Is it a tool suitable for learning? A critical review of the literature on Facebook as a technology‐enhanced learning environment

Abstract

Despite its continuing popularity as the social network site par excellence, the educational value of Facebook has not been fully determined, and results from the mainstream educational paradigms are contradictory, with some scholars emphasizing its pedagogical affordances (e.g., widening context of learning, mixing information and learning resources, hybridization of expertise) and others cautioning against its use for educational purposes. Moreover, systematic reviews about documented educational usage of Facebook as a learning environment are lacking. This article attempts to provide a critical overview of current studies focusing on the use of Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment, with the aim of exploring the extent to which its pedagogical potential is actually translated into practice. Only empirical studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals with a specific focus on Facebook as a learning environment have been considered for the review. The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search that identified 23 relevant articles that were subsequently analysed according to a simplified list of guidelines. These articles were further analysed and recoded through a set of emerging categories. The results show that pedagogical affordances of Facebook have only been partially implemented and that there are still many obstacles that may prevent a full adoption of Facebook as a learning environment such as implicit institutional, teacher and student pedagogies, and cultural issues. Finally, a broad observation on the implications of the study is developed with some suggestions for future research.

Understanding students' use and value of technology for learning

“…Similarly, findings on students' use of technology in their everyday lives, while centred on participatory media, suggest it is used in a fairly limited scope. This finding supports current research that indicates that participatory technologies are a large part of students' everyday lives (Manca and Ranieri 2012), but also challenges widely held beliefs that students demonstrate sophisticated skills and knowledge with technology (Prensky 2001). This finding supports a growing body of literature that suggests many students' tech-nology use is quite elementary (Kennedy et al 2010), but also demonstrates that students' socialisation, or exposure to technological experiences in both fields was overall basic.…”

Informal use of social media in higher education:A case study of Facebook groups

“…The experiences, as reported in research, seem to be mixed (Hung & Yuen, 2010;Manca & Ranieri, 2013;Yang, Wang, Woo, & Quek, 2011). In several studies it has been reported that students tend to see social networking sites as private zones, more suitable for informal, personal and general communication rather than as contexts for academic work (cf.…”

10.18162/ritpu.2014.251

“…Les futurs Pe opèrent en effet une sélection dans leurs outils de communication selon la sphère (privée ou professionnelle) dans laquelle s'inscrit leur activité et selon les personnes auxquelles ils s'adressent, notamment en ce qui concerne certains médias sociaux comme Facebook, Skype, etc. Ce constat a été pré-cédemment mis en évidence par Manca et Ranieri (2013) qui se sont attachées à identifier les usages réels de Facebook en pédagogie à partir d'une revue de littérature portant sur 491 articles scientifiques. Les auteures notent que, contrairement à la situation scolaire, l'organisation de la communication entre utilisateurs via les réseaux sociaux n'est pas hiérar-chique et que la participation à des groupes sociaux n'est ni obligatoire ni régulée par des rôles explicites.…”