Facebook
While Facebook is a popular social forum I personally don't like this medium. Regardless of what Facebook says about privacy issues - don't believe them. Too often material which is meant to remain private or restrictive becomes public or quasi-public. It is an overrated medium and everyone should be very cautious about using it.
I believe the best rule of thumb is to only put information you expect to be public. Use the "newspaper rule" to determine what should be place on a site like this and what shouldn't. If you wouldn't want what you are posting to appear on the front page of the local newspaper, don't post it. There really is not much private about the service or most social media services.
They can be good for posting thought provoking questions or information that would be helpful to a group or class. There can almost be good marketing and instructional material shared.
Edward,
Being cautious is a good rule to follow. I don't have anything on Facebook that would benefit others - just my name. Thanks for your input.
Craig,
Good advice as well. It's like saying don't put anything in an email that you wouldn't say to someone's face. Thanks for your input.
Many instructors have a personal FB site and aa professional one that they can use to link to their students and the university's FB site.
Hala,
Yes, they do. Some people feel more comfortable in the social networking environment than others. Thanks!
Although many of my students would like to communicate with facebook, I do not like the site. It is not as private as it should be and, to be truthful, time is a big constraint for me. My job is to be the instructor and deal with the students one on one to give them a good learning experience, not to be their "best buddy".
Janis,
I have used a private group in Facebook for just my students. It worked well for those who wanted to participate, but other students were completely fine with the Blackboard Discussion Group. I don't friend students on Facebook. We all find what works for us.
Yes, there is little privacy on Facebook. But think it's OK to use as one should assume that everything posted there is basically public info.
Robert,
But you can make a private group for your students only. I have done that. Hope this helps.
Interesting view Edward. I use it but only with my family members. I am cautious about what is put on Facebook as it could later on be used for public purposes which is not the intent of online courses. Some ideas to use it would be-
1) Blogs or discussion areas with students on specific questions
2) Follow up issues or other communications students may want to have with say student to student (s2s).
3) Issues with FERPA on who is taking the courses and privacy issues. I don't know if Facebook would claim responsibility for this if something did not go right.
Hello Colleagues, :-)
I'm in agreement with Edward. I also feel that Facebook can be useful, but students need to be very cautious when using this social medium. One of my weekly discussion board topics deals with the issue of personal responsibility and social media. I ask my students to envision being hired by an employer that researches its employees on the Internet. What will he/she find out about you (the student)? Will he/she see pictures of you at a high school party in your underwear drinking beer (this always gets laughs), but I alert the students as to the seriousness of the situation. While Facebook may be more secure than other sites that may find their way on the Internet, information still has a way of leaking out. The bottom line I try to instill in my students is to never post anything on any site that you wouldn't want your mother or grandmother to read.
An additional issue is that the time students spend social networking is time that can be spent studying. The majority of my students are working adults with limited free time. They need to prioritize their time to maximize study time: it's their choice.
Kind regards,
Sara Fine
Online Instructor
I agree that everyone should be cautious. I am a law enforcement officer and my department is looking at setting up a policy around this issue. They are looking at requiring officers to provide passwords to Facebook and other social media accounts. I know of an officer who is applying with another department and he was instructed to friend the investigator and not delete any information off of the account or he would not be considered for the position. I personally do not have an account.
Hello,
I am not a huge fan of Facebook either. However, I do recognize that students are very comfortable with this form of communication. I think it is best to assess the class and see what style of communication they are comfortable with and use it. If my classroom and my studnets success can be garnered by using Facebook, then Facebook it is.
Gregory Becoat
Roberto,
We all have our comfort levels. Know that you can set up private groups in Facebook, Twitter and YouTube just or your students. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Sara,
Yes, as employers are accessing Facebook and simply Googling applicants, what students out on Facebook or any social networking site can be an issue. Thanks.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Guillermo,
Interesting assessment of an individual by Friending them. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
Gregory,
It is good to be open to new technologies yet cautious at the same time. Thanks for sharing.
Dr. Tena B. Crews
I often get friend requests from students who have found me via a simple name search. While I do use facebook minimally mostly to stay in touch with family and share pictures I would never friend a student. Many colleges have policies against this but I do not need students entering into that realm. One wise colleague once said she thinks about facebook like her home, she would invite in friends and family but not have her online students over for tea!
Leah,
I don't friend students either. I have developed a group of just class participants on FB for discussion purposes, but that is different than simply friending the students.
