Describe and analyze an example of social learning supported by ubiquitous learning devices.

An example of social learning supported by ubiquitous learning devices is the use of social media such as Facebook. Facebook provides an effective platform for the sharing of information, collaboration, and interaction unconstrained by time and space. Students primarily associate Facebook with social uses, not with formal instruction, although they contend it can sometimes be used informally for learning purposes (Madge et al., 2009). I tend to agree. Facebook’s noisy environment hampers formal learning but it certainly provides multiple opportunities for informal social learning. When I started my doctoral program, our school used blackboard as a platform to deliver the courses. Although students liked its many features such as the discussion forums, Blackboard did not provide a private space for informal peer-to-peer interaction, away from professors’ attention. Our cohort thus created a closed Facebook group where we could share resources, express thoughts, and seek clarifications in a free, multidirectional, and unstructured manner. Research reports the potential of Facebook to be used as a collaborative tool that allows students to reduce ambiguity in class, to clarify assignments and class expectations (Lampe et al., 2011). Facebook has some obvious benefits for students, and can also support instructors. According to Muñoz and Towner (2011), Facebook profiles can raise a user’s social presence and enable more customized interactions, making instructors more reachable and relatable.

Click here for a video on how Facebook can be used in education

References

Lampe, C., Wohn, D. Y., Vitak, J., Ellison, N. B., & Wash, R. (2011). Student use of Facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 6(3), 329–347. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11412-011-9115-y

Madge, C., Meek, J., Wellens, J., & Hooley, T. (2009). Facebook, social integration and informal learning at university: ‘It is more for socializing and talking to friends about work than for actually doing work.’ Learning, Media and Technology, 34(2), 141–155. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439880902923606

Muñoz, K. C., & Towner, T. L. (2011). Facebook or Renren? A comparative study of social networking site use and social capital among Chinese international students in the United States. Cutting-Edge Technologies in Higher Education, 1, 33–57. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2044-9968(2011)0000001005