EDU651 Week 4

This week I reflected on the pros and cons of using Facebook and PBWorks as educational tools and whether or not Learning Management System (LMS) can be replaced by either.  I am not convinced that LMS can be replaced by Facebook and PBWorks.   There is still much to discover about social networking sites, their uses and privacy issues to abandon an online classroom such as eCollege or Moodle that are user login accessible.

Facebook and PBWorks are very interactive.  Students are able to access links to other sites for research and allows students to create content that can be shared.  Students have the opportunity to collaborate on projects with little to no costs to educators and schools.  Working on virtual projects in the classroom provides students with the experience they will need in the workplace as companies expand globally.  Travel costs can be reduced and productivity increases as project management can be achieved across departments in multiple locations.

Unfortunately, the low level of security, lack of privacy and distraction of social networking will make it very difficult for educators and students to accomplish their educational goals in these environments.  Facebook offers a Group feature where only the members of the group can interact and exchange information, such as course assignments, however adding members to the group requires that these members are added as friends.  Who is to say that we will all be comfortable sharing information with classmates and peers that is also shared with family members. 

Another consideration for keeping LMS is the administrative tasks that can be achieved through the system.  In a corporate environment, LMS is used by all the employees in the company to enroll in web-based trainings as well as instructor led trainings.  Companies can keep track of training completions, enrollment/non-enrollments, provide corporate compliance trainings at any time through a secured, intranet site.  I really don’t see where a large company could use Facebook or PBWorks to fulfill all of its trainings needs and meet legal requirements as well as control the content that is made available to employees. 

I believe Facebook and PBWorks can be used in conjunction with a Learning Management System, provided learners are educated on how to use these technologies.  Certainly there are benefits to Facebook and PBWorks in the development of collaborating skills however using them as suitable replacements for LMS is still up for debate.