Research on students's technological practices, reporting on use of Facebook. Presented at Heltasa November 2012

1. SOCIAL NETWORKS = SOCIAL CAPITAL
First-year students’ use of
for cognitive and affective
learning
Cheryl Brown and Laura Czerniewicz

2. THE PROJECT
o Ethnographic Action Research (EAR)
• Utilised in development projects and aims to combine
participatory techniques and ethnographic approaches into an
action research framework (Tacchi, Foth et al. 2009).
o Sites of study – 4 Universities
• University of Fort Hare, Rhodes University, University of the Free
State and University of Cape Town.
o Researchers
• 4 researchers - one from each institution
• continuous engagement
• embedded in the context
• establish a relationship with participants
o Data collection
• Interviews, observations, focus groups & participated in the digital
lives of the participants through various forms of social media.

3. THE STUDENT PARTICIPANTS
o First years – the role of ICTs in their transition into
university
o 26 students, over the year some students
dropped out of the study so final = 23
o Ranged between 18 and 20 years of age
o 60% were female
o Majority were South African, 5 students from
Zimbabwe
o Disciplinary location - 14 in the Arts/Humanities
and the other 11 in the Natural Sciences

4. WHY FACEBOOK
o All 23 students used Facebook although they attached
various levels of importance to it
o Positive:
First of all I don’t think I can live without social networks
Student L Int 2FHU Ref 2
It's not a lifeline, but after not having it, or being off it for
a while, I sort of feel disconnected.
Student R Int 1UCT Ref 15
o Negative:
I wanted to stay away from Facebook for ever; - draining – I was
addicted to it - needed space, so he stopped for three weeks
and deleted his profile.
Student K Int 1 UCT 13 Ref 12
I felt a bit ignored, so deleted Facebook. I got angry at it. Then I
remembered this project
Student S Int 1 UCT Ref 27

5. FRAMING
o Bourdieu
• Useful tool to demonstrate the complex
and multi-faceted concept of access to
higher education as mediated by
ICTs, expanding the notion beyond the
simpler one of mere access to the
technology itself.
• Used it before to understand the
technological habitus of students in
particular digital strangers

6. SOCIAL CAPITAL
o Actual or potential resources which are linked
to possession of a durable network of more or
less institutionalized relationships of mutual
acquaintance and recognition – or in other
words, to membership in a group
o The profits which accrue from membership in
a group are the basis of the solidarity which
makes them possible
• multiplier effect implied in concentration
• signs of recognition and, through the mutual
recognition and the recognition of group
membership which it implies, reproduces the
group

7. WHY?
o Most people at are at the stage where he was on
Facebook when I first started. He noticed that
many people had 1000 friends and he had a
few, which he thought was a crisis.
Student K Int 1 Ref 10
o Facebook is like email evolved … its more far-
reaching
o Relationships work much better than if she did not
have Facebook. Phone costs are expensive and
she has written letters, but nobody replies.
Student O Int 1UCT Ref 12

8. IN TERMS OF LEARNING ...
o Informal learning - freedom for learners
as it recognizes the social significance of
learning from other people (Eraut, 2004).
o Affective learning - includes the manner
in which we deal with things
emotionally, such as
feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasm
s, motivations, and attitudes.
(Krathwohl, Bloom, Masia, 1973)

9. LEARNING EMOTION SPACE
Russell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. Journal of Personality and
Social Psychology, 39 (6), 1161-

10. INFORMAL LEARNING
Student N, Int 2, RU Ref 11

11. INFORMAL LEARNING
o At one stage I was trying to learn Spanish, which did not go
very well. I was in contact with three people from different
parts of the world and would chat to them to practice it.
• Student O Int 2 UCT Ref 6
o She uses Facebook to get quick responses to certain
questions that may appear in the exams.
• Student Y Int 2 RU Ref 1
o For example; say you have a friend who is always on
Facebook, and you know that want like a book from them or
maybe you just want to ask about something education
wise, you can just contact them using Facebook
• Students U Int 1 FHU Ref 2
o He does use social media for exam preparation: he shares
interesting examples on Facebook with friends,
• Student G Int 2 RU Ref 1

12. INFORMAL LEARNING
o I have two previous teachers on Facebook and
sometimes talk to them for advice about academic stuff
at University
• Student D Int 2 UFS Ref 3
o She uses her cellphone all the time to communicate with
people about academic stuff. She communicates with a
lecturer as well via Facebook; with her one tutor in
English. She does communicate with her old art teacher
from High School. He is still teaching art and she studies
media, so “I sometimes asks him some things; which
relate to the media, sort of, and also architecture”.
• Student E Int 2 UFS Ref 2

13. AFFECTIVE SUPPORT
o Most of my Facebook friends are friends at
University or high school mates. We talk mostly
about what is happening at the University in
their day-to-day life
Student I Int 2 UFS Ref 6
o The "Prayer Network" will be on a Facebook
Page. People can "like it" on the Facebook
page to stay updated about its activites.
People will also be able to submit their own
prayer requests. "We" will pray for them, and
all members will pray for those who have
requested a prayer.
Student K Int 1 UCT Ref 1

14. IDENTITY
o Facebook is an extension of yourself, as you
condense (information about) yourself and put it on
Facebook for other people to see.
Student R Int 1 UCT Ref 6
o Before I post a status update, I think about the
audience that reads it and "what is it the world
should know what's on his mind". He wants his
readers to “read it twice and think about what he
means”
Student H Int 2 FHU Ref 2
o Facebook is a way of showing people my
mindspace. If I am feeling down and listening to a
sad song, I will say I am not OK and quote from the
song to tell how I am feeling.
Student S Int 1 UCT Ref 16

15. DIGITAL LITERACY
Student N, Int 2, UFS Ref 12

16. DIGITAL LITERACY
o The computer skills she learnt while using Facebook and
YouTube has helped, as these services are more or less
the same, like Twitter. So, it kind of helps you to do other
internet things. She believes using social networks also
gives her confidence to do other things with the internet
as well: for example it teaches you more on how to get
other information. So, from one network that you are
on, you end up being geared to another.
Student X Int 2 UFS Ref 3
o Her use of social networks gives her more confidence to
work on other sites like Google and Blackboard. She is
not afraid of using other sites on the internet as
Facebook broke down her fear.
Student A Int 2 UFS Ref 7

17. DISTRACTION
Student M, Int 1 FHU , Ref 2

18. DISTRACTION
o She does not have Facebook on her
phone, “thank heavens, I use it mainly for
communication; just the calls, the
texting”. She does not want to be on
MXit, because “I dont want to do things
that will enslave me. I know these things
they are there, but for the sake of self-
discipline, I stay away from them”.
Student T Int 1 RU Ref 1
o She tends to avoid social networks during
the exams as it's “very, very distracting”.
Student AA Int 2 RU Ref 1

19. OUTSIDERS
Student H, Int 2, FHU Ref 3

20. OUTSIDERS
o When using Facebook mobile, there
was a little snag that always happens
like it was my Birthday and people
were posting on my wall, but the wall
posts did not show on my cellphone
, but when I went onto a laptop they
all showed.
Student R Int 1 UCT Ref 6

21. FUTURE OF FACEBOOK AT UNIVERSITY?
Student E, Int 2, UFS Ref 5

22. THANK YOU
o Contact us
Cheryl.brown@uct.ac.za
o Note:
Video clips available on request