Can facebook enhance the communications between teachers and students?

This research investigates the effectiveness of using Facebook to enhance the communications between teachers and students. Thirteen project groups from an advanced marketing research course were arranged to communicate via Facebook. Structured questionnaires, focus groups, as well as Facebook discussion groups were used to collect data for the research. Results of statistical analysis showed that Facebook intensity had a positive effect on social capital. The results also showed that heavy users of Facebook would be more willing to use Facebook to communicate with their teachers. Personal photographs were the major privacy concern for students while they communicated with the teachers. There was a negative relationship between privacy concerns and communications through Facebook. Since Facebook could prevent public access to personal photographs, some students preferred to communicate with the teachers through the project groups established in Facebook rather than acting as "friends". Through the research, we have identified the critical factors that affect students' use of Facebook for communicating with the teachers in a teaching and learning environment. © Common Ground, Ronnie Cheung, Doug Vogel.