering and

promoting an online classroom environment that includes that following components

"genuineness, authenticity, encouraging authenticity in others, and leading a critical life" (Starr-

Glass, N.D., p. 6-7).

The level of support that students receive for classroom conferencing can vary in

degree by course, and by instructor. Some instructors provide detailed instructions, that

include the expected level of participation, how times a week each student should make post,

the elements that should be included in each post and how and/when to interact with other

students by responding to post made by others. Other instructors provide support by simply

stating in the course syllabus that students are expected to participate in the online class

discussions and highlighting the grading rubric that is associated with the level of participation

that the student provides. This type of guidance, at either end of the spectrum, supports

students by providing a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

Instructor feedback in the classroom conference discussions is another method of

providing support to students. The comments that the instructor provides helps students to


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develop deeper meaning of the course material, make meaningful and reflective connections

with the material and to build an appropriate connection with the instructor.

The support that the instructor offers is meaningful and beneficial to the students. For

some students this level of support is sufficient. However, there remain students who can

benefit from student-student interaction around the subject material but apart from the formal

classroom area. Student-student interaction, according to the Constructionism theory causes

students to learn from the ideas and perspectives of their peers, which leads to a better

understanding of the course material. The development of optional student study groups would

benefit the students who need this extra level support and would be a supplement to the

support methods that are already in place. The discussions that take place in the study groups

can help students to make deeper connections with the learning community, and the course

readings and material; thus resulting in the student preparedness to make rich contributions to

the formal classroom discussion.

Advantages of Using the "Facebook Group Feature" for Online Study Groups

Facebook is a Web 2.0 social networking site that provides registered users with a

platform to interact with one another. Facebook is readily available to wide range of students

in many countries because it is a website on the World Wide Web. Access to the sight and

membership is open to anyone who meets the legal requirements of 13 years of age (Facebook

Web Service, 2011, para 1). The process for establishing an account includes creating a user

name and password, and building a user profile. Once the user builds a profile, he/she can

begin interacting with other Facebook users. Users can also participate in group activities

within the Facebook system.


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The objective of this research project is to establish the advantages of using the

Facebook group feature as the location for online study groups for students who are currently

registered in a given online course. The advantages of using Facebook are that it provides an

environment that: can be highly interactive and social, offers both synchronous and

asynchronous communication, can be exclusive to the students in a given course, and is

accessible in many parts of the world. The early discussion on learning communities

established the educational and academic benefits of these environment traits.

The group feature within Facebook allows registered Facebook users to establish an

exclusive venue to interact with one another. The group features is highly customizable. It

grants several options and permits the members of the group to select: the name and purpose

of the group; a group privacy level ranging from public, to secret; and how group members are

added and excluded to and from the group ( Facebook Web Services, 2011, para 2). Group

members are able to post documents, photos and other information to be shared with the

other group members. Figure 1 illustrates a Facebook Group page.


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Figure 1 Facebook Group Page

The nature of Facebook is highly social and interactive and this extends to the group

feature. The social aspects of Facebook groups can provide study group members with the

opportunity "to get to know" the members of the study group just as they would in a face- to-

face study group setting. In addition to discussing course material, group members can share in

social exchanges that promote a sense of community and inclusion, both of which can help to

establish "immediacy and psychological closeness, which can sometimes be lost or limited in

online learning environments" (Qiyun & Huay, 2009, p. 199). Group members can participate in

synchronous communication through a chat feature, and asynchronous communication by

posting and replying to messages addressed to the entire group.


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The process for developing a study group begins with the creation of the Facebook

group. Unlike a personal Facebook page that is maintained by individuals, the group feature

allows the group page administrator to limit access to the group page and its contents to only

members of the group. In order to join the a Facebook group, a student must first be a

registered user of Facebook. Registered users can request to join the group or be invited to join

the group by other group members or the group administrator. Once a student is a part of the

group they are able to interact with other group members. The asynchronous communication,

which is communication exchanges that are delayed over time, allows students to participate in

the group discussions only when they are able to do so. There is no limit to the length and

duration of the discussions that take place in the group. The contents of group discussions are

available to all group members. . Due to the easy access, the customizable group features, the

communication options within the group and the cost effectiveness, Facebook is a strong

option for hosting course study groups.

Study Groups Member

The design of the study group is to provide students with a collaborative workspace to

share ideas about the course work so that they can in turn use the knowledge that has been

developed in the study groups to aid them in making meaning contributions to the formal

classroom conference discussion. To ensure maximum effectiveness of the Facebook study

groups, participation should have some guidelines. The purpose of the guidelines is to

safeguard that the objective of the study group, which is to offer student support by providing a

venue for peer interaction and discussion around the subject matter of a particular course


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while building a sense of inclusion and community. Guideline enforcement can be as simple as

posting the purpose for the group and asking the group members to agree to adhere to them.

Madge, Meek, Wellens & Hooley (2009) support the idea of implementing guidelines as a

means to support the intended purpose of the study group.

Membership of the study groups should be limited to current students of a given

course. Current students in a course can join a group at the beginning of a semester and

interact with their classmates within the study group during the duration of the course.

Instructional staff should not be required to participate in student study groups. Although the

instructional staff are an essential part of the learning community, their participation does not

support to the objective of the study group of providing student-student interaction.

Policy and Management Issues of the Facebook Study Groups.

Implementing and promoting a Facebook study group program requires an analysis and

development of policy and management procedures. Policy issues that should be considered

are intellectual property, proper copyright procedures of material shared in the study groups,

group monitoring, and student honor code. Putting policy and management procedures in

place will help to ensure the success of a study group.

