The experience of using Facebook as an educational tool
When we say Facebook, the first thing that comes to our mind is a social networking site. We recall Profile pictures, likes, reactions, groups, pages, fan following, posts, check-ins, and live videos. Ever heard of Facebook for educational purposes? How irrelevant, right? In reality, Users can use social networking sites a lot more than only for fun on social networking.
Researchers are thinking of Facebook as a new way to unify teaching and students. There are many ways by which we can use Facebook for students. Many colleges in the UK have started implementing Facebook learning as a part of the course.
10 ways to use Facebook as a learning tool
Not using Facebook as a learning tool yet in your classrooms? This is the time to start now. It is a unique way of educating you. It is very interesting and engaging for the students to get taught in this manner. Facebook, unites the groups for learning together.
Exchanging ideas on various platforms makes learning very easy. Whether the Student is from high school or college going, it is the best idea to make them unite on a common topic. When you decide to go to Facebook for learning, there are many ways to fulfill this task. Today Facebook gives more options to use it as a learning platform. Let us look at some of the advantages of using Facebook for students. They can start to practice it and learn a lot.
1. Facebook groups
Check the number of students in your school. Make sure that they are on Facebook. This is necessary for learning Facebook in the classroom. Create a Facebook group of all the students in your class. Make this group private because student's information and courses get shared in it. This is a good option for Facebook learning.
2. Documenting
Ever seen the younger generation on Facebook? They want to publish, share, and record every part of their lives. Where they go, to whom they meet, and what they do in their day to day lives. Take advantage of this and use this for Facebook for educational purposes. For example, if the class has organized a picnic or an educational trip, the teachers can put up the pictures as a part of Facebook learning. They can share information or reviews about it on the site.
3. Facebook Live
Facebook life can prove to be an excellent learning feature for students and for educational purposes. Students can use Facebook in the classroom to stream videos. They can post it later for others. This medium is not only for educating them but also good if students want to use it for their referencing later. Students can record difficult chapters. They can use it in the study by watching and learning later.
4. Facebook Polls
Polling can be an exciting medium for students. They can seek and give their opinions about a particular topic or a situation of debate. Students through Facebook learning can create their polls for their classmates. They can ask for their vote about simple day to day things or class materials.
5. Digital citizenship
Using Facebook for educational purposes encourages students to meet and talk online. The teachers can guide them to get digital citizenship skills. Students through Facebook learning can learn how to create content. They can comment and share the right kind of material online. Digital citizenship also allows the students to identify, analyze, and differentiate fake content. These contents run online from the real ones.
6. News Feeds
Students can create news webcasts for themselves. This is one of the most exciting points of Facebook for students. Later, they can share it on the page for their friends and classmates. Webcasts contain clips, local news, favorite stories, breaking news. Students can share it with their classmates belongs to each field. For example- academics, fashion, sports, inter-school competition or inter-school standings, etc.
7. Challenge your mind
Big companies have the capabilities to nurture and bring up new talents. They have contests and web challenges or quiz to identify the talents of all age groups. Facebook learning is a suitable medium for this purpose. These challenges offer business and mind-bender case studies for students. Students can take up these challenges online. Then they can apply and show their skills on these platforms.
8. Post events
Facebook for educational purposes has not limited functioning. It provides more than studying and sharing bookish knowledge. Facebook for students can also have a fun piece. Schools often organize or take parts in matches or a charity event or festivities.
Students can put up all the events that are taking place in their school on Facebook. They can invite participation while informing everyone about the events. This approach enhances Facebook learning and develops a synergy among all students. Students can sync up their calendars with Facebook since it offers that feature.
9. Make global connections
Facebook is not a restricted medium to a city or country. It is a worldwide platform. Then why not make Facebook in education also that broad? Students from different parts of the world can come together on various topics. They can debate and discuss to draw a conclusion or have a common opinion on a particular issue. That doesn’t affect their own demographic rather it is a part of a more prominent and common global problem.
10. Book/Journal Reviews
Books or educational magazines are part of every child’s life. Learning is must whether he is learning from a textbook or using Facebook for education. What if you have read an excellent book which you feel your friends should also read? You are studying for a competitive exam and feel this book has unique content. It may help analyze faster. You have a paper to write and need references or guidelines. Do you want to access another friend's published journal? Facebook in education helps students find and improve each other sail through.
