Content-type: text/html Downes.ca ~ Stephen's Web ~ Learning management systems and social media: a case for their integration in higher education institutions

Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community

This paper (16 page PDF) suggests that "leveraging the power of SM platforms such as Facebook and Twitter in conjunction with LMSs could enhance learner experiences and improve the reputations of institutions as quality providers of educational services." It arrives at this conclusion after looking at three dozen studies from around the world and identifying positive and negative aspects of integrating the social network service with the institutional LMS. I found the disadvantages to be very institutionally focused (citing the need for support, the concern about distractions, and technical issues such as student login). One wonders how many students there are who (like me) simply refuse to use Facebook and Twitter. There's also the question of how personal messaging among students can be reliably surfaced despite the algorithm deprioritizing them (a similar problem exists for LinkedIn). Finally - doesn't this feel like a paper that should have been written in 2010, not 2023?

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

Copyright 2024
Last Updated: Apr 28, 2024 8:08 p.m.

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