THE USE OF FACEBOOK FOR ONLINE DISCUSSIONS AMONG DISTANCE LEARNERS

With the advent of Web 2.0 tools, educators are looking to these new technological
tools to examine its potential in enhancing teaching and learning. While its runaway
success as a social networking tool is now renowned, the use of Facebook for
educational purposes may be considered still at its infancy stage. This paper describes
the use of Facebook as a platform for academic discussions among distance learners.
It offers a glimpse into how mobile learning via SMS together with Facebook was used
to support and enhance the blended learning approach at Open University Malaysia for
three courses: Learning Skills for Open and Distance Learners, Company Law and Renal
Nursing. Data on user interactions collected were from the ―Page Insights‖ tools
available to Page administrators for the whole duration of a course semester. Facebook
interactions examined include total number of fans, total interactions, interactions per
post, post quality and unique page views. Findings indicate that Facebook does have
the potential to draw distance learners to engage in meaningful academic
conversations but the quantity and quality of posts very much depends on the timing
as well as the topics of discussion.