60 Informative Social Networking and Social Media Infographics

60 Informative Social Networking and Social Media Infographics | CreativeFan http://t.co/ucZNTqD—
Steve Yuen (@scyuen) March 06, 2011

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Pew Report: Millennials Will Make Online Sharing in Networks a Lifelong Habit

Pew Internet Research recently published a study on the future of social networking.  The study was based on a survey of technology experts over how users of social-networking tools plan to use their favorite services 10 years from now. The Pew study indicates that Millennials are using social networking tools now and will likely continue to do so for the next 10 years,

According to the Pew study, 67 percent of respondents believe that those born in the 1980s and 1990s will be “ambient broadcasters” on social networks in 2020. They will continue to “disclose a great deal of personal information, in order to stay connected, and take advantage of social, economic, and political opportunities.” Only 29 percent of respondents said that by 2020, Generation Y will have “grown out” of social networks, finding other interests to entertain themselves.

Most of those surveyed noted that the disclosure of personal information online carries many social benefits as people open up to others in order to build friendships, form and find communities, seek help, and build their reputations. They said digital natives have already seen the benefits and will not reduce their use of these social tools over the next decade as they take on more responsibilities while growing older.

A key component in the value of social networks to Millennials is that they see a significant social benefit in being on sites like Facebook or Twitter. According to the surveyed technology experts, they view it as an avenue to help them “build friendships, form and find communities, seek help, and build their reputations.” Generation Y will continue to see those benefits through 2020.  However, there is more to it than relationships. Millennials are far more willing to offer up information than previous generations because “new social norms that reward disclosure are already in place among the young.” They will carry that with them into adulthood.

On the other hand, those who disagree with the important role social networks will play in the roles of Millennials say life will get in the way of social-networking activities. Dissenting experts contented that Generation Y “will not have as much time in the future to devote to popular activities such as frequently posting to the world at large on YouTube, Twitter, or Facebook about the nitty-gritty of their lives.”

In either case, it will be interesting to see how Millennials respond to social networks as they grow older, as well as how Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube will evolve.  I suppose time will tell.

The Pew Report is available online at:  http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Future-of-Millennials/Overview.aspx?r=1

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Exploring the use of social technology in the college classroom

The phenomenon growth of social networking services/sites (SNSs) in recent years speaks to one of the defining features of Web 2.0 – the social web.  Today, social networking is very popular and digital native students already found social networking services integral to their daily life.  Many recent studies including my previous study indicate that social networking could be used in education to enhance students’ learning experiences and promote classroom communities of practice.

Approximately a year ago, Dr. Hsiu-Ting Hung and I conducted an exploratory study on the use of social networking technology to facilitate teaching and learning in the college classroom.  Our study set out to examine three regularly-scheduled courses at two public universities in Taiwan. Adopting the situated learning theory as the conceptual framework, our study attempted to answer two research questions: (1) What are students’ experiences with and views on the use of social networking sites in the courses under investigation? (2) What is the impact of using social networking sites to supplement face-to-face courses on students’ perceived sense of classroom community?

The findings of this study were presented at the 2010 SITE (Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education) International Conference in San Diego last week.   Overall, the results indicated that the majority of the students held positive attitudes towards the use of class social networks as a means to strengthen their connectedness among class members. Social networking in the observed classrooms was found helpful for promoting classroom communities of practice.  For more information about our study, please view the presentation shown below.  We welcome comments and suggestions.  Thanks.

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Integrating Social Networking Technology into Online Teaching and Learning

I conducted a hands-on workshop yesterday on the integration of social networking in online teaching and learning at the 2010 Creating Futures Through Technology Pre-Conference in Biloxi, Mississippi.  Below is the first part of my presentation. Please feel free to provide comments and suggestions here.  Thanks.

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