Utilising Facebook: immersing Generation-Y students into first year university
Date
2009
Authors
McCarthy, Joshua Andrew Reid
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
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Journal article
Citation
ergo: The Journal of the Education Research Group of Adelaide , 2009; 1 (2):39-49
Statement of Responsibility
Joshua McCarthy
Conference Name
Abstract
This case study explores the use of the online social networking site, Facebook, in helping
immerse first year students into university culture, by furthering the development of
academic and social relationships between peers. Facebook was chosen as the host site
on account of the uniform strength of its features as compared to other popular social
networking sites such as MySpace and Friendster, the image-sharing site Flickr, and the
open-source software Moodle. The site’s popularity ensured that many students would be
familiar with its layout and operation, while the ‘group’ and ‘event’ applications enabled the
creation of an accessible, easily-maintained, and highly interactive online forum. Lastly,
the 24/7 availability of the site conformed with the ‘anytime, anywhere’ work attitude of
Generation-Y students. 100 first year design students took part in the study, within the
course Imaging Our World at the University of Adelaide. Every two weeks, students were
required to submit images to an online gallery in Facebook, and to provide critiques on
peers’ submissions. The gallery topics were broad in nature, and open to the student’s own
interpretations, allowing for a wide range of images in each: this produced a concurrently
wide range of discussions. The galleries allowed students to connect with each other in a
virtual environment, and thus to develop academic relationships freed from the constraints
of the classroom and their own inhibitions. Through the use of such collaborative learning,
students were able to engage with their peers and develop a sense of belonging within
the learning community. Discussions often evolved from formal academic critiques to
informal social interactions as the students became more comfortable with each other. In
summary, the study was considered to have been a success, due to Facebook’s engaging
and interactive qualities, the students’ existing interest and experience with the software,
and their eagerness to connect with their peers. The project will be adapted in 2009 based
on the initial findings of this study and the design of course-specific Facebook applications.
School/Discipline
School of Architecture, Landscape Architecture and Urban Design