Skip to main content
Disciplines
Automotive Business IT + Informatics Construction + Real Estate Electrical Engineering + Electronics Energy + Sustainability Insurance + Risk Finance + Banking Management + Leadership Marketing + Sales Mechanical Engineering + Materials
Events
DE
EN
Books
Journals
Topic Page
Marketing
Start single access now
Access for companies
EXTENDED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Learning Environments Research
Published in: Learning Environments Research 2/2020

31-10-2019 | Original Paper

Facebook class groups of high school students: their role in establishing social dynamics and learning experiences

Authors: Jaël Muls, Free De Backer, Valérie Thomas, Chang Zhu, Koen Lombaerts

Published in: Learning Environments Research | Issue 2/2020

Log in

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config
loading …

Abstract

The study’s main aim was to explore the role of Facebook class groups, created and managed by high-school students, in facilitating social dynamics and learning experiences. Fourteen Facebook class groups were observed online and students were subsequently questioned through focus-group interviews. Our findings show that Facebook class groups can promote both bonding and learning. Bonding can be enhanced because Facebook class groups foster a sense of solidarity and unity among students. Also, Facebook can stimulate (social) learning because students gain more insights in the subject matter and are challenged to carry out an evaluation of their own study methods and progress. Therefore, drawing on the theories of seamless learning and affinity spaces, we conclude that Facebook class groups are important for social affiliation and effective learning.
previous article Nature of learning environment in concurrent enrollment mathematics classrooms: a cluster analysis
next article Perceived service quality factors in online higher education

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 102.000 Bücher
  • über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Automobil + Motoren
  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
  • Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
  • Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

  • über 67.000 Bücher
  • über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

  • Bauwesen + Immobilien
  • Business IT + Informatik
  • Finance + Banking
  • Management + Führung
  • Marketing + Vertrieb
  • Versicherung + Risiko




Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now
Literature
Aaen, J., & Dalsgaard, C. (2016). Student Facebook groups as a third space: Between social life and schoolwork. Learning, Media and Technology,41(1), 160–186.CrossRef
Aboudan, R. (2009). Laugh and learn: Humor and learning a second language. International Journal of Arts and Sciences,3(3), 90–99.
Armstrong, J., & Franklin, T. (2008). A review of current and developing international practice in the use of social networking (Web 2.0) in higher education. York: St John University.
Bolliger, D. U., & Inan, F. A. (2012). Development and validation of the online student connectedness survey (OSCS). The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning,13(3), 41–65.CrossRef
Bosch, T. E. (2009). Using online social networking for teaching and learning: Facebook use at the University of Cape Town. South African Journal for Communication Theory and Research,35(2), 185–200.
Bowers-Campbell, J. (2008). Cyber pokes: Motivational antidote for developmental college readers. Journal of College Reading and Learning,39(1), 74–87.CrossRef
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology,3(2), 77–101.CrossRef
Chen, B., & Bryer, T. (2012). Investigating instructional strategies for using social media in formal and informal learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning,13(1), 87–104.CrossRef
Cheung, C. M. K., Chiu, P.-Y., & Lee, M. K. O. (2010). Online social networks: Why do students use facebook? Computers in Human Behavior,27, 1337–1343.CrossRef
Commission of the European Communities. (2001). Communication from the European commission: Making a European area of lifelong learning a reality. Brussels: European Commission, Directorate-general for Education and Culture and Directorate-general for Employment and Social Affairs.
Crook, C. (2008). Web 2.0 technologies for learning: The current landscape—opportunities, challenges and tensions. Becta Research reports.
Dalsgaard, C. (2016). Students’ educational use of Facebook groups. Educational Media International,53(4), 261–273.CrossRef
Deutsch, M. (1949). A theory of cooperation and competition. Human Relations,2, 129–152.CrossRef
Dwyer, K. K., Bing, S. G., Carlson, R. E., Prisbell, M., Cruz, A. M., & Fus, D. A. (2001). Communication and connectedness in the classroom: Development of the connected classroom climate inventory. Communication Research Reports,21(3), 264–272.CrossRef
Ellison, N. B., Steinfield, C., & Lampe, C. (2011). Connection strategies: Social capital implications of Facebook-enabled communication strategies. New Media & Society, 13(6), 873–892.CrossRef
Gee, J. P. (2003). What video games have to teach us about learning and literacy. New York: Palgrave/Macmillan.CrossRef
Gee, J. P. (2005). Semiotic social spaces and affinity spaces: From the age of mythology to today’s schools. In D. Barton & K. Tusting (Eds.), Beyond communities of practice: Language, power, and social context (pp. 214–233). New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef
Ghaith, G. (2003). The relationship between forms of instruction, achievement and perceptions of classroom climate. Educational Research,45(1), 83–93.CrossRef
Gold, R. L. (1958). Roles in sociological field observation. Social Forces,36, 217–223.CrossRef
Greenhow, C. (2011). Online social networks and learning. On the horizon,19(1), 4–12.CrossRef
Grieve, R., Indian, M., Witteveen, K., Tolan, G. A., & Marrington, J. (2013). Face-to-face or Facebook: Can social connectedness be derived online? Computers in Human Behavior,29, 604–609.CrossRef
Hammersley, M., & Atkinson, P. (2007). Ethnography: Principles in practice (3rd ed.). London: Routledge.CrossRef
Hew, K. F. (2011). Students’ and teachers’ use of Facebook. Computers in Human Behavior,27, 662–676.CrossRef
Heyman, R. (2015). Facebook & users: Who is using whom? A material semiotic approach to the irreversibilisation of Facebook as a case of lifeworld colonisation by social media (Doctoral dissertation). Vrije Universiteit Brussel.
Jiménez Guamán, L. V. (2012). EFL Teenagers’ social identity representation in a virtual learning community on Facebook. Profile,14(2), 181–194.
Jonassen, D. H. (1991). Evaluating constructivist learning. Educational Technology,28(11), 13–16.
Lampe, C., Whon, D. Y., Vitak, J., Ellison, N. B., & Wash, R. (2011). Student use of Facebook for organizing collaborative classroom activities. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning,6, 329–347.CrossRef
Lave, J., & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. New York: Cambridge University Press.CrossRef
Lee, R. M., & Robbins, S. B. (1998). The relationship between social connectedness and axiety, self-esteem, and social identity. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 45(3), 338–345.CrossRef
Lewin, K. (1943). Psychology and the process of group living. Journal of Social Psychology,17, 113–131.CrossRef
Lewin, K. (1948). Resolving social conflict. New York: Harper.
Lin, Q. (2011). The role of web-based activities in mediating student interaction and engagement in four teacher education classes. Journal of Online Learning and Teaching,7(1), 99–107.
Lomax, R. G., & Moosavi, S. A. (1998). Using humor to teach statistics; Must they be orthogonal? Understanding Statistics: Statistical Issues in Psychology, Education, and the Social Sciences,1(2), 113–130.CrossRef
Ma, G. (2006). Online learning community in the context of distance education: A case study. Dissertation, Department of Instructional Systems Technology, Indiana University.
