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Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura

Print version ISSN 0123-3432

Íkala vol.19 no.3 Medellín Sep./Dec. 2014

https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.ikala.v19n3a04 

EMPIRICAL STUDIES

DOI: 10.17533/udea.ikala.v19n3a04

Social Networking Sites in the Classroom: Unveiling New Roles for Teachers and New Approaches to Online Course Design

Las Redes Sociales en el Aula: El Surgimiento de Roles para Profesores y Nuevos Enfoques para el Diseño de Cursos

Sites de Réseautage Social en Classe: de Nouveaux Rôles pour les Professeurs et de Nouvelles Approches pour Élaborer des Cours

Jorge Eduardo Pineda Hoyos

Grupo de Investigación EALE (Enseñanza y Aprendizaje de Lenguas Extranjeras) Escuela de Idiomas Universidad de Antioquia UdeA Mailing Address: Calle 70 N.° 52-21 Medellín, Colombia E-mail: eduardo.pineda@udea.edu.co

Received: 2013-08-16 / Reviewed: 2014-05-20 / Accepted: 2014- 09-25

How to reference this article: Pineda Hoyos, J. E. (2014). Social networking sites in the classroom: unveiling new roles for teachers and new approaches to online course design. Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 19 (3), 269-283. doi: 10.17533/udea.ikala.v19n3a04


Abstract

Web 2.0 tools in general and social networking sites in particular are very popular today in everyday life. However, their use in education has not been explored. This paper reports the findings of the implementation of a web 2.0 tool namely a social networking site as a web support for a face-to-face course. The findings show that the implementation of a web-based environment in a face-to-face course can be viewed from 5 different managerial areas: (1) logistics management, (2) information/knowledge management, (3) communication management, (4) class work extension management and (5) web-based environment easiness of accessibility. The conclusions of the study show that the implementation of the web-based environment unveils new roles for teachers and new approaches to design online or blended courses.

Keywords: Web 2.0, teacher's roles, social networking sites, web-based environments


Resumen

Las herramientas web 2.0 en general y las redes sociales en particular son ampliamente usadas. Sin embargo, su uso en la enseñanza no se ha explorado a profundidad. Este artículo reporta los hallazgos de la implementación de una red social como apoyo virtual para un curso presencial. Los hallazgos muestran que la implementación de la herramienta tiene efectos en 5 áreas administrativas: (1) administración de la logística del curso, (2) administración de la información y el conocimiento, (3) administración de la comunicación, (4) administración del trabajo por fuera de clase y (5) administración de la facilidad de acceso. Las conclusiones de este estudio muestran que la implementación de la tecnología en el salón de clase implica nuevos roles para los profesores y la necesidad de usar nuevos enfoques para el diseño de cursos virtuales y de componentes virtuales.

Palabras clave: Web 2.0, roles de los profesores, redes sociales, ambientes de aprendizaje mediados por TIC.


Résumé

Le Web 2.0 en général et les sites de réseautage social en particulier ont pris une place considérable dans la vie quotidienne. Néanmoins leur introduction en classe n'a pas été étudiée. Cet article présente les résultats issus de l'utilisation d'un web 2.0, en particulier un site de réseau social qui a servi de support virtuel pour un cours face-à-face. Ces résultats révèlent que la mise en place de cet outil a des effets sur cinq domaines de gestion: (1) gestion des moyens logistiques, (2) gestion des informations et des savoirs, (3) gestion de la communication, (4) gestion du travail de classe dispensé sur le web, et (5) facilité d'accès à l'environnement virtuel. Les conclusions de cette étude montrent que l'utilisation d'un environnement virtuel dispensé sur le web implique de nouveaux rôles pour les professeurs ainsi que de nouvelles approches pour élaborer des cours en ligne ou des cours hybrides.

Mots-clés: Web 2.0, rôles des professeurs, réseautage social, environnement virtuel dispensé sur le web.


Introduction

Academic and political authorities ask teachers to implement technological tools in their pedagogical practices very vehemently because their students use them or because they cannot be left behind. However, these implementation processes are hindered because teachers do not know what it means for them to implement a technological feature in their classes. Teachers do not understand what new roles they have to play or what aspects of their practices they have to change. The effects of such implementation processes need to be studied and documented to provide teachers and administrators with insights that can help them bring technology in a convenient way to the class.

