Education Tech Research Dev (2012) 60:10931106

DOI 10.1007/s11423-012-9260-7

INTERNATIONAL REVIEW

A review of research on Facebook as an educational

environment

Selami Aydin

Published online: 13 June 2012

 Association for Educational Communications and Technology 2012

Abstract The purpose of this study is to present a review of Facebook as an educational

environment, as research on its use within education is relatively new. The study is cat-
egorized into six sections: Facebook users; reasons people use Facebook; harmful effects
of Facebook; Facebook as an educational environment; Facebooks effects on culture,
language, and education; and the relationship between Facebook and subject variables.
Additionally, the study compares Facebook usage in Turkey to its use on a global scale. To
conclude, there has been a serious lack of research on Facebooks use as an educational
resource, as current literature reflects how Facebook might more readily be utilized as an
educational environment. Finally, the study ends with practical recommendations for
researchers and educators.

Keywords Facebook
Education
Educational environment

Introduction

Within educational research, Facebooka popular social networking platformis quickly

emerging as a new educational environment (although how Facebook could be more effi-
ciently used as an educational environment remains unanswered). This paper aims to review
various educational studies on Facebook to recommend further research on its role within
academia and education. The reviewed studies have been categorized into six sections: (1)
Facebook users, (2) reasons people use Facebook, (3) harmful effects of Facebook, (4)
Facebook as an educational environment, (5) Facebook effects on culture and language, and
(6) the relationship between Facebook and subject variables. Before presenting a review of
these studies, the terms Social Networking site and Facebook need to be clarified. A social
networking site is an online site that presents a platform used by individuals; it focuses on
building and reflecting social relations in accordance with interests and/or activities. Some
popular examples of social networking sites include Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Badoo

S. Aydin (&)
ELT Department, Necatibey Education Faculty, Balikesir University, 10100 Balikesir, Turkey
e-mail: saydin@balikesir.edu.tr

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and Google?. Facebook is a social networking site that has over 845 million active users
(Protalinski 2012); it allows individuals over the age of 13 to create and upgrade personal
profiles, add friends, exchange messages and chat online. Facebook also presents oppor-
tunities for members to organize themselves into groups in relation to personal and pro-
fessional affiliations, which might include educational affiliations (such as schools),
workplaces, interests, hobbies, and political and religious beliefs.

Facebook users

Research results indicate that Facebook users are predominantly students. Initially, in a study
on the use of and attitudes toward the Internet, college students were found to be substantial
users of the Internet and web sites like Facebook, MySpace, and search engines (Rhoades
et al. 2008). Similarly, Hoover (2008) notes that freshmen at a higher education institute
frequently use Facebook, while in a quantitative content analysis by Kolek and Saunders
(2008), the vast majority of students at public universities have Facebook accounts. Addi-
tionally, Heiberger and Harper (2008) state that with over 100 million active users, Facebook
holds an 85 % market share of four-year colleges and universities in the US. Roblyer et al.
(2010) found in a survey that while college students were likely to use Facebook, faculty
members were more likely to use traditional Internet technologies, such as email. However,
as recent studies show, young college graduates use both Facebook and Twitter (Palmer
2010), as the growing demographic for those who use these social networking tools includes
individuals who are 25 years and older (Scully 2009). Finally, as Siegle (2011) emphasizes,
one out of every 12 people on the planet have a Facebook account.
Notably, there have been few studies on how gender and age correlate with the use of
Facebook. There are two limited studies that focus on gender and Facebook participation:
the first study, by Mazman and Usluel (2011), shows that along with maintaining existing
relationships, making new relationships, and supporting academic networking, gender was
an important factor shaping Facebook and social networking participation. Mazman and
Usluels study shows that more men make contact through Facebook, while women make
contact through other social means. In another study by Teclehaimanot and Hickman
(2011), it was found that male participants found studentteacher interactions on Facebook
more appropriate than females. The same study shows that age has no bearing on whether
the users found the interactions more or less appropriate.

