Facebook group in the learning design of a higher education course: An analysis of factors influencing positive learning experience for students

Abstract The study was carried out in collaboration with the coordinator of an undergraduate architecture course at a Western Australian university. The course had recently been re-designed to increase participation of students in on-campus lectures and improve the depth of engagement of students in the learning program. The major focus of the redesign was the incorporation of a Facebook group to encourage active engagement of students. The study aimed to examine the response of students to this re-design, with a view to identifying elements of their learning experience that could be the focus of improvement in future iterations of the learning design. Elements of the student learning experience explored were access to information and resources, support and motivation, participation and collaboration, assessment and feedback as well reflection and knowledge construction. In addition to examining student responses to the redesign, the study aimed to identify aspects of their Facebook experience that may influence their perception about their overall course experience. Multiple regression analyses showed that students in this study were likely to report satisfaction with elements of their experience when any concerns about posting on Facebook were well managed, a sense of community was experienced by students through Facebook and they felt encouraged to learn through their Facebook engagement.

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