This paper reports findings from a study that looked into the effects of the implementation of a social networking site as a web-based support for a face-to-face course at the university level. The methodology used in this research was a case study (Creswell, 2007; Merriam, 1998 and Yin, 2003) in which a questionnaire, published on the web-based environment, was administered to the students and asked about their perceptions once the course finished. The questionnaire was based on a similar study carried out in Turkey by Elmaziye & Birikim (2009). In the study, Elmaziye & Birikim wanted to develop a comprehensive insight into the perception of the participants of the implementation of a web-based environment in an English course. The instructor's reflections recorded in a diary were also analyzed, and finally the posts or interactions in the web-based environment were also taken into consideration as a source for data that helped the author understand the case.

This paper is divided into the following sections: (1) an exploration of key concepts, (2) an explanation of the tool used to create the web-based environment (www.wiggio.com), and (3) an analysis of the findings. The methodology used with the data collection techniques, the participants, and the data analysis will be examined in the second part. In the third part, conclusions, implications, and limitations of the study will also be presented.

Literature Review

In this section, different concepts that are necessary for a better comprehension of the study will be explored. Concepts such as social networking sites (SNS), their features, advantages and disadvantages will be examined. Concepts such as web 2.0, and community of practice (CP) will be also explained. Finally, the new roles that teachers have to play when implementing technology in their pedagogical practice, and the new attitudes and behaviors they have to develop will be discussed.

Social Networking Sites (SNSs).

Trusov et al (2009) as cited by Pai & Arnot (2013) provide an interesting definition of SNS. They describe them as electronic, web-based applications to establish and maintain social and professional contact networks. A good example of a SNS is Facebook. Facebook has more than a billion active users every month as for December 2012 and 618 million daily active users in December 2012. (facebook.com). SNSs have the following characteristics as listed by Pai & Arnot (2013):

• Users can share interests and personal information.

• Users can use profile pictures or avatars to identify themselves.

• Users can contact people with similar interests and acceptance connects both users.

• Users can invite ''friends of friends'' as a result of overlapping networks.

Although users of some SNSs prefer to contact strangers based on shared interests, most SNSs users prefer to keep pre-existing social networks as Boyd and Ellison (2007) in Pai and Arnot (2013) stated. Dwyer, Hiltz, and Passerine (2007) identify other characteristics of SNSs. They permit simultaneous access to multiple communication tools. Links enable users to connect across different sites. And finally, SNSs facilitate and encourage communication within and beyond their direct contact network.

Web 2.0 is also called the social web, and it is also called the read/write web. Web 2.0 has several other particularities, for example, dynamic, interactive, democratic, people centric, volatile and adaptive. The difference between web 1.0 and web 2.0 is that content is not defined by programmers or experts in programming. Instead, in web 2.0 anyone can create content, although, minimal web skills are required. Users become producers of content rather than consumers (Bennett, Bishop, Dalgarno, Waycott & Kennedy, 2012; Brown, 2012; Hemmi, Bayne & Land, 2009; Kocak & Guzin 2009).

Web 2.0 embodies several tools. For example, wikis, blogs and podcasts. A wiki is a freely expandable collection of interlinked web pages. Users of wikis can read, update, organize or add content in the form of images, videos or text. Wikis are open source software, no one authorizes the creation of a wiki and everyone is authorized to write, edit and publish (Augar et al., 2003; Fountain, 2005 as cited by Kocak & Guzin, 2009; and Schwartz et al., 2004).

Blogs or weblogs display entries with date and time stamps. Users can engage in written discussions with the blog's writer or other users. Users can express themselves and they have the sensation of communicating with a real audience (Halic, Lee, Paulus & Spance, 2010 as cited by Pineda & Tobón, 2011; Kim, 2008; Montero-Fleta, & Perez-Sabater, 2010; Williams, 2004;).

Podcasts are digital audio programs that can be subscribed to or downloaded and later can be listened to on different audio services or desktop computers. Podcasting can be an economic alternative for mobile learning, and it provides students with information that will help them feel connected with a learning community (Beldarrin 2006; Kaplan-Leirsen, 2005; Petter et al. 2005 as cited by Kocak & Guzin, 2009).

Wenger, McDermott, and Snyder (2002) define communities of practice (CP) as groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic. They also pinpoint that one of the outcomes of PC is to deepen in a specific area by interacting on an ongoing basis. Web 2.0 tools contribute very positively to the implementation and development of CP (Sanz, 2005). Lesser and Stork (2001) as cited by Sanz, (2005) establish 4 advantages of incorporating technology to a CP. The first advantage is expert visibility. Because of the number of posts (messages) or their content or the comments that the other members of the CP convey about one particular member, it is easy to identify the expert of the CP. The second advantage is information management. A common web based environment allows saving, sorting, uploading and downloading documents, links to information and several other useful materials. In addition, to identify the author and the context in which a document was created is easy. The third advantage of integrating web 2.0 tools to a CP is the visibility. New participants in a CP can get an idea of the contexts and can understand how the CP works by simply taking a look at the web based environment. And the last advantage is a shared repertoire. The members of a CP create their own routines, words, tools and behaviors.