Reasons to use Facebook

The main reasons why users participate on Facebook include maintaining communication
between themselves and their families; if users are students, Facebook encourages com-
munication between themselves and their teachers. There are also other important reasons
why individuals use Facebook, several which are explored below.
Communicative interactions between students and their family were important reasons
for students participation on Facebook. For example, Subrahmanyam et al. (2008) state that
participants use the Internetespecially social networking sitesto connect or reconnect
with friends and family members, and Pempek et al. (2009) note that Facebook was used
most often for social interaction. Madge et al. (2009) show how pre-registration at a
Facebook university network site influences students post-registration social networks;
new students specifically pre-registered on Facebook to make friends and keep in touch with

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friends and family at home. Moreover, Facebook is seen as an online knowledge-sharing

network forged by interpersonal interactions (Huang et al. 2010) and important commu-
nication skills (Decarie 2010), as it fosters connections and encourages users to reach out
and build relationships (Neibling 2010). In a study conducted by Charlton et al. (2009),
connections between students communication strategies and available technology were
investigated through their use of interactive tools on Facebooks platform, as their feedback
shows that platform tools are encouraging. College students also spend the greatest amount
of their personal time communicating, whether this might be talking face to face, texting,
conversing on the phone, and/or using social networking sites (Hanson et al. 2011). In a
qualitative study, Ryan et al. (2011) investigate how social networking sitesspecifically
Facebookhelped doctoral students adapt to a Ph.D. program and life in a new culture.
Discussions on Facebook encourage various exchanges of knowledge, assist in nurturing
socialization and build community amongst students. Another qualitative study by Tuc-
ciarone (2009) analyzes the types of information students look for on college Web sites
during their research on colleges. In the study, college student message boards on Facebook
were found to be highly sought after by prospective college students as research tools,
although most colleges do not feature links to these sites on their own Web sites. Pempek
et al. (2009) found that college students use Facebook approximately 30 min throughout the
day, communicating by using a one-to-many style and spending more time observing
content on Facebook than posting content. Finally, social networking includes communi-
cation between administrators, parents, and other community members (Butler 2010).
According to research, Facebook contributes to an easier flow of communication
between teachers and students. For instance, Berg et al. (2007) describe how one university
used Facebook as a means to build better relationships with its students and personnel.
OHanlon (2007) describes how educators engage with and inform students via Facebook,
while Sturgeon and Walker (2009) report that some of the most effective faculty members
are those who create informal relationships with their students via Facebook. Furthermore,
in an experimental study (Mazer et al. 2009) that examines the relationship between self-
disclosure and perceptions of teacher credibility, it was found that teachers who practiced
more self-disclosure on their Facebook profiles had more credibility than teachers who
practiced little self-disclosure on their Facebook profiles. Moreover, to a small but notable
degree, university students restricted access to their profiles to university staff (Kolek and
Saunders 2008). At the same time, a study (Li and Pitts 2009) shows that student use of
virtual office hours via Facebook did not significantly differ from their use of traditional
office hours. Lastly, Teclehaimanot and Hickman (2011) show how both undergraduate
and graduate students who use Facebook to communicate with their professors found
passive behaviors more appropriate than active behaviors, irrespective of whether the
behaviors were expressed by the students or teachers.
Research demonstrates other reasons why Facebook should be more readily utilized as
an educational environment. First, as noted in one study (Bennett 2010), Facebook aids
alumni programs better connect with potential reunion attendees, as well as greatly
increase communication and involvement amongst reunion volunteers. Similarly, Halli-
gans study (2010) explores how a college used web sites, e-mail, e-newsletters, and social
media (such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube) to keep alumni and students involved in
the college community. Second, as Quan-Haase and Young (2010) note, Facebook is a tool
that individuals use to keep abreast of the social activities occurring within ones social
network. Brown et al. (2009) state that adolescents use the Internet to find sexual health
information, express sexual identity and desires and find, as well as maintain, relationships.
They also emphasize that adolescents use social networks, such as Facebook or MySpace,

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to communicate simultaneously. Facebook, then, has been used to discover adolescent

identity (Barnett 2009), construct and maintain urban indigenous identities (Lumby 2010),
discuss college choice processes (Ferguson 2010), and tag photographs (Kramer-Duffield
2010). As a means to self-represent and self-promote (Decarie 2010), adolescents have
used photographs to portray a particular image of themselves (Peluchette and Karl 2010).
As a summary, then, Facebook serves as a means to network, communicate, recruit, share
knowledge (Davis 2010), maintain existing relationships, form new relationships, aid
academic purposes, and follow up on specific agendas (Mazman and Usluel 2011). Lastly,
Villano (2008) identifies the rules of good digital citizenship applicable when using
Facebook and other social network platforms, which include etiquette, communication,
literacy, access, commerce, law, rights and responsibilities, health, and wellness security.