How to use Facebook as a learning tool
Since we saw how to use Facebook for educational purposes from the Facebook learning point of view. Let us now also have a look at how we can put in place this from a Facebook teaching point of view. A teacher may know how to use Facebook as a teaching tool. As a teacher, it is necessary for the flow of information to students is accurate, safe, and exciting to handle. It cannot be a moral way of learning; otherwise, it will be another classroom as opposed to Facebook in the class. Let us look at how a teacher can convert her school classroom into Facebook in the class.
1. Closed groups
Create closed Facebook groups. When you create such groups for your students, this will enable class only to be able to enter by an invite sent by you. No one else will be able to view the content, discussions, material posted by someone who is not a part of the group.
2. Open group
If you want to start some online course module, there is no need to close a group which you have created. It can be open to everyone. Your content would attract different students from all over the world for insight. Also, you would get benefit from what you have to teach them. It serves as a new innovative way teachers interact.
3. Create polls
Try to receive feedback on a course that you plan to start. Also, receive feedback on the e-Learning module you are looking to put in place. Request the opinion of your student or your fellows who may have some ideas to give you on a specific topic. Get involve in creating reports or statistics. The number of forums and discussions are infinite.
4. Poll Booth
Since the possibility of conferences is endless. So the opinions on a particular topic of debate or discussion may be different. Polls are an excellent Facebook learning tool. You can use it to analyze and understand the likes, dislikes, and common interests. You can analyze the points of consensus or conflict of your students. It will help you to prepare the course according to them. By this, they have well-rounded learning based on several expert opinions.
5. Course contents
A huge amount of material and resources are available worldwide to present your content. There are also lots of social networking tools are available for this purpose. Place your content on your Facebook account. Open group forums, discussions or the closed group that you have created for students and other global experts. What are the advantages of this? Everything will be available on the Facebook online storage. If it happens to be wrong, you can amend it and upload it again.
You can get immediate responses and feedback from the people involved. Your students and learners can access your material from anywhere around the world. No matter where they are, they can connect with you. You will manage to reduce classroom time and also encourage Facebook learning.
6. Student engagement
Students are always interactive when it comes to being online. You can also create group assignments to engage them. Also can develop participation and improve relationships between them and yourself. This may develop friendship among you all. For sure it will be the best idea because a friend can teach better than a teacher. It’s true that hierarchy might lose in this process of the deed, but it’s not necessary it will be. You can always go back and make sure it stays where it has always been. You may know this by including the right tone, the fun but severe mood and style in your forums and discussions.
7. Facebook Application
You can also create quizzes and call for applications from students. You can do this in closed and open groups to get great participation and collaboration from them. It makes them more competitive but also educates them to a significant degree.
8. Sync with the phone
Encourage students to become a part of Facebook learning. They should start syncing their smartphones with Facebook calendars. Ensure they turn on the notifications for the forums and groups they are a part of. So, they can receive instant updates as soon as the group gets updates.
The feed can consist of all updates related to your course content, calendar, etc. This way everyone will be aware of whatever is happening.
9. Multimedia options
Don’t limit your discussions to long boring forum debates. Don't stay on counter-arguments or long documents. There can be educational videos, PowerPoint presentations, discussion images and flowcharts, pictorial representations. There can be discussion groups, chats, inbox messaging, sharing, liking, highlighting, and promotions. You should use these facilities to extend your knowledge.
Facebook as a tool for teaching and learning
As we have discussed, Facebook is a useful tool in consideration of the uses of Facebook for students. Whether it is teaching from the teacher’s perspective or the students’ perspective. Both ways it serves up as an excellent option and a classic example of interactive learning. It has its advantages and disadvantages. But, it is still coming out on the tops because it has more pros than cons with the services it offers. You can reduce the disadvantages of Facebook whatever little it has if you attend it with care.
How to use Facebook for social learning
Facebook for the educational purpose wasn't created only for education or for the classroom. It is more of an interactive tool to break the barriers of the traditional educational system. Why? Because if the world is going digital in every other sense, why should education stay behind? Social learning has proven to be more effective than classroom learning. Hence, the incorporation of Facebook in the classroom.
Using Facebook for e-Learning
Education is an essential part of a student's life. This study goes well is the advantage of Facebook in the classroom or using e-Learning. It is best to take good advantage of the technology and put it to some good use. This is the primary aim of using Facebook for educational purposes. Technology or social media like Facebook or Twitter moves faster than any other medium is the reason it works. This choice of tool is the best when it comes to what works best for students.