Online Engagement Through Facebook Groups in Face-to-Face Undergraduate Communication Courses: A Case Study

Abstract

More than 500 posts from undergraduate student enrolled in three communication courses’ Facebook groups were analyzed for themes to expand on the literature of instructor implementation of social media usage in college courses and investigate online engagement. Three researchers reviewed one semester of Facebook postings, which were part of a course assignment for three classes: media writing, promotional writing, and news and magazine editing. The dominant themes clustered into three areas: evidence of formal learning, resource sharing and seeking, and promotion and self-promotion. Based on observations, considerations for similar projects and ideas for future study are presented.