Research and Guidelines on Online Social - and Educational - Networking
Report:
Research and Guidelines on Online Social - and Educational - Networking
Authors: Lang, Vockley
Date: 2007
National School Boards Association and Grunwald Associates LLC
The study released by the National School Boards Association and Grunwald Associates LLC exploring the online behaviors of U.S. teens and 'tweens shows that 96 percent of students with online access use social networking technologies, such as chatting, text messaging, blogging, and online communities such as Facebook, MySpace, and Webkinz. Further, students report that one of the most common topics of conversation on the social networking scene is education. Nearly 60 percent of online students report discussing education-related topics such as college or college planning, learning outside of school, and careers. And 50 percent of online students say they talk specifically about schoolwork. "The challenge for school boards and educators is that they have to keep pace with how students are using these tools in positive ways and consider how they might incorporate this technology into the school setting," said Anne L. Bryant, executive director of the National School Boards Association.
Students report they are engaging in highly creative activities on social networking internet sites including writing, art, and contributing to collaborative online projects whether or not these activities are related to schoolwork. Almost half of students (49 percent) say that they have uploaded pictures they have made or photos they have taken, and more than one in five students (22 percent) report that they have uploaded video they have created. Today, students report that they are spending almost as much time using social networking services and websites as they spend watching television. Among teens who use social networking sites, that amounts to about 9 hours a week online, compared to 10 hours a week watching television. While most schools have rules against social networking activities, almost 70 percent of districts report having student internet programs, and nearly half report their schools participate in online collaborative projects with other schools and in online pen pal or other international programs. Further, more than a third say their schools and/or students have blogs, either officially or in the context of instruction. The report, "Creating & Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social and Educational Networking," is available online.
