ERIC Number: EJ972449
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2153-2974
EISSN: N/A
Facebook: Learning Tool or Distraction?
Fewkes, Aaron M.; McCabe, Mike
Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, v28 n3 p92-98 Spr 2012
The article will explore how a selected sample of secondary school students in Ontario have been using Facebook since it has become accessible to them and whether or not this use "supports the learning agenda" of classrooms as school boards have envisioned. The researchers collected both quantitative and qualitative data from 63 Ontario high school students via a questionnaire distributed through Facebook. Stating many examples of use for educational purposes, 73% of respondents reported having used Facebook for educational purposes. Of the students surveyed, only 27% said that at least one teacher had found ways to include Facebook in their lessons, and further, 77% of students believed that teachers do not support Facebook being unblocked. The results of this research point to a need for the better utilization of Facebook in classrooms and the need for school boards who choose to "embrace" the increasing popularity of social media to implement programs that better ensure teachers also feel comfortable enough to embrace this informal teaching tool. (Contains 2 tables, 1 footnote and 3 figures.)
Descriptors: Student Attitudes, Foreign Countries, Secondary School Students, Social Networks, Mass Media Use, Mass Media Effects, Questionnaires, Use Studies, Student Surveys, Technology Uses in Education, Classroom Techniques, Learning Strategies, Educational Technology, Affective Objectives
International Society for Technology in Education. 180 West 8th Avenue, Suite 300, Eugene, OR 97401-2916. Tel: 800-336-5191; Tel: 541-302-3777; Fax: 541-302-3778; e-mail: iste@iste.org; Web site: http://www.iste.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: High Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Canada
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A