The document discusses the use of Facebook for undergraduate education. It presents perspectives from a Facebook-addicted student, a reluctant Facebook user faculty member, and a faculty member interested in technology. It describes past views of Facebook as improper in higher education but also as a space for resistance. The document then outlines a pilot project using a Facebook group to facilitate student transition and integration into university. Evaluation found positive effects on preparedness, social integration, and perceptions of the university. Students also desired more faculty involvement than initially planned.

1. Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 The ‘f’ word in HE: reflecting on the ‘sexing up’ of undergraduate education with Facebook

2. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 The Facebook 'addict' Anita Bacs KU undergraduate 2008-2011 KU postgraduate 2011-

3. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 The ‘reluctant’ Facebook user Dr Karen Lipsedge Principal Lecturer in Media and Communication and School of Humanities Limited interest in any kind of technology.

4. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 The ‘professional’ Facebook user Tony McNeill Principal Lecturer in Learning Technology Interest in all sorts of technology – 'school tools' and 'cool tools'.

6. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 ‘ Disruptive identity performances’ ... Facebook was acting as a ready space for resistance and the contestation of the asymmetrical power relationship built into the established offline positions of university, student and lecturer (Bourdieu and Passeron 1977). (Selwyn 2009: 172)

7. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 ‘ Identity incongruence’ (1) ... knowledge-related identity incongruence can arise from incompatibility between identities performed through personal or everyday knowledge and the identities associated with knowledge production in formal learning communities. (Hughes 2009: 301)

8. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 ‘ Identity incongruence’ (2) ... while social software encourages dissemination of learner-generated content, it does not necessarily facilitate the challenging and reconstruction of that content and the identification with new forms of knowledge. (Hughes 2009: 301)

10. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 Adapted from Jones & Lea 2008 Technology domains/spheres (2)

11. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 Why Facebook?

13. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 Our Facebook group (1)

14. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 Our Facebook group (2)

15. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 Our Facebook group (3)

16. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 Our Facebook group (4)

20. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 3 conclusions

21. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 References (1) Baran, B. (2010). Facebook as a formal instructional environment. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(6):146-149 Bassford, M. and Ivins, J. (2009). Encouraging formative peer review via social networking sites. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(5): 67–69 Ellison, N. B. et al. (2007) “The benefits of Facebook ‘friends’: Social capital and college students’ use of online social network sites”, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(4) [Online]. Available at:http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html (Accesssed: 05 June 2011). Greenhow, C. and Robelia, E. (2009). Informal learning and identity formation in online social networks. Learning, Media and Technology , 34(2): 119–140.

22. The ‘f’ word in HE | Anita Bacs, Karen Lipsedge & Tony McNeill | 6 th September 2011 References (2) Hughes, G. (2009). Social Software: New Opportunities for Challenging Social Inequalities in Learning? Learning, Media and Technology , 34(4): 291-305 Jones, S. and Lea, M.R. (2008). Digital Literacies in the Lives of Undergraduate Students: Exploring Personal and Curricular Spheres of Practice. The Electronic Journal of e-Learning , 6(3): 207-216. Retrieved 5 September, 2011, from http://www.ejel.org/Volume-6/v6-i3/JonesandLea.pdf Mason, R. and Rennie, F. (2008). The E-learning Handbook: Social Networking for Higher Education: Resources for Higher Education . New York: Routledge. Miller, D. (2011). Tales From Facebook . Cambridge: Polity. Selwyn, N. (2009). Faceworking: exploring students’ education-related use of Facebook. Learning, Media and Technology , 34(2): 157–174.