Ruth Reynard “Social Networking: Learning Theory in Action” (US)

In her article, R. Reynard raises several very interesting aspects concerning social networking and learning. According to the author, ‘social networking challenges conventional views of the effective “management” of teaching and learning’. Thus the focus is on two questions raised by R. Reynard: (i) Can social networking both as an instructional concept and user skill be integrated into the conventional approaches to teaching and learning? and (ii) Do the skills developed within a social networking environment have value in the more conventional environments of learning?

There is a reference to another interesting study “Online Social Networking and Education: Study Reports on New Generations Social and Creative Interconnected Lifestyles” by DeRossi that draws its findings from three surveys (online interviews of students (9-17) and parents and telephone interviews with 250 district school leaders). In her article, R. Reynard cites DeRossi: ‘As you may expect, traditional academic institutions have generally resisted the influence and increasingly pervasive presence of social networking activities in the life of their students, but recently the same institutions have had to look with new eyes at all of the aspects and consequences of these new modes of technological socialization sweeping the younger generations.’ (The DeRossi study is available online at http://www.masternewmedia.org/learning_educational_technologies/social-networking/social-networking-in-education-survey-on-new-generations-social-creative-and-interconnected-lifestyles-NSBA-20071109.htm). Though this study is focused on teens, it provides ‘Guidelines and Recommendations for School Board Members that, possibly, can be applied in adult education:

- Explore social networking sites;
- Consider using social networking for staff communications and professional development;
- Re-examine social networking policies;
- Encourage social networking companies to increase educational value, etc.

Interesting finding: R. Reynard claims that ‘the use of the [social networking] tools can change according to the intentions of the user and more complex and learning-related skills can be developed, if the purposes change. Arguably, then, if instructional design intentionally maximizes this kind of skill development, learning could benefit’.

Read full article by R. Reynard at http://campustechnology.com/articles/2008/05/social-networking-learning-theory-in-action.aspx .