Harmful effects of Facebook

Research shows that the harmful consequences of Facebook participation include inap-
propriate behaviors, abuse, cyberbullying and problems related to privacy and friendship.
This section also explores the ethics of using Facebook.
Butler (2010) highlights the risks involved when people express inappropriate com-
ments on social networking platforms (Butler 2010), while Catanzaro (2011) addresses the
escalating problems of bullying among adolescents in the United Kingdom, Scandinavia
and North America. In particular, Catanzaro highlights bullying that occurs through social
network interchanges such as texting, email and Facebook postings. Olson et al. (2009)
explore the Facebook postings of pre-service elementary teachers to determine the extent
to which these postings reflect the expected decorum. They found that 32 % of elementary
education majors in this study had unrestricted Facebook profiles, and of these, only 22 %
of profiles were without inappropriate content. One survey study (La Roche et al. 2009)
contextualizes the use of disciplinary action and restrictions of Facebook use in relation to
Internet decorum practiced by undergraduate students and employers. Shelton (2009)
also notes media reports of horror stories of people losing their jobs because of various
inappropriate posts on Facebook. However, Watson et al. (2006) examine photographs
posted by undergraduate and graduate students on Facebook, and found that evidence of
alcohol consumption, illegal activities, and/or portrayals of sexually inappropriate
behaviors were less frequent than the media indicated.
Other problems related to Facebook include possible abuse, cyber-bullying and
potential invasions of privacy and friendship. Couros (2008) states that Facebook has
increasingly become the subject of horror stories, garnering much negative publicity. A
recently renewed wave of fear concerning prevalent online dangers has been catalyzed by
scandals surrounding various social networking abuses. Holladay (2010) reports that one-
third to one-half of youth are targeted by cyberbullies, which leads to detrimental con-
sequences, while Wihbey (2010) states that there are too many unknown consequences and
privacy issues involving professors and college student interaction on social networking
sites. In a study by Walker et al. (2011) that explores cyberbullying experienced by
undergraduate students, they found that most of the respondents knew of someone who had
been cyberbullied. Siegle (2010) discusses abuses such as cyberbullying and sexting and
provides tips to parents and educators to prevent cyberbullying. He emphasizes that
responsible parents and educators have a moral obligation to understand the potential
usesand, therefore, potential consequencesof new technologies. The results also show
that Facebook can create problems related to privacy among friends. For instance,

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assuming that students were sharing personal details on social networking platforms like
Facebook, Read (2006) notes that a growing number of colleges were moving to disabuse
students of the notions of privacy on the Internet, while Tufekci (2008) found that there
was little or no relationship between online privacy concerns and information disclosure on
online social network sites. Finally, Reich (2010) investigates whether Facebook and
MySpace users demonstrate key psychological components of communal camaraderie,
such as membership, influence, immersion, shared emotional connection and integration
and fulfillment of needs. The study shows that typical adolescent use of social networks
represents networked individualism rather than online communities.
Given that inappropriate use of Facebook can lead to problematic repercussions, studies
have also explored the ethics of using Facebook. For example, Birky and Collins (2011)
explore the appropriate ethical principles and standards of using Facebook, while Lipka
(2007) discusses ethical rules in terms of the drawbacks of studentteacher friendships on
Facebook. Similarly, Sander (2008) discusses a software program that searches for
offensive content on college athletes Facebook profiles, which concludes that although the
use of this kind of software raises complicated legal and ethical questions, the software
program is still legal. Zhao (2010) discusses how adolescents and students might be best
prepared to develop new skills in order to succeed in the emerging virtual and global
world. In another study, Foulger et al. (2009), state that pre-service teachers need more
definitive guidelines about their participation in social networking spaces. Finally, Gallant
(2011) focuses on how personal information could be protected on social network sites.