Teachers have to play new roles when implementing technology into their pedagogical practice and develop new attitudes and behaviors. Salmon (2011) identifies three main roles of teachers in web-based environments. She states that teachers assumed a managerial role within this perspective. She argues that teachers are in charge of managing (1) individual students, (2) discussions and working groups and (3) managing course functions. Gonzalez and Muñoz (2011) also identified different roles teacher assumed in a web-based environment. They state that teachers become technical knowledge experts since they have to provide technical assistance to their students because they lacked that kind of knowledge. Another role identified by Gonzalez and Muñoz(2011) was that of immediate feedback provider. Teachers playing this role have to give immediate feedback of some online activities. Gonzalez and Muñoz (2011) recognize a third role played by teachers as interlocutors in nontraditional student- teacher communication. This role refers to the moments when students and teachers engage in online discussions via forum conversations, chat sessions or e mail discussions. Gonzalez and Muñoz (2011) argued that teachers in web based environments played also the roles of time management advisors and constant motivators when they constantly remind students about important dates or events in the course and when they help students understand the complex dynamics of the online course.

These new roles that teachers have to play allow teachers to develop new attitudes and behaviors. Salmon (2002, 2011, 2013) coined the terms e-moderation and e-moderator referring, first, to the teaching and learning processes carried out in online or in blended environments and second to the person in charge of administering those processes. She also establishes a series of characteristics that e-moderators should develop. She argues that e-moderators should understand online processes. E-moderators should also have certain level of technical skills and communications skills; they should also have certain level of content expertise; and finally they should have the determination to become an e-moderator.

Description of the Tool Used as a Webbased Environment (www.wiggio.com)

As figure 1 shows, Wiggio is an online collaboration service that works very similarly to a social networking site (www.techcrunch.com). Wiggio offers different types of tools: file sharing, document creation, chat and web conferencing. Wiggio has three main tabs that provide three different views. First, the feed tab allows users to view all the posts in a chronological order from the most recent. Users can also have access to all the interactions and conversation in which the group members participate. Second, the folder tab allows users to view the files that have been uploaded to the group. And third the calendar tab that allows users to have access to all the events organized by the group, for example meetings or reminders of submission of tasks or assignments.

Wiggio has other sections. On the left-hand side users can access the groups; they have registered or created and can create a new group. Once the group has been selected, users can view the members of that group in particular. On the right-hand side users view other four sections: add, schedule, create and send. Users can add files from a computer or can add links to other sites from the add section. Users can schedule an in-person event, a conference call, a virtual meeting or a chatroom from the schedule section. Users can create documents, spreadsheets, surveys or polls and to-do lists from the create section, and finally users can send requests, text messages, e-mails, voice and video notes to the group or to specific members of a group.

Every time there is a new post or a new file is created or uploaded, Wiggio sends a message to the participant`s mail address. Participants can respond directly to the Wiggio feed or to the e-mail notification address.

The Study

The general framework of this study is the view of teachers as researchers (Freeman, 1998). This study is a single instrumental case study with a holistic and interpretative approach to data analysis. It is single instrumental because it focuses on a specific issue, it uses a holistic and interpretative approach to analyze the data because the entire case is examined and descriptions, themes and interpretations or assertion related to the case are present. I followed a case study because it allows me to explore a case over time through data collection involving multiple sources of information. (Creswell 2007; Merriam 1998; Stake 1995; Yin 2003)

Methodology

Data collection instruments and analysis.

Three instruments were used in this study: (1) an online questionnaire, (2) the reflections from the teacher's diary, and (3) the interaction and conversation on the web-based environment in order to have saturation of data and to have triangulation of information. (Cresswell, 2007; Yin, 2003).

The online questionnaire.

The questionnaire was based on a similar questionnaire used by Elmaziye and Birikim (2009) in a study that sought to develop a comprehensive insight into the perception of students regarding the use of an interactive web environment in an English course. The questionnaire has two main sections that aim at identifying the advantages and disadvantages of the implementation of the web-based environment. The advantages section has 6 questions and the disadvantages section has 12 questions. The questionnaire was written in Spanish to ensure the respondents understand the questions. Most of the questions were structured questions that required students to answer using a Likert Type Scale. Using this scale, respondents could strongly agree, strongly disagree or express uncertainty concerning the given statement. The questionnaire was uploaded into a Google form and then it was embedded into the web-based environment. It was available during 3 weeks for the students to respond. The questionnaire also included information relevant to the study. For example, who was the person responsible for the activity, and the contact information as well as the purpose of the activity; the length and the technological resources employed, and the benefits and the implications for the participants. The questionnaire also included a consent form that was accepted by clicking on an I-accept button. The appendix shows the complete questionnaire.

