Effectiveness and obstacle of using Facebook as a tool to facilitate student-centred learning in higher education

Aiming to offer an environment that helps engage students and enrich their quality of experience through interactive learning activities, blended learning which combines face-to-face and online experiences of students by integrating technology into the curriculum is increasingly prevalent in university education (Irwin, Ball, Desbrow, & Leveritt, 2012). Blended learning is seen as a way for institutes to prepare themselves for the next era in education (Echo360, 2012). Facebook, a popular online Social Network Site (SNS) used among university students (Roblyer, McDaniel, Webb, Herman, & Witty, 2010; Wise, Skues, & Williams, 2011), has been examined in many different countries and disciplines for its educational value in the higher education (e.g. Baran, 2010; Erdem & Kibar, 2014; Lam, 2012; Madge, Meek, Wellens, & Hooley, 2009; McCarthy, 2012; Ophus & Abbitt, 2009; Selwyn, 2009; Shih, 2011; Wang, Scown, Urquhart, & Hardman, 2014; Wise et al., 2011). Diverse research results were found. Some supported the online environment be a valuable resource to promote academic critiques, discussion and networking to enhance learning experience (Erdem & Kibar, 2014; McCarthy, 2012), whereas others argued that the social networking website appeared more like a distraction rather than a support in student academic engagement (Baran, 2010; Wise et al., 2011).

Not only is Facebook used as a tool in this contemporary era of education, it is also predominantly used as an important technological tool for various forms of science education (Whittaker, Howarth, & Lymn, 2014; Huang, Wu, She & Lin, 2014; Waghid, 2015). The speeding up of responses and feedback using Facebook and the subsequent synchronous online discussion facilitate the development of content knowledge, which fosters understanding of content related nature of science (NOS) (Huang, Wu, She & Lin, 2014). Gilakjani, Leong, and Ismail (2013) contended that technology as part of a learning theory is more than a tool. By using technology in a constructivist approach, they believed that teachers can involve students in the learning activities, structure the instruction to meet different learning levels and styles, and broaden the range of resources that are available to the learners. Manca and Ranierit (2007) summarized in their empirical review of using Facebook as a technology-enhanced learning environment that Facebook was adopted mainly for the following five educational uses: 1) supporting discussion and allowing students to learn from each other through mutual understanding and critical thinking exercises; 2) developing pieces of multimedia content; 3) sharing resources; 4) delivering content to expand the curriculum and expose students to external resources; and 5) using it to support self-managed learning. This usage, according to Marsh (2005), sought to enhance the components of student-centred learning, given the facilitation of constructivism which emphasizes the active role of learners in building understanding and making sense of information, and collaborative learning among learners and teachers which is beneficial for science learning. To enhance the benefits of Facebook use for learning, Kitchakarn (2016) proposed that the teacher needed to make clear the learning objective of each Facebook activity and pointed out to their students the efficiency of Facebook was not only for social connection but as a learning tool for knowledge construction. The learning outcome being made clear to students at the beginning of the course would help them achieve it.

Regarding the use of Facebook for learning, Kitchakarn referred to Vigotsky's view about learning in that apart from serving as a means for communication, the use of online technology can also help learners create their own knowledge (p.53). Facebook users can share their learning resources such as lecture notes and assignments, give feedback and comments, and actively engage themselves in learning activities (Alm, 2006; Wang, Lin, Yu, & Wu, 2012).

Davis (1989), in his study of the adoption of new technologies in various situations and in different contexts, proposed a three-factor Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The three factors used were Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease of Use (PEOU), and Attitude toward Usage (ATU). Kirchakarn who adopted the TAM in his study on student English learning identified that students were positive toward learning through Facebook which is user friendly. Student perceived usefulness of Facebook also correlated with their attitude toward doing activities in Facebook (2016, p.59).

Using SNS such as Facebook has its limitations and constraints. In examining if the Facebook page was successful as a learning management system (LMS), Wang, Woo, Quek, Yang and Liu (2012) used the pedagogical, social and technological affordances concept in a study of two elective courses at a teaching education institute in Singapore. They found that social affordances (in providing a safe and friendly environment in which students could conveniently communicate and interact with one another) were negatively correlated with student perception on using Facebook for academic study. Students were worried that their academic postings in course Facebook could be viewed by their Facebook friends (other than their peers in the course) through automatic notification (p. 433), and some did not really want to share private lives with their peers.

In order to catch up with the pace of technological advancement and in response to the global trend of moving toward learner-centred approach in higher education (Hallinger & Fu, 2012), the University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Institute of Education (retitled as the Education University of Hong Kong on 27 May 2016) adopted Facebook as a sharing platform for an assignment to facilitate and inform teaching and learning in two courses. It is anticipated that through the assignment, Facebook could be used in a constructive manner, as described by Jonassen, Peck, and Wilson (1999), in that students could be mobilized to initiate self-directed learning, collect information, manipulate data, explore relationships, intentionally and actively process information, construct personal and socially shared meaning and reflect on the learning process. This process is to a great extent similar to the scientific research process, as it involves the collection, manipulation and analysis of data in exploring any useful relationships. The experiential learning cycle framework of Kolb (1984) could be applied like what Blumenfield (2014) did in her course in the Furman University to facilitate students’ independent knowledge construction.