A Social Network Can Be a Learning Network.

Abstract

In this article the author, a college teacher, examines ways in which placing the writing of students on the open Web through blogs or other social networking web sites can improve the quality of writing provided by the students. The author discusses the concepts of social pedagogies and authentic audiences and argues that students, in general, add detail and focus on their arguments in writing when they have knowledge that it will be reviewed by their peers. He also outlines how several Internet tools associated with student motivation and social pedagogies can be beneficial to students including social bookmarking, back channels, and collaborative documents.