interaction on distance education in virtual social networks a case study with facebook
TRANSCRIPT
Interaction on Distance Education in Virtual Social Networks: A Case Study with Facebook
Carolina Schmitt NunesCecilia E. Giuffra Palomino
Ricardo Azambuja SilveiraMarina Keiko Nakayama
Presentation
Motivation
Digital training course Aluno Integrado;
Evaluation of the course (2013 edition)Testimonies of students and tutors showed the importance of the Social Network and its potential.
Context
•Facebook is a free social network with expressive growth in the last four years in Brazil – 89 millions of Brazilians have an active profile.
•According to Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies (2013) is the ninth best tool for learning.
•In 2011 the authors of the document Facebook for Educators show the possibility of exploring the resources of this network for educational purposes (Phillips, Baird, Fogg, & Ph, 2011)
Aim of the research
To identify and present the perception, in the view of students and tutors, of the use of the Facebook in a distance education course for high school students of the public school system in Santa Catarina.
Theoretical Background
The use of information and communication technologies that facilitate the interaction is essential for the good performance of distance mode courses•(Moore e Kearsley, 2007; Belloni, 2009; Dias e Leite, 2010; Almeida, 2003; Anderson, 2003; Hedberg e Sims, 2001)
The popularization and expansion of the use of computers and internet changed the possibilities of interaction in distance education, providing fast, safe and efficient techniques and tools.•(Dias e Leite, 2010; Azevedo, 2000; Mattar, 2012)
Facebook is the most popular social network among students and teenagers•(Yunu e Salehi, 2012; Arteaga Sánchez, Cortijo, & Javed, 2014; Lenhart e Madden, 2007)
Closed groups are the tools with highest potential for communication, interaction and collaboration•(Wang, Woo, Quek 2012; Yunu e Salehi, 2012.)
The use of Facebook can contribute for the students learning •(Selwyn, 2009; Tapscott & Williams, 2010)
Course Aluno Integrado
Distance mode digital training
course.
1st and 2nd year of high school
students in public schools of Santa
Catarina in Brazil.
Students monitored by
tutors.
Learning Management
System (LMS) e-Proinfo
Partnership between MEC,
SEDUC and UFSC
Course Aluno Integrado
Course Aluno Integrado
Implementation of Facebook during the course
2013
FanPage and Profile – Each stadual school with Facebook profile was
invited to add them.
Unsatisfactory results.
Target audience not reached.
Some tutors (by themselves) created groups and added
their students.
2014
Closed group for each class (total of 63) with students, tutors and
technical team members.
Satisfactory results.
Participation of many students and tutors.
Beginning of the use of Whatsapp
Implementation of Facebook during the course
Research
This research is characterized as a Study Case of the course Aluno Integrado Santa Catarina.
158 students and 37 tutors answered an online anonymous questionnaire
The data collection tools were adapted from Sánchez, Cortijo e Javed (2014) – for the students, and Pi,Chou e Liao (2013) – for the tutors. The questionnaire applied with the tutors had 17 questions, 10 multiple choice questions and seven open field questions.The questionnaire applied with the students had 10 multiple choice questions.
Main Results - Students
Participants: Predominantly female (59%); Ages between 14 and 17 years old.
Access to Facebook from:
Frequency of use
Computer at home
Computer at school
Celphone
Tablet
Everyday [115]
2-5 times p/week [22]1 time p/week [5]1 time p/ 15 days [1]All day long [15]
All day longEveryday2-5 times p/week1 time p/week1 time p/15 days
Main Results - Students
About the use of Facebook in the course
Facilitates interaction with tutor
Facilitates interaction with classmates
My doubts are answered faster by tutor
Facebook is a social network and it should not be used in education
My privacy can be invaded
I do not feel the need of use
Other
Main Results - Tutors
Participants: Ages between 24 and 58 years old; The most (76%) have specialisation or master degree
(19%); Heterogeneity in the field of education of the tutors:
computer science, information systems, letters, administration, accounting, arts and pedagogy.
However, the most (68%) had never used the Facebook for educational purposes.
Distance education experience
More than 5 years [11]3 to 5 years [8]
Up to 3 years [18]
Main Results - Tutors
Tutors perception:• In general, tutors contemplate that most young
people use this social network. Confirming researches from Lenhart e Madden, 2007.
• For the tutors, it is easier to get in touch with the student by Facebook than by e-mail or phone, because they are online everyday.
• The comunication through the network makes the course more atractive and interesting.
• Belonging feeling, “they see friends who are together in class and being users of the tool, they like the posts. This promotes the dissemination of the activities and posting deadlines”. This issue is covered by Arteaga Sánchez, Cortijo, & Javed, 2014 who states that if a student see a classmate using Facebook, he will probably want to use it too, confirming that social influence has impacts on network use decision
Main Results - Tutors84% of tutors believe that the creation and use of closed groups for each class had a key role in the exchange of aditional content, in clarifying doubts and in students engagement, having a facilitator of learning environment.“I answer questions, solve doubts, we talk about content, about career, about future (...) but as the course is in the e-proinfo environment I always encourage them to interact there too. Is in Facebook where I can instigate the students to reflect and contribute to the forum.”
16% of tutors believe that the use of this tool not cause relevant impacts in students learning. Tutor 28 argues that: “what makes difference for student learn or not is her/his engagement in the course, the level of responsability of the student and the time s/he takes to make the course.” In this sense, tutor 37 states that the most of the students don’t understand yet that “Facebook can also be a learning and information exchange tool, and not only for entertainment”.
Final Remarks
The main contributions of this research are: Check and record the perception of tutors
about the use of the tool for educational purposes
Check how happens this practice with students of public schools in SC in an extra curricular course.This paper contributes to the advancement of the
scientific knowledge evidencing how the Facebook can help in the decreasing of the dropout in distance learning courses, with teen students of low-income.
