Exploring the Affordances of Facebook for Teaching and Learning

Abstract

Facebook is a popular social networking site, which has potential for teaching and learning. In this study, we explored different ways of using Facebook in three cases at a teacher training institute. In these cases, teachers used Facebook as an interactive learning management system to put up announcements, organize weekly sessions, and share resources with students; students used Facebook to support their collaboration in a group assignment; and students explored Facebook apps to identify potentially useful apps for their future subject teaching. The cross-case analysis shows that Facebook has pedagogical, social, and technical affordances for teaching and learning. It has limitations as well. Suggestions for effectively using Facebook are provided.