Harriet pointed me to a Converge Online article about a study that uncovered the educational benefits of social networking. The basics of it are that MySpace allows lower income students to learn web design, programming, and digital technology. I guess the assumption is that rich kids already know this stuff? Oh, yeah – people still believe that digital native rubbish.
Kidding aside, I think that maybe you can infer that all students are learning these skills, and MySpace is helping that. I would have liked to see them study some pedagogical and constructivism factors using MySpace, as well as other sites like Facebook. But it’s great that some of the benefits of social networking are getting some more recognition.
Great article – thanks Harriet!
Matt is currently an Instructional Designer II at Orbis Education and a Part-Time Instructor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. Previously he worked as a Learning Innovation Researcher with the UT Arlington LINK Research Lab. His work focuses on learning theory, Heutagogy, and learner agency. Matt holds a Ph.D. in Learning Technologies from the University of North Texas, a Master of Education in Educational Technology from UT Brownsville, and a Bachelors of Science in Education from Baylor University. His research interests include instructional design, learning pathways, sociocultural theory, heutagogy, virtual reality, and open networked learning. He has a background in instructional design and teaching at both the secondary and university levels and has been an active blogger and conference presenter. He also enjoys networking and collaborative efforts involving faculty, students, administration, and anyone involved in the education process.