The Use of Facebook as a Pedagogical Platform for Developing Investigative Journalism Skills

Abstract

This chapter evaluates the extent to which Facebook could be used as a training and learning tool for investigative journalism students. This study is based on the deployment of Facebook as a pedagogical tool for an “Investigative Journalism” unit at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Australia. This chapter, accordingly, outlines the challenges, issues, and benefits of using Social Networking Services (SNS) as pedagogical tools for the training of future investigative journalists, which could in turn assist other instructors to make use of such online social platforms for media training. By conducting an observation of student usage of Facebook and interviewing students and tutors on their experiences from this activity, this chapter concludes that Facebook can serve as a useful online collaborative platform for investigative journalism students and as a progress monitoring tool for their instructors.

What Do Students Want? Making Sense of Student Preferences in Technology-enhanced Learning

“…This study's findings resonated well with other recent research demonstrating that students overall see blended learning positively (Khine & Lourdusamy, 2003;Owston et al, 2013), crediting it with flexibility and accessibility among other study-friendly features. Our findings concerned with social media are also reflective of prior research (Aayeshah & Bebawi, 2014) which showed that students are likely to utilize social media for peer networking rather than for learning purposes. The most interesting findings, however, emerge in regards to students' use of educational technologies.…”

“…However, the 'cons' of social media use for teaching and learning include excessive informational convergence and proximity to entertainment content, meaning students can be distracted when accessing social media for learning and waste valuable study time on entertainment and social networking (Tiryakioglu & Erzurum, 2011). An ethical implication of using social media for learning is that students are likely already using it for private purposes and may not wish to combine their private and public spaces, where related issues of privacy and security arise (Aayeshah & Bebawi, 2014;Çoklar, 2012). Finally, the issues of assessment of performance and grading of students' work performed via social media platforms present several challenges (Çoklar, 2012).…”

To Like or Not to Like: Facebook® in the Higher Education Classroom

“…Mark Zuckerberg and the other creators of Facebook intended Facebook for university use: it was designed as a tool for Harvard University students to establish virtual connections (Jenkins 2013). Regardless of the original social intentions for Facebook, it now has substantial potential as a pedagogical tool (Aayeshah & Bebawi, 2014;Best et al, 2014;Dogoriti & Pange, 2014;Jaffer, 2014;Joosten, 2012;McEwan, 2012;Saykili & Kumtepe, 2014). In particular, the features Facebook Pages and Facebook Groups have been used for academic purposes (see section below titled Case Studies and Best Practices).…”

“…The first possible reason is because Facebook operates on the exchange of personal information, so using this technology for teaching and learning can be challenging for some faculty (Aayeshah & Bebawi, 2014;Auld & Henderson, 2014;Howard, 2013;McEwan, 2012). In the U.S., there are concerns about the Family Educational Rights and Act (FERPA).…”

“…In the U.S., there are concerns about the Family Educational Rights and Act (FERPA). Several scholars have urged instructors to exercise caution when using Facebook or another SNS for teaching and learning to maintain students' rights to privacy (Auld &Henderson, 2014;Aayeshah & Bebawi, 2014;Everson et al, 2013;Howard 2013;Joosten, 2012). Instructors were reminded, for example, never to post grades of any kind inside a shared or public SNS space (Joosten, 2012).…”