Facebook as an educational environment

According to relevant literature, Facebook impacts all levels of academia (Bugeja 2006)
and academic settings (Villano 2007); by opening up broad and exciting new worlds of
learning for both educators and students (Couros 2008), it has the potential to be used for
educational applications (Boon and Sinclair 2009). Facebook also can become a valuable
resource to support students educational communications and collaborations with faculty
(Roblyer et al. 2010), as it can provide a different model of how online tools can be utilized
in educational contexts (Downes 2007). Moreover, Blankenship (2011) describes how
social media impacts higher education vis-a`-vis five interconnected literacies, which
includes attention, participation, collaboration, network awareness and critical consump-
tion. Interestingly, Violino (2009) states that school administrators believe social net-
working promotes achievement on campus. In his qualitative analysis of the Facebook wall
activity of 909 undergraduate university students, Selwyn (2009) shows that students
education-related uses of Facebook applications were based on the post hoc critiquing of
learning experiences and events; the exchange of logistical or factual information about
teaching and assessment requirements; instances of supplication and moral support con-
cerning assessment or learning; and the promotion of oneself as academically incompetent
and/or disengaged. Mazman and Usluel (2010) aim at designing a structural model
explaining how users could utilize Facebook for educational purposes. They found that the
use of Facebook as an educational tool could be explained by user purposes, along with the
adoption of Facebook processes. Finally, McCarthy (2010) examines integrating virtual
and physical learning environments to enhance the experiences of first year students. By
emphasizing the use of social media to support learning and teaching in higher education,
students were drawn into a university culture that encouraged social and academic inter-
action between peers. In conclusion, as Karl and Peluchette (2011) note, the ever-growing

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popularity of Facebook has led educators to seriously consider the role social networking
could play in education.
Research has indicated that Facebook can positively affect classroom practices and
student involvement. Manzo (2009) states that permitting children to use Facebook during
classes expands their Internet access. As they move up grade levels, they encounter and
expect more complex educational content. Thomas (2010) discusses the differences
between learning spaces and learning environments in virtual spacessuch as Facebook
and Second Lifethat serve to displace learning itself. Furthermore, Schaffhauser (2009)
explores the experiences of two teachers who connected their students through an online
classroom network, noting that Facebook and other social networks were helping to
demolish previous borders and barriers. Hannon (2008) reports that smart pena device
that points a tiny camera at specially marked paperscaptures writing and converts hand-
written texts into PDF files and plain text. Facebook, then, easily utilizes paper-based
computing, during class sessions with students. Heiberger and Harper (2008) presents
examples and recommendations for Facebook use, to increase university student
involvement, while Junco and Cole-Avent (2008) state that newer technologies (such as
social networking) could be used to increase college student engagement and improve
educational outcomes. In their research, Maguth et al. (2010) conducted a project-based
study via social networks. They found that students using technology to access and analyze
information, communicate, and showcase their learning were successful in their pursuits of
research, as well as in the production and presentation of research results. Finally, Taranto
and Abbondanza (2009) discuss the misuse of social networking in schools, suggesting that
academic social networking opportunities should be incorporated into regular lessons.
Studies on the educational benefits of social networking also focus on specific areas such
as social learning, e-learning, environmental learning, business, art, and chemistry educa-
tion. For instance, Greenhow (2009) notes that social networking can be utilized as a social
learning resource and space for new literacy practices. Ganis (2009) emphasizes that creating
a well-crafted social learning platform would most likely require a deeply collaborative
effort among technology experts, educators, social learning theorists, psychologists, soci-
ologists and students. Additionally, another study (Durkee et al. 2009) examines the practical
implications for teachers wishing to incorporate e-learning and Facebook into their peda-
gogy. Robelia et al. (2011) examine an application within Facebook that allows users to post
climate change news stories from other websites and comment on these stories. They con-
cluded that peer role modeling through interaction on this site motivated pro-environmental
behaviors. A study conducted by Ramirez et al. (2009) focuses on the relationship between
learning and Web 2.0 technologies, and notes the benefits of social networking within a
business context. Moreover, Shin (2010) explores the means by which art educators could
negotiate with the digital world, suggesting that art educators can enjoy the experience of the
digital worlds creative flow for teaching and research purposes. Finally, after comparing
students use of Facebook groups with that of educational discussion forums, Schroeder and
Greenbowe (2009) found that students at a state university used Facebook more dynamically
than they used discussion forums on an online community for Organic Chemistry.

Effects of Facebook on culture and language teaching and learning

As culture and language are intimately related, the uses and meanings of language are
shaped and dictated by culture, while conversely, to some extent, culture is determined by
language. This section explores the effects of Facebook on culture and language learning.

