You have to join facebook to use it and it’s the best way to get an insight into social networking. You’ll find me there – and a range of other people from the University of Lincoln. www.facebook.com/
Research from JISC shows ‘Social networking sites are still being widely used and more frequently, mainly for personal or social reasons.’ and ‘Students make wide use of social networking but struggle to see how it could be used in learning’
There is tension between the social nature of the software and potential exploitation of student’s online ‘space’. There have also been issues around the exposure of disparaging and derogatory remarks made within the social network environment.
- Find me on Facebook – so long as you are not a Faculty member or Administrator
- Students tell universities to get out of My space
- Threads that twist and tangle
The University of Leicester is currently researching into the possibility that social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace can help first year students integrate into university life. Preregistration and induction times are middle ground areas where the boundaries between social and institutional may merge more successfully. But there is a real danger in assuming that everyone has access to the technology….