Madge, C., Meek, J., Wellens, J., & Hooley, T. (2009). Facebook, social integration and informal learning at university: ‘It is more for socialising and talking to friends about work than for actually doing work’. Learning, Media and Technology,34(2), 141–155.CrossRef
Manca, S., & Ranieri, M. (2013). Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment. Journal of Computer Assisted learning,29(6), 487–504.CrossRef
Manca, S., & Ranieri, M. (2014). Does Facebook provide educational value? An overview of theoretical and empirical advancements of affordances and critical issues. In G. Mallia (Ed.), The social classroom: Integrating social network use in education (pp. 312–338). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Marsick, V. J., & Watkins, K. (1990). Informal and incidental learning in the workplace. London, New York: Routledge.
Marsick, V. J., & Watkins, K. E. (2001). Informal and incidental learning. New Directions for Adult and Continued Education, 89, 25–34.CrossRef
McNeely, C., & Falci, C. D. (2004). School connectedness and the transition into and out of health-risk behaviour among adolescents: A comparison of social belonging and teacher support. Journal of School Health,74(7), 284–292.CrossRef
Mediaraven, & LINC. (2016). Onderzoeksrapport Apestaartjaren 6. Belgium.
Meishar-Tal, H., Kurtz, G., & Pieterse, E. (2012). Facebook groups as LMS: A case study. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning,13(4), 33–48.CrossRef
Powell, J. P. A. (1985). Humor and teaching in higher education. Studies in Higher Education,10(1), 79–90.CrossRef
Provine, R. (2002). The science of laughter. Psychology Today,33(6), 58–62.
Pugsley, L. (1996). Focus groups, young people and sex education. In J. Pilcher & A. Coffey (Eds.), Gender and qualitative research (pp. 114–130). Aldershot: Avebury.
Ranieri, M., Manca, S., & Fini, A. (2012). Why (and how) do teachers engage in social networks? An exploratory study if professional use of Facebook and its implications for lifelong learning. British Journal of Educational Technology,43(5), 754–769.CrossRef
Rap, S., & Blonder, R. (2016). Let’s Face(book) it: Analyzing interactions in social network groups for chemistry learning. Journal of Science Education and Technology,25, 62–76.CrossRef
Rodríguez-Hoyos, C., Salmón, I. H., & Fernández-Díaz, E. (2015). Research on SNS and education: The state of the art and its challenges. Australian Journal of Educational technology,31(1), 100–111.
Sarason, I., Levine, H., Bashman, R., & Linder, K. (1983). Assessing social support: The social support questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,44, 127–144.CrossRef
Selwyn, N. (2009). Faceworking: Exploring students’ education-related use of Facebook. Learning, Media and Technology,34(2), 157–174.CrossRef
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning,2(1), 3–10.
Siemens, G., & Weller, M. (2011). The impact of social networks on teaching and learning. [online monograph]. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento (RUSC),8(1), 164–170.
Tsovaltzi, D., Judele, R., Puhl, T., Weinberger, A., Asterhan, C., Hever, R., et al. (2014). When friends argue: Investigating argumentative learning processes in facebook. Proceedings of International Conference of the Learning Sciences, ICLS,3, 1342–1351.
Valcke, M. (2007). Onderwijskunde als ontwerpwetenschap: Een inleiding voor ontwikkelaars van instructie en voor toekomstige leerkrachten. Ghent: Academia Press.
Vlieghe, J., Muls, J., & Rutten, K. (2015). Everybody reads: Reader engagement with literature in social media environments. Poetics,54, 25–37.CrossRef
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Boston, MA: Harvard University Press.
Weber, K., Maher, C., Powell, A., & Lee, H. (2008). Learning opportunities from group discussions: Warrants become the objects of debate. Educational Studies in Mathematics,68, 247–261.CrossRef
Weick, K. E. (1995). Sensemaking in organizations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Wong, L. H., & Looi, C. K. (2011). What seams do we remove in mobile-assisted seamless learning? A critical review of the literature. Computers & Education,57(4), 2364–2381.CrossRef
Wong, L. H., Milrad, M., & Specht, M. (2015). Seamless learning in the age of mobile connectivity. Singapore: Springer.CrossRef
Yu, A. Y., Tian, S. W., Vogel, D., & Chi-Wai Kwok, R. (2010). Can learning be virtually boosted? An investigation of online social networking impacts. Computers & Education,55, 1494–1503.CrossRef
Metadata
Title
Facebook class groups of high school students: their role in establishing social dynamics and learning experiences
Authors
Jaël Muls
Free De Backer
Valérie Thomas
Chang Zhu
Koen Lombaerts
Publication date
31-10-2019
Publisher
Springer Netherlands
Published in
Learning Environments Research / Issue 2/2020
Print ISSN: 1387-1579
Electronic ISSN: 1573-1855
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10984-019-09298-7

Other articles of this Issue 2/2020

Learning Environments Research 2/2020 Go to the issue

Original Paper

Psychometric properties of a Chinese version of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey among secondary-school students in Hong Kong

Original Paper

Teacher adaptation to flexible learning environments

Original Paper

Nature of learning environment in concurrent enrollment mathematics classrooms: a cluster analysis

Original Paper

Learning environments associated with technology-based science classrooms for gifted Singaporean females

Original Paper

Perceived service quality factors in online higher education

Original Paper

Negative instructor communication behaviours: exploring associations between instructor misbehaviours and the classroom learning environment