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A limited number of studies on the relationship between Facebook and culture shows a
positive relationship between the two. For instance, social networks clearly offer exciting
possibilities as effective cultural interventions (Christie and Bloustien 2010). Virtual
worlds emerge as sites of significant cultural and textual relevance for young people
(Carrington and Hodgetts 2010), as social networks also narrow gaps between cultures
(Birky and Collins 2011). Furthermore, a study (Cho 2010) that explores cultural differ-
ences in social network sites found that members of collectivistic cultures maintain more
contained network relationships, while broader social network interactions reduced the
trepidation related to embarking on new study programs and/or adjusting to new cultures
(Ryan et al. 2011). Finally, Mills (2011) found that Facebook was a valuable tool for
individuals learning French culture and language.
Research results indicate that Facebook, as a communication environment, has powerful
effects on language teaching and learning. Kitsis (2008) shares how she channeled her
students zeal for online discussions by creating engaging electronic homework assign-
ments. In another example, recognizing the students enjoyment of Facebook, Romano
(2009) describes the fun teachers and students can experience in English classes. Kabilan
et al. (2010) investigate whether university students considered Facebook as a useful and
meaningful learning environment that, in turn, could support and enhance the learning
process of English. They found that while students thought Facebook could be used to
facilitate English learning, teachers noted that Facebook had to be integrated into an
educational project with pre-determined learning objectives and outcomes to make these
learning experiences meaningful. Research on Facebooks use as an educational envi-
ronment has also focused specifically on language skillssuch as reading and writing
skillswith regard to second and foreign language teaching and learning. Stewart (2009)
describes the experiment of a high school librarian with a virtual literature circle using
Facebook, with results that show a Facebook virtual literature circle can be an excellent
teaching environment. Similarly, Hamilton (2009) states that social networking offers
authors and publishers a powerful and positive medium for personally connecting with
readers in an energizing and engaging way for both authors and teens. Walker (2010)
describes how social networks, as well as information and communication technology
tools, could support and enhance literature circles. Skerrett (2010) explores a learning task
in which groups of pre-service teachers created multigenre projects that represented key
themes from self-selected books read during in-class book clubs. In the study, the choice of
the text and the pre-service teachers expressions of the meanings were derived via the
Facebook group. The project revealed how this method deepened the teachers under-
standing and pedagogical practices in relation to literacy education. Furthermore, Drouin
(2011) examines the frequency of text messaging, use of textese and literacy skills (such
as reading accuracy), and spelling and reading fluency in a sample of college students. The
research found a positive correlation between text messaging frequency and spelling and
reading fluency, while there was a negative correlation between textese usage on social
network sitessuch as MySpace and Facebookand reading accuracy. Regarding writing
skills, Pascopella and Richardson (2009) discuss the new shift of writing instruction and
pedagogy that uses social networking tools to keep up with student interests. In addition,
Kathleen (2009) presents research-based best practices and a sample writing assignment to
illustrate a new model of composing in an online environment that is encouraging to
teenagers. Given that teenagers did not appear to recognize their out-of-school writing as
real writing, Denny (2010) emphasizes that one should be equipped with a variety of
mentoring strategies and knowledge of different communication modes (which includes
social networking and media platforms like Facebook). Writing centers and their staff,

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then, should not be limited to conventional genres and texts. DePew (2011) shows that the
writing strategies second language students use to express their thoughts on social media
sites reflect compositions that potentially respond in rhetorically complex ways. Addi-
tionally, Waters (2009) discusses how electronic portfolios are becoming more innovative
by integrating a range of other e-learning tools; for Waters, social networking technology is
the e-portfolio enhancement of the day.