Teacher's diary.

The teacher kept a three-column journal in order to record his observations, reflections and perceptions of the implementation of the web-based environment (Jeffrey & Hadley, 2002). On the first column, the teacher wrote the number of the entries and the date when they were written. On the next column, the teacher wrote a detailed description of the class and how he used the web-environment, for example to send a message, to send a file or to schedule an event. Finally, on the last column, the teacher wrote the effects of the web environment on the development of the class. Table 1 shows the format used to collect and analyze the reflections from the teacher's diary.

Interaction in the web-based environment.

The interactions or conversation on the webbased environment were collected using a four column format. The first column is filled with the date on which the conversation was posted. The second column includes the name of the person who initiates the conversation. On the third column the content or the subject of the conversation is identified, and the last column is to be used in case the post has an attached file. Table 2 shows the chart used to analyze the interactions or conversations within the web-based environment.

Participants.

The participants in this study were undergraduate microbiology students registered in an English reading comprehension course and their professor. The group consisted of 24 females and 10 males between the ages of 17 and 25. During the course 6 women and 3 men dropped out for different reasons, therefore 25 students satisfactorily completed the course requirements.

The author of this article was the instructor of the course. He has more than 20 years of experience teaching English in traditional settings. He has had some training in the inclusion of technology into the classroom, but mostly he based his performance on his personal experience and enthusiasm of ICT and their pedagogical inclusion.

Findings

On this section of the paper, the effects of the implementation of a web-based environment in a face-to-face class will be presented. The implementation of a web-based environment in a face-to-face class can be viewed from 5 different managerial areas: (1) Logistics management, (2) information/ knowledge management, (3) communication management, (4) class work extension management, and (5) easiness of accessibility management.

Logistics management.

Sanz (2005) states that a web-based environment allows the participants keep up with the dynamics of the group. The web-based environment can be used to remind participants about aspects of the course as assignments, time and place of the class, changes in the course dynamics and as a medium to praise the performance of the students. This area of management is evident in this entry from the teacher`s journal in which he expresses that he could use the web-based environment to ask students to bring an assignment or an article to class.

The implementation of the site allowed me to have a constant communication with the students. They send questions, reports and sometimes they even sent excuses for missing classes. I also sent messages when I needed them to bring something to class or when I needed to correct or go deeper into a topic.

Another logistic aspect of the course in which the web-based environment was used was to provide feedback to students. 71% of the respondents agreed when they were asked if they had feedback from the teacher outside of class hours.

Information / knowledge management.

The web-based environment was widely used as a material repository. Pineda & Tobón (2011) identify several benefits of using a web-based environment, a blog in their case, in a face-to-face course. They state that the use of a web-based environment allows students to have access to the materials used in previous classes, and it also increases the students' level of motivation. Figure 2 shows the way the teacher used the webbased environment as a repository of material. The teacher sends a series of files with the work for an upcoming class.

This area of managerial area of the course is evident in this post from the course instructor.

Hello everyone Attached you'll find the papers we'll use in our class on Tuesday. Remember that on Tuesday we'll start exploring our next topic and I think we're doing fine so far.

The instructor of the course also reflected on the use of the web-based environment to manage information and knowledge.

I think the implementation of Wiggio in this course has had several positive aspects and surely it has had several negative aspects that need revision for further implementations. Among the positive aspects, I can say that I found a repository for my course materials.

Students also perceived that the web-based environment can be used as an information/ knowledge management strategy. This is evident in the answers to these questions. 98% of respondents totally agree when they were asked if they could ask questions to the teacher outside of class hours and 64% totally agreed when they were asked if they used the web-based environment to discuss class topic with their classmates.

Communication management.

Swan (2001) as cited by Lopera & Osorno (2012) argues that communication in a webbased environment follows the same patterns as in a face-to-face class. Asking for help, questions about a specific exercise, and waiting for advice. The communication in the web-based environment took place between the instructor and the students, but also among students when sometimes a question asked by a student was answered by another one. Evidence of this is the series of posts from student where they report a story they had to read. Figure 3 shows a discussion between two students who selected the same reading for a class activity and a final post from the teacher presenting a list of the selected readings.

