Social Media – FaceBook and MySpace as University Curricula

Those who still consider social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace as nothing more than off-task behavior for today’s net generation will likely be appalled to learn that many universities have now begun offering courses in social media.

Of course, it must also be stated that digital natives are likely wondering why anyone would need a course to learn how to socialize on Facebook or converse with Twitter.

Wesch Weighs in on Using Facebook
As for the need for such instruction, we turn to Michael Wesch, Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State. Wesch is well known for a couple of YouTube videos that took the Internet by storm.

In February of last year, John Battelle interviewed Wesch about his work and views on various new media topics. As for the potential of social media, Wesch had this to say about the use of Facebook as an educational tool:

“As a university professor I have also found Facebook to be useful. I was inspired to use Facebook for teaching by something I saw while visiting George Mason University.

“Like many universities, they were concerned that the library stacks were rarely being accessed by students. Instead of trying to bring students to the stacks, they brought the stacks to the students, placing a small library right in the middle of the food court where students hang out. We can do the same with popular social networking tools like Facebook.

“Facebook is not only great for expressing your identity, sharing with friends, and planning parties, it also has all the tools necessary to create an online learning community. Students are already frequently visiting Facebook, so we can bring our class discussions to them in a place where they have already invested significant effort in building up their identity, rather than asking them to login to Blackboard or some other course management system where they feel “faceless” and out of place.”

Social Media U
Whatever your perspective, Social Media U as it has been dubbed by web sites now has a firm spot in many university arenas, particularly for those students majoring in communications or marketing. While the courses might truly introduce new users to these various social networking opportunities, the reality is that such courses generally involve learning how to use new media as a business tool.

From personal branding to a simple understanding of the entire technology package available with Web 2.0 technology, social media courses have much to offer students. Perhaps one of the most important concepts for all young people is to understand that today’s net offers the chance for a public image. Whether a person has a blog or a Facebook site, the fact is that he or she becomes immediately exposed to the public through a major search engine. Creating a positive image on the internet is now a fundamental aspect of life.

In addition, such social media courses offer expert advice regarding the creation of videos like those that appear on YouTube as well as input on written materials for a personal blog or a wiki site. Other new media courses focus on the use of Twitter and posting on or utilizing sites like Flickr. Still other course have begun taking a look at the potential offered by virtual worlds while many legal study variations examine ethical issues that are developing as a result of new media applications.

Important Topic?
Not everyone is of the mindset that simply because a college offers a course that the material being shared is truly important. We must concur with that general sentiment given some of the esoteric courses offered at many universities.

But in this area, we strongly disagree with any view that seeks to minimize these new media courses. Though currently offered primarily in the communications field, such content is relevant to many other fields. The potential for new media to transform education suggests that such courses should become part of the teacher preparation process.

There is no doubt that educators need a greater awareness of these social media sites if they are to better grasp why students find certain sites so attractive. At the same time, as Wesch notes with Facebook, there are a number of educational applications available utilizing new media.

University courses that seek to help increase understanding would not only help educators remain relevant with digital natives, such courses would provide concrete examples of possible uses within the educational setting.

Photos courtesy of C4Chaos and PShab.