Relationship between Facebook and subject variables

This section reviews past and current research on Facebooks effects on socialization and
affective states. For the purposes of this essay, socialization refers to the process of
inheriting and disseminating norms, customs and ideologies (Clausen 1968), while
affective states refer to terms such as self-esteem, motivation, and anxiety. Other affective
variables, such as students personality and perceptions, are also noted in this section.
There has been limited research on the relationship between Facebook and socialization.
Bowers-Campbell (2008) argues that Facebook use could help improve low self-efficacy,
self-regulate learning by increasing communications with the instructor and classmates,
and provide guidance to college students in how to responsibly use Facebook. Given that
there is a lack of knowledge on how social networking reflects social integration, social
networking vis-a`-vis Facebook was found to be a behavioral measure of social integration
Morris et al. (2010). Moreover, in one study (Robelia et al. 2011) that examines Face-
books effects on environmental education, peer role modeling through interaction on the
site was found to motivate pro-environmental behaviors. In a research study, Walther et al.
(2008) explore how cues posted by social partners onto ones online networking profile
affected observers impressions of the profile owner. Interestingly, the results show that the
attractiveness of profile owners friends shape profile owners own assimilative patterns.
A limited number of studies have been conducted on the relationship between Facebook
and affective states. Ellison et al. (2007) state that Facebook use affects the measures of
psychological well-being. They suggest that Facebook can provide great benefits for users
experiencing low self-esteem and low life satisfaction. In Steinfield et al. (2008) longi-
tudinal analysis investigating the relationships between the intensity of Facebook usage
and measures of psychological well-being and social capital, they found that university
students with lower self-esteem experienced fewer social barriers when joining large,
heterogeneous networks on Facebook. This, then, ultimately bridged social capital. In an
experimental study (Mazer et al. 2007) that examines the effects of teacher self-disclosure
via Facebook on anticipated college student motivation, affective learning, and classroom
climate, participants highlighted possible negative associations between teachers use of
Facebook and their credibility as educators, although it has been suggested that social
networks also provide opportunities to better motivate students by engaging them as
learners (Siegle 2011). In terms of anxiety, one study (West et al. 2009) explores the
degree of acceptance of older adultsparticularly parentsas Facebook friends and the
attitudes toward such friendships (and potential friendships). These factors, which reveal
how users interpret privacy, were then shaped by embarrassment, social norms, and anxiety
about mothers. A study by Isbulan (2011) exploring university graduates opinions about
social networks found a positive and significant relationship between Facebook-related
opinions stated by university graduates and extravert personalities. Finally, Freishtat and
Sandlin (2010) discuss Facebooks public pedagogy in terms of shaping young peoples
views of technology.

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Research in Turkish context

As is true on a global scale, there has also been a lack of research on utilizing Facebook as
an educational environment in Turkey. For example, while Turkey has over 30 million
active Facebook usersand there are no concerns over banning and/or limiting its use
only two studies on the issue appeared in Turkey. As previously mentioned, Mazman and
Usluel (2010) note that Facebook users are college students between 18 and 25 years old,
while Ergenc (2010) investigates the Internets effects on socialization. Ergencs study
found that female users spend more time on Facebook than males, and that students
between the ages of 21 and 24 spend more time on Facebook than other age groups.
Currently, there are too few data on the use of Facebook in Turkey, which makes it difficult
to compare the results to Facebook use on a global scale. More research, then, should be
conducted on the use of Facebook in Turkey in each of the six sections described in this
article: harmful effects of Facebook; Facebook as an educational environment; effects of
Facebook on culture and, specifically, language teaching and learning; and the relationship
between Facebook and subject variables.

Conclusions and recommendations

From this review of limited studies on Facebook as an education environment, several

conclusions can be drawn. First, Facebook users are predominantly students, although the
number of users over 25 years of age has dramatically increased in recent years. Second,
gender plays an important role in who uses Facebook, whereas age is not a considerable
variable. Third, the main reason why people use Facebook centers on communication and
interaction among students, family members, teachers, administrators and alumni. Other
significant reasons include adaptation to new school programs and cultures, discovering
social activities, finding and maintaining relationships, seeking knowledge on a variety of
subjects, self-representation and self-promotion, recruitment, sharing knowledge, academic
purposes and adhering to specific agendas. Fourth, Facebook participation might have
harmful repercussions, which include inappropriate behavior, abuse, cyberbullying, and
invasions of privacy within friendships. Fifth, Facebook can be used as an educational
environment, as it improves classroom practices and student involvement. Various teaching
and learning contexts include social learning, e-learning, environmental learning, business,
art, and chemistry education. Facebook can be a valuable educational environment, par-
ticularly when learning about different cultures. Moreover, Facebook increases learners
self-efficacy, motivation, self-esteem, positively changes perceptions and attitudes, reduces
anxiety, and improves foreign and second language learning skills in reading and writing.
As a review of these studies, then, this essay offers several recommendations on using
Facebook as an educational resource and environment. First, as Facebook is very popular
among students, the potential of Facebook as an educational environment should be
channeled into educational practices and research. The gender differences that shape
Facebook use should be considered when employing Facebook within an educational
context. Second, educators and researchers should concentrate on current classroom
practices, as there are a wide variety of reasons to use Facebook. For instance, as Facebook
is an ideal environment for communication and interaction among students, it is an
effective medium for language learning and teaching. This gives way to the possibility of
improving learners language skills and increasing their awareness of target cultures.
Additionally, as students seek and share knowledge on various topics, teachers can create