Student 1 Hello my story is the new religion

Student 2 I'm sorry, but I've seen the list and I've chosen that story

Student 1 Yes, you're right. What happened is that nobody could see my post.

Student 2 It's ok, I'll look for another one

The communication also took place between teachers and students. Evidence of this is the series of posts in which a student excuses for a missing class and asks about the assignments as presented in figure 4.

Student

Hello teacher I'm sorry I didn't go to class, but I'm having a lot of problems with one of my subjects. I'd like to know what you did in class and the assignments for the next class session.

Teacher

Hello Don't worry. Download the presentation about scanning and do the exercises about the restaurant menu and finally click on the link the big scan and do the exercise

Class work extension management.

Teaching cannot be restricted only to the classroom; teachers and institutions need to open their boundaries to make learning a daily experience. The use of a web-based environment allows students to explore the topic studied in class anytime and anywhere (Pineda & Tobón, 2011). This is shown from the teacher's post below.

Hello everyone As I've seen you're having some problems with grammar. I've done a search on the internet and I've found this interesting site for you to practice. Click on the link and choose the topic you want to practice

Students also perceived as positive the use of the web-based environment to extend the work outside the classroom as it is evident in this response when the students were asked about the reasons why they would recommend the use of this web environment as an academic support to a face-to-face course.

Student

I would recommend it because I can find the course materials in one place, which makes the access to the information easier.

Easiness of accessibility management.

A user friendly interface is considered as one of the factors that facilitates the implementation of a web-based environment in a face-to-face classroom as stated by Florez, Pineda & Garcia (2012). The general perception of students of the webbased environment was very positive. They did not report much trouble accessing the environment or understanding the activities and the messages posted. 86% of the respondents of the questionnaire reported to have a computer at home from which they access the web-based environment, and 93% reported a fast internet connection at home. Only 50% of students reported to have had some problem because the interface of the site was in English. Interestingly, there is a slight difference between the participants who reported to have a printer at home and the ones reporting they do not have one: 43% and 50% respectively. Finally, an outstanding 57% of the participants said they waited to go to class to copy the papers for the class work although they viewed the assignments from their computers at home. They highlighted that this was because it was cheaper to make a photocopy of a page than to print it. When asked to elicit the problems they had during the implementation of the web-based environment, the students did not report any. Evidence of this is the response from a student.

I didn't experience any trouble. It is a very educational and easy to use tool. Besides it is very cool.

Conclusions, Implications and Limitations

This study presents the effects of the implementation of a web-based environment in a face-to-face course. I explored the effects from 5 different managerial areas: (1) logistics management, (2) information and knowledge management, (3) communication management, (4) classwork extension and (5) easiness of accessibility management.

Teachers can implement a web-based environment in a face-to-face course to manage aspects such as assignments, changes in times and places where the class would take place, changes in class dynamics such as cancellation of tests or exams or unplanned guests speakers. Teachers can also use the web-based environment to praise students of their work or to call students' attention about inappropriate behavior.

By implementing a web-based environment in a face-to-face class, teachers can also manage information or knowledge by using the environment as a repository of materials that students can access from anywhere at any time. Students can also access the information from lessons they cannot attend or they can access information about the topics they found difficult. Teachers, similarly, can use the web-based environment to send extra information about difficult topics.

Communication management was another finding from this study. Teachers can use the webbased environment to answer questions about specific exercises, class work or to give specific advice about the performance of some students.

Students could send questions and reports about activities carried out outside the class hours.

The web-based environment was used to open the boundaries of the classroom by providing the students the opportunity to study the class topic at any time. Teachers can use the environment to assign extra work, to send relevant information about a topic, to provide students with tools that can be used outside the classroom. The web-based environment can be used as academic support for the face-to-face class.

When implementing a web-based environment, it is necessary to consider topics such as the access the students would have to computers at home or provided by the institution, the access to internet available to students, and the access they have to a printer since they have to take some physical tools to the classroom such as workshops, readings, and questionnaires.

The study presents four main limitations. First, the lack of an orientation session or period to explain how the web-based environment works. This orientation session would have helped students get familiar with the system. This orientation session can be either face-to-face or a video tutorial can be feasible. Second, the lack of support to students to solve technical problems. Although only some students reported technical problems, it was very difficult to provide them with the right assistance because there was not a strategy designed with that purpose. Third, the web-based environment was only implemented in one group which makes it very difficult to get to generalizations of the findings. And finally, the size of the group in which the web-based environment was implemented and the number of times of the implementation. The group had only 25 students and the web-based environment was implemented only once which makes generalization difficult to achieve.

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