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            Social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook are slowly finding their way into the classrooms with teachers adopting them at PCC.

            Interpersonal Communications Instructor AC Panella uses Facebook in three of his courses for interpersonal communication. For all of them, there is one Facebook group with shared material for each class. One of the assignments includes having the students open their profiles so other students in the other course sections have access to them to analyze the person.

            “It’s fairly entertaining,” said Panella in an interview. “It’s very hard to isolate ourselves.” Facebook use in the classroom helps the students apply what they learn in class, instead of just reading the material in a book, he said.

            History Instructor Victor Nebrida uses both Facebook and Blackboard in his ITV course. The class can accommodate up to 199 students, and meets only six times during the semester.

“[The students] are on their own,” Nebrida said. He began using Facebook along with Blackboard in 2009. “Everybody seemed to be on [Facebook],” he said. It was easier to get discussions on the Facebook group page and have all of his students involved. “The participation on Facebook goes up to 100 responses for a discussion topic…it’s very effective,” he said.

Nebrida explained that he could relate better to his students. “You start to see from their perspective, the students become more open and loose in discussing topics on the group page,” he said. “There’s an absence of hierarchy.”

Business major Edward Bataitas, a former student of Nebrida, explained how the Facebook group discussion page helped him with the class.            

“It was extremely effective, it’s like having a classroom discussion 24/7,” he said. Bataitas enjoyed the easy availability of the classroom Facebook group page. “If you don’t make it to class, it’s very easy to contact another student in the class through the group page,” he said.

Another positive to using Facebook in the classroom is the safety it provides as well. Both instructors Panella and Nebrida agree closed groups allow only students who are on their class rosters to join.

Panella explained how in the beginning, a few students had issues with social conduct on the group pages, but rules have been set up to avoid problems. Nebrida describes the closed groups as being safe. “[The students] are not threatened,” he said.

With the growing social trends, education systems are beginning to merge in ways aimed at better educating students. “It’s a great tool for instructors to use [in the classroom],” Nebrida said, “and the students love it.”

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