Social learning tools

[9] Research is currently being conducted on the benefits of implementing Facebook in educational settings and how it could potentially be used as a tool for teaching and learning, even if it is known for social networking in the first place.

[14] Used very frequently in today's society, Instagram can be seen as a great social learning tool through reaching the majority of the populations that have access to the Internet.

Khan Academy has also diverged to offering other means of learning beyond the online videos, including self-paced training exercises, quizzes, and dashboards for teachers to keep track of student progress.

Some teachers are now thinking of “flipping” the normal functioning of classroom settings and including video tutorials from Khan Academy in their teaching.

[20] The idea is to have students watch the videos or read the lectures provided by the teacher at home and to do the problem sets during class time.

[20] Pinterest is a web-based software platform that allows its users to share and discover new information through the use of pictures, descriptions, and short videos.

Skype is a free telecommunications tool that gives its users the opportunity to voice chat or video call between various devices such as laptops and cellphones.

For future lesson plans, teachers could have students tweet what they learned from the previous class and reflect on the content and then engage in classroom discussions on Twitter.

YouTube can be a great social learning tool in education in many different ways: showing videos on different subjects in class or having students research how something works to answer questions, for homework or even to seek further knowledge.

[27] There is even such thing as TeacherTube, which is another type of social learning tool similar to YouTube though initially created for education teachers.

[34] Social learning tools including Moodle, Khan Academy, TED-Ed and TeacherTube can all be used both in school and at home through the use of the Internet.

The majority of informal learning environments are directly related to the use of social media, e.g. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Television Channels and so on.

Not only does social software or media allow society to gain new knowledge or information; it is easily accessible and can even happen without the desire or intent of learning.

Social learning tools are convenient because through the various platforms that are now available, communication between students and teachers is fluid and the exchange of knowledge and ideas can be achieved remotely.

This means that both parties are no longer required to travel in order to attend school and to study content based subjects.

[36] Social learning tools give access, as a hub, to sources of information and resources online, either for free or at low costs through the use of the Internet.

For example, there are online applications (apps) like EasyBib, which generates bibliographic citations in the necessary styles as needed for research, essays and other assignments and does this at no cost.

For example, teachers could post assignments, schedules, lesson summaries or notices regarding class updates for the students to view.

[38] Additionally, students could post their questions online for the teacher to answer in the group section, have class discussions and exchange ideas, and incorporate other forms of communication.

Another advantage would be to use Twitter in large lecture halls, so students could engage in the topic of discussion and share their interests and thoughts with their colleagues and professors in an ongoing basis.

LinkedIn is a website designed for students or other individuals to create professional profiles, post their curriculum vitae, receive current notifications on available employment and network with companies, businesses, school boards and industries to apply for a wider variety of job offers.

Posting pornography or using foul language are just a few examples that highlight the offensive and inappropriate behaviour that can be exhibited by students through social learning tools in classrooms.

[41] Social learning tools give students access to the Internet, where they can take advantage of other irrelevant websites and interfaces.

[43] Some research has shown that disruption to the learning process can significantly affect a student's ability to retain information into their long-term memory.

[44] Educators should be made aware of the potential risk for technology to be a distraction and set clear guidelines for their students to follow.

[45] Although social learning tools give students the ability to interact with teachers and peers, it also provides them with the opportunity to bully others online.

Some educators are concerned that students will not fully develop the ability to communicate effectively or command attention if they are constantly learning through a screen.

To prevent these issues from arising, schools should develop a system which ensures that students stay anonymous when posting content online.

[46] Social learning tools give students the ability to communicate efficiently with teachers outside of regular classroom hours.

Many faculty members have expressed that technology has harmed their work environment, as digital communication increases their stress levels.