Facebook vs LMS

There are those in academic circles who stays clear of Learning Management Systems and prefer the use of social media for interacting with students. Some may argue that LMS's has very little to do with learning and acts more as content or course managements centres and for most part they would be correct. The problem perhaps does not lie with the technology per se but perhaps more with the way in which it has been used. Personally, I am more in favour of getting the balance right and not to throw the proverbial baby out with the bath water so to speak, but if you are interested in using social media for education then perhaps the following information might be right up your alley. While FB is great for social interaction amongst students it is not always useful as a content management system (CMS). I found the integration of other social media sights very useful in this respect. So for video I make use of Youtube, for audio Soundcloud and Chirbit.com images...well most social media sites allow for the easy upload and sharing of images. But if you a real lover of photography you are probably aware of sites like Flickr. I find this approach particularly useful as I get the best of both worlds as I can use the FB interface as a social media platform and connect with learners. Before you decide to put all your eggs into one basket (which is never a good idea) consider the following:

• What is it that social media will offer you that LMS's do not.
• Is it appropriate for lecturers to be friends with  learners on a social media site and how would you manage that relationship?
• What are some of the privacy concerns that you have regarding the use of social media?
• How does the PIPA act impact on the use of social media and what are your institutional policies around this?
• What are the advantages of introducing social media into your course and who owns content that are generated on these sites?
• Is it appropriate to use online social spaces for educational purposes?

How does one remove the groups after the course is completed. Be specific about which platform you will be using for communicating with the learners and which for content. Not everyone will be comfortable with putting their course content on FB and similarly not all learners will be comfortable with interacting on FB. Educators will need to provide for everyone's needs. Most important in considering the use of FB or enay other social media sight in my opinion is the privacy aspects so ensure that everyone is aware of which privacy settings are desirable in the context they are working in. Do some homework as the course facilitator as to which aspects of FB would be appropriate for your course. For example, is it advisable to be create a page or group. Or perhaps it is more sensible to create a separate account with which you will interact with learners. Looking forward to joining your group. Please leave your comments if you would like to share some of your experiences with using FB as part of your course.