I must say that using Facebook instead of the usual Interact forums has been a breath of fresh air. As a Facebook user for my personal life prior to studying INF506, I welcomed its use and wondered initially how well it would work in an academic context. Well I have been so surprised so far and very impressed.
Facebook has been a wonderful vehicle for interacting with my INF506 classmates and lecturer Lyn Hay and without doubt more functional than the Interact forums. This is what social networking is all about - sharing and collaborating ideas and resources. In particular for distance education students Facebook is certainly more social and personal and helps close the gap of isolation and loneliness, especially during assessment times. Perhaps it's due to the thumbnail images of each group member that brings about a presence and a connection that you can identify that person with that image - whether it is a photo or other image. The majority of the group have demonstrated a willingness to share articles, links, tips and support through the use of our Facebook group. What I like most is the ease at which you can post links and photos that all can access easily. Most of all I can certainly see at this early stage of the session the 4 Cs in action with our Facebook group - collaboration, content creation, conversation and community - it's really demonstrating the ideals of what we are studying.
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