Integrating Facebook in the Classroom: Pedagogical Dilemmas

Social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook remain prolific on college campuses across the country and touches on various aspects of collegiate life, including the classroom. This case study examines student usage of Facebook, its potential impact on faculty interaction, and institutional policy. After providing a literature review and context for the case study, the case study delineates a situation where the integration of an SNS can complicate the pedagogical environment when used as a communication median for not only administrators and faculty, but various stakeholders in higher education. How would an institution handle such complications, such as student appeals in cases where a faculty member integrated a non-university supported SNS as a pedagogical tool in the classroom? Although a large number of college students are using Facebook, it remains a social, not academic, median, enabling them to communicate with friends, relatives and other students. SNSs like Facebook show no indication of lower popularity. Given the dynamics, faculty may be tempted to meet students on their turf to facilitate engagement, but at what costs and liability?