Six Points for Six Posts: Evidence for Using Facebook to Facilitate Learning in the Mass Lecture

Facebook

In the Fall of 2012, our research team set out to examine whether or not Facebook could be used to help students in the mass lecture. Research on Facebook and academic performance has painted a rather bleak picture for the technology, for example establishing correlations between increased Facebook time and decreased study time and academic performance (cf. Junco, 2011; Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010). However, it was our contention that this research did not examine the actual functions of the technology. In response, our research team looked to examine the purposeful usage of Facebook as a social media out-of-class communication opportunities. To do this, 321 students enrolled in a large introductory communication course were invited to join a closed Facebook group where they could post lecture-based questions for the instructor and other students to respond to. Students were told that the group would not be a required part of the course and they would not receive any incentives for participating.