Social Networking Technologies: Benefits and Drawbacks

Some of the current social networking technologies available that could be used for education purposes include Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Blogs, and even Pinterest.  Hsiu-Ting and Steve Chi-Yin (2010) completed a study where they found that university students felt a strong sense of being part of a connected classroom community when using social networking technology.  Students enjoy being part of a classroom community as well as using these social networking sites to connect with other interest groups.  Specifically, Twitter holds chats, where students could take part and share their knowledge with other individuals across the world.

Educators must be careful not to overload the students with too many social networking technologies at one time.  It is best to have students get comfortable using one technology before adding another.  Griffith and Liyanage (2008) note that when using these social networking technologies, teachers must be aware of the types of advertisements that appear within these sites.  Students must be aware that most of their postings will be public to the entire world depending on what technology they are using.  One of Thorsen’s (2009) guidelines is to “never say something you wouldn’t want your mother to hear” (p. 90).  Social networking technologies have both benefits and drawbacks, but with the right amount of guidance the benefits can outweigh the drawbacks.         

 

References:

Griffith, S. & Liyanage, L. (2008).  An introduction to the potential of social networking sites in education.  Research Online, 76-81.  Retrieved from http://ro.uow.edu.au/etc08/9

Hsiu-Ting, H., & Steve Chi-Yin, Y. (2010). Educational use of social networking technology in higher education. Teaching In Higher Education, 15(6), 703-714. doi:10.1080/13562517.2010.507307     

Thorsen, C. (2009). TechTactics: Technology for Teachers (3 ed.). Boston: Pearson