Facebook's Impact on Higher Education Classes: An Empirical Study

Due in part to its widespread acceptance, Facebook has been adopted as a tool for higher education courses. Proponents claim that Facebook-enhanced courses facilitate an increased community of practice, sense of learning and sense of connectedness compared to non-enhanced courses. This empirical study uses a survey methodology in an independent measures static group comparison research design to compare the responses of 586 students who were enrolled in Facebook-enhanced business courses with those who were not. The courses were taught by two instructors at two different universities in the USA. The use of Facebook in students’ courses serves as the independent variable. Students’ attitudes toward the community of practice, sense of learning and sense of connectedness that evolved in their classrooms serve as the dependent variables. Research findings show that students in the Facebook-enhanced courses experienced a somewhat more positive community of practice, sense of learning and sense of connectedness compared to students in non-Facebookenhanced courses. Implications for teaching, limitations and further research are discussed.

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