With so many students using the social networking website Facebook, it should come as no surprise that the website has begun to be used in the education field.
Educators are using it in new and innovative ways to connect with and educate students. English Professor Jennifer Drouin uses students’ affinity for the website in a creative way: creating mock Facebook profiles about key characters in the Shakespearean play “Measure for Measure.”
“Students study each character’s perspective on the events of the play in a careful scene-by-scene analysis,” Drouin said, “but they get to write in the contemporary language in the style of status updates.”
The assignment, Drouin said, has been successful.
“Based on what they have said in their end-of-semester course evaluations, I would say that students have reacted positively to this exercise,” she said.
Aside from using the website’s features as a model for an assignment, educators using Facebook for communication has become commonplace.
“I’ve definitely noticed professors using Facebook,” said Garrett Dennis, a junior majoring in political science. “In most of my classes, the professor will mention that we can find them on Facebook.”
However, with so much personal information that one provides on his or her Facebook profile, there could be some issues with student-teacher Facebook friendships. Assistant Director of the Faculty Resource Center Marilyn Staffo said professors should be wary about too much Facebook exposure.
“Facebook should always be optional for students, so that a student is not required to share their Facebook information with the instructor or others in the class,” she said. “I recommend that faculty not become Facebook friends with students when they have them in their class.”
Staffo said the increased access Facebook can provide could be overwhelming for both students and faculty members. Rather than becoming Facebook friends with their students, Staffo said professors could use the website in other ways to connect with their students.
“[Professors] can create a class group where users who want information on the group site can ‘like’ the group,” she said.
Professors, however, are not all as open to the Facebook revolution. Photojournalism professor Daniel Meissner made a point to note that increased use of Facebook for educational purposes could conflict with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which requires student consent for disclosing educational information.
“When teachers use Facebook for anything other than to plan events and such, they could begin to contend with the privacy rights of FERPA,” he said.
Staffo echoed Meissner’s fears and warned that Facebook users should be careful.
“Users of Facebook should be concerned about security today and in the future,” Staffo said.
Outside of teachers using it to connect, Facebook’s growing dominance on college campuses has led to many different departments themselves creating websites to connect with students. Many of these departmental Facebook pages are run by students. Matt Weider, a student who runs the Office of Information Technology page, said although the page is young, it could be a great asset for the department.
“The page’s purpose is to reach out to students, faculty and staff to give them information and news on technology around campus,” Weider said. “The page provides useful information about the department.”
