Exploring Educational and Cultural Adaptation through Social Networking Sites

Abstract

Social networking sites have seen tremendous growth and are widely used around the world. Nevertheless, the use of social networking sites in educational contexts is an under explored area. This paper uses a qualitative methodology, autoethnography, to investigate how social network- ing sites, specifically FacebookTM, can help first semester doctoral students adapt to a Ph.D. pro- gram and a new national culture. Each week during the semester, a Ph.D. Student Tip and a Cul- tural Tip was posted. Students would then post related discussions, observations, and/or ques- tions. At the conclusion of the semester the doctoral students shared their thoughts about partici- pating in the Facebook™ group through autobiographical narratives. A technique called open coding was used to analyze the narratives. Our findings suggest three emergent themes. Social networking sites can aid adaptation through: 1) facilitating knowledge exchange, 2) alleviating apprehension, and 3) enabling socialization and building community. The data showed that the Facebook™ discussions aided in various types of knowledge exchange, providing a conceptual map that facilitated greater adaptation. Next, the interactions appeared to help minimize trepida- tion related to embarking on a new program of study and adjusting to a new national culture. Third, the Facebook™ group was useful fostering socialization and community among the stu- dents. We make the following recommendations for professors when implementing SNS (Social Network Site) groups: 1) establish a Facebook™ group with a course-related identity, 2) be sensi- tive to security and privacy issues, 3) provide tips to “seed” various types of knowledge ex- change, 4) encourage participation, and 5) assess and adjust. While our research is exploratory in nature, we believe it provides a foundation for future research in this important and rapidly ex- panding area of SNS usage.