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groups, guide their students, and assist them in preparing projects and presentations in
accordance with their in-class teaching. Third, educators should be highly sensitive to the
negative effects of Facebook, such as inappropriate behaviors, abuse and cyberbullying.
Therefore, the ethics of Facebook use should be considered and regulated on global,
national and school-based scales, as results show that users require more definitive
guidelines when participating in social networking spaces. Fourth, the recent finding that
Facebook increases learners self-efficacy, motivation and self-esteem, positively changes
perceptions and attitudes, and reduces anxiety in the teaching and learning processes
presents an opportunity to solve problems in relation to students affective states in aca-
demic contexts. Moreover, Facebook can also be used to enhance student involvement in
classes. Lastly, as research results indicate that Facebook is an effective tool in social
learning, e-learning, environmental learning, business, art, and chemistry education, more
practices and research are needed in other fields of education.
Much more research on Facebook as an educational environment is warranted, as it is
evident that only a few studies specifically address Facebooks role within pedagogy
(Charnigo and Barnett-Ellis 2007; Mathews 2006; Mazer et al. 2007; Selwyn 2009).
Similarly, Ryan et al. (2011) state that the use of social networking sites in educational
contexts has not been sufficiently explored, although tremendous growth and wide use of
social networks around the world have been observed. Research should specifically focus
on the various uses of Facebook within educational contexts. For instance, while Reich
(2010) stresses that research has yet to explore whether social network sites engender a
psychological sense of community for users, Wihbey (2010) emphasizes that the rela-
tionships between psychosocial behavior and college students issues of trust and privacy,
self-disclosure, and true social connections need further examination (Wihbey 2010). Here,
research should focus on the attitudes and perceptions of teachers, immigrant users who
have encountered computers and social network sites at any part of their lives, and students
as native users who have been raised in computer environments from birth. Moreover,
Hourigan and Murray (2010) suggest that applications of expression tools such as blogs,
MySpace, Facebook and Bebo into language learning contexts require further investigation
by the computer-assisted language learning community.
Educators should evince more interest in the use of Facebook within educational
contexts, as Eberhardt (2007) suggests that educators could develop approaches and
strategies to help students use their networking behavior to enhance their learning and
development. Teachers also need to garner more positive attitudes towards the possibilities
of using Facebook in their teaching activities, although Johnson (2010) evaluates Facebook
as a distraction in any teaching and learning environment. Moreover, research results
should be used to train teachers in using Facebook within education. Teclehaimanot and
Hickman (2011) note that a comprehensive understanding of how these technologies can
best be utilized in education is still lacking. Finally, as Facebook has been underutilized
within educational contexts (Dreher et al. 2009), more research and practices are necessary.

Acknowledgments The author wishes to thank the journal editors and reviewers who helped to improve
the paper.

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e-learning and web 2.0 innovation: Didactical scenarios and practical implication. Industry and Higher
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students (Ed.D. Dissertation, University of Pennsylvania).

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Foulger, T. S., Adam, P., Ewbank, A. D., Kay, A., Popp, S. O., & Carter, H. L. (2009). Moral spaces in
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Leading with Technology, 36(8), 1011.
Halligan, T. (2010). The social media evaluation: Online tools drive opportunities for alumni outreach,
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Hanson, T. L., Drumheller, K., Mallard, J. K., McKee, C., & Schlegel, P. (2011). Cell phones, text
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characteristics. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(2), 184189.
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Karl, K. A., & Peluchette, J. V. (2011). Friending professors, parents and bosses: A Facebook connection
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Kathleen, B. (2009). Writing by any other name. Principal Leadership, 10(1), 2629.
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Mathews, B. S. (2006). Do you Facebook? Networking with students online. College and Research
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Shelton, K. (2009). Using Facebook following tragedies: A lesson for community colleges. Community and
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1417.

Selami Aydin, (PhD) is an assistant professor at English Language Teaching Department at Balikesir
University. His research has mainly been in language testing, EFL writing, individual differences, and
technology in EFL learning. His articles have appeared in some national and international journals. Aydin
teaches ELT courses for pre-service English teachers.

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