The primary concern in a student study group is the handling of intellectual property

and copyright procedures for any shared third party resources. The term intellectual property

is used to describe mental, non-tangible creative works, such as literature, academic work, art,

and music that are created by an individual (Kelly and Bonner, 2006). Third party resources, in

this instances, refers to literature in which the author is not a member of the study group.


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Students who participate in the study group should have access to written policy and code of

conduct that clearly establishes recommended guidelines for the study groups. The following

statement, which was written for the purpose of this research project, provides a concept for

a study group policy that can be posted for students. In addition to reinforcing the intended

purpose of the study group, the policy is also designed to protect the teaching and

administrative staff of the academic program and to serve as a disclosure to students.

Sample Student Study Group Policy.

The objective of the Facebook Study group program is to offer student support by

providing a venue for peer interaction and discussion around the subject matter of a particular

course while building a sense of inclusion and community. The use of Facebook study groups is

optional and is designed to help students make valuable and reflective contributions to the

formal classroom discussion by first developing meaning knowledge through the benefits of a

learning community. The discussions that take place in the study groups are not a part of the

formal online classroom setting. Therefore no record of study group discussions will be

maintained by faculty/staff members of the MDE program or UMUC. Students are encouraged

to view the discussions that take place in the study groups as "conversations with peers" in

which the content of the discussions become common to the group. The faculty and staff of

the MDE program and UMUC do not take any responsibility shared information within the

group, nor will the faculty and staff mediate any events that take place within the study groups.

Students are encourage to extend to their fellow study group members that same courtesies

that are legislated by the UMUC Student Code of Conduct and that are applicable in the formal

classroom.


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Examples of DE Institutions Using Facebook for Academic Purposes

Research in the field of DE has shown that students benefit from peer interaction. As a

result, many teaching institutions are providing opportunities for students to engage in

collaborative learning. The growing popularity of Web 2.0 features such as Facebook has

resulted in some teaching institutions to implement its use in their teaching programs.

In 2008 the College of Education at North Carolina State University engaged in a trial

usage of a social networking program (Brady, 2010). The social networking program was

introduced to students as a part of the formal online course in an effort to increase the level of

the students' interaction with each other and the coursework (Brandy, 2010). At the end of the

course students were asked to complete a survey about their experience with the incorporation

of the social networking program into course work. The survey asked students to rate their

experience with the social networking site. The survey revealed that using the social

networking did increase the level of student interaction in the online classroom (Brandy, 2010).

Another example of using Facebook in an academic setting is offered by a group of

Master's students who developed a study group using the Facebook group feature (Qiyun & Lit

Woo, 2009). The group of five students met once a week for 13 weeks to discuss course

material and to work on collaborative assignments. At the end of the semester each of the five

student reported that using Facebook as a platform for a study group was advantageous and

effective.


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Recommendation for MDE Facebook Study Group Program

The current literature, and research make a strong argument that Facebook can provide

quality support to students and help to develop a sense of community. The group feature of

Facebook is a good venue for students to establish study groups and engage in collaborative

learning. The knowledge gained during the study group sessions can aid students with making

more meaningful contributions to the formal classroom discussions. Implementing a Facebook

study group program is a innovative approach for education programs to: assist students to

develop a deeper understanding of the course material, support students in developing and

benefiting from a greater sense of community, and to incorporated relevant technology into

the academic program.

The MDE program at UMUC requires students to work collaboratively, and to make

consistent contributions to the classroom discussions. The discussion are a vital part of the

MDE courses, so much so that classroom participation usually weights between 10-20% of the

overall grade in the course. For these reasons the MDE program is a good candidate for a study

group program. The same success with Facebook that occurred at the College of Education at

North Carolina State University (Brady, 2010) and with the graduate students discussed in the

research of Qiyun & Lit Woo (2009) is likely for the MDE program at UMUC. Considerations

for implementation are listed below.

Staff.

The development of position descriptions and appointing staff members is the primary

aspect of the implementation plan. In general, the staff for the study group project would be


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responsible for establishing clear policy for the program and ensuring that the policy is

communicated to teaching staff and students. The staff would also be responsible for

marketing/promoting the program and for conducting cost analysis. The staffing for this

program can consist of current faculty/staff. Another, and more ideal staffing option is to

create intern positions specifically to manage the study group program.

Cost Assessment.

There is little to no external cost associated with the study group project because

Facebook is a no cost site. Therefore the cost for the program is primarily staff related, that is,

if a paid staff or faculty member would be involved. Time and the number of billable hour for

staff/faculty is the primary budget item and can be determined by the details of the position

description. The use of an unpaid intern eliminates most of the budget requirements

Conclusion

Student support services are a pillar of distance education programs and aim at helping

students to reach their educational goals. Although the purposes of the services many not

change very much, the delivery method of student support services need to change in

response to the changes in education trends and student demographic. Current literature and

research in the areas of student support services for DE programs, learning communities and

collaborative learning and academic uses for Web 2.0 features and Facebook all establish the

benefits that Facebook can provide to students enrolled in online courses. Using Facebook as a


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student support tool provides students with a service option that is both technologically

relevant and academically beneficial. Students participation in a study group can help the

student to reap the benefits of being a part of a learning community.

Introducing Facebook based study groups into a program such as the MDE program at

UMUC will be advantageous for the students individually and collectively. The knowledge

gained from the study group experience can be transferred to the formal classroom discussions

producing a richer conference experience. In addition to the benefits that the program can

offer students, a Facebook study group program can be advantages to the MDE program by

providing internship opportunities to current student or alumni. A Facebook study group would

be a valuable addition to an online education program.


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YCash OMDE 670 Research Project Final Draft

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