Using Facebook Education Pages as a Medium for Student Communication and Collaboration

The initialization, development and deployment of a Facebook Education Page for a mathematically-based course has been created in attempt to alleviate the necessity for students to “friend” faculty on Facebook and to foster academic discussions outside of the classroom. The Facebook Education Page connects students and faculty in much the same way one might “like” a particular business or cause without sharing personal information. Facebook Education Pages are created and moderated in manner akin to familiar wikis and blogs within popular course management software packages. Students and faculty can interact via the Facebook Wall, Photo and Video Libraries and Internet Links. The distinct advantage that Facebook Education Pages hold over other course management software packages remains Facebook’s popularity with students. Other advantages and disadvantages of the Facebook Education Page versus more tradition forms for electronic communication will be presented.