Woodley, Carolyn and Meredith, CaAtherine (2012) Supporting Student Transition Through Social Media. American Journal of Distance Education, 26 (2). pp. 86-95. ISSN 0892-3647 (print) 1538-9286 (online)

Abstract

Views about the role of Facebook and other social networking sites in education are extremely varied. Facebook threatens academic success and yet “certain kinds of Facebook use” can support study; indeed, Facebooking students may perform better than their unwired peers (Ellison, Steinfield, and Lampe 2007). Facebook is emphatically a social network site but trends using it for teaching are increasing. Given increasing numbers of students “on” Facebook, the temptations for universities to enter that space is strong. Paradoxically, as some studies blame the social networking phenomenon for increasing failure rates at universities, universities are simultaneously exploring ways to engage students via that medium. Victoria University (VU) in Melbourne uses Facebook to engage students. This article examines the Faculty of Business and Law’s Facebook site at VU and offers a general analysis of Facebook usage and some student perspectives on the faculty site. The discussion explores Facebook as an interactive point of engagement to support student transition to the university, yet it questions the ethics of using Facebook and recommends that it be used only as an additional point of engagement.

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