Abstract:

In the last years the number of web platforms that use social networks has experienced a great growth. These platforms have originated multiple communities of heterogeneous users joined by their interests, preferences or just friendship where a great collection of ideas and knowledge are shared in a dynamic and real-time way. One of the most important social network is Facebook [Facebook, 2011], founded by Mark Zuckerberg in 2004 which currently integrates over 500 million registered users.

The possibility of grouping users according to network preferences, interests or relationships, provides a tool for educational applications that facilitates the self-learning of the different skills, making the student an active element in the learning process [Nafria, 2007].

In this work, a web application for learning communication networks within the area of subjects that are currently taught in the studies on Telecommunications Engineering and Telecommunications Engineering at the University of Jaen is presented. This application has been developed using J2EE and it has been installed on a university server. Also, the application has been released and it is accessible from the Facebook social network platform. This way, any user in Facebook or in the associated social networks, can execute the application that connects him to the server where the educational tool for learning communications networks has been installed.

The advantages of making visible our application in Facebook are:

- Benefit from the capability of this platform to run applications using a standard and secure interface.
- Facilitate the use: of the learning tool making it accessible through an environment which is familiar and simple for students.
- Most students are already registered in this platform and thus, it is not necessary to register or learn the management or navigation in other platforms.
- Derived from the previous point, learning the management of a new environment is avoided.
- Since students belong to social networks, the existence of the learning application can be quickly spread to third parties, making the application accessible to a wider audience.
- The students or users can add new contents or other applications to the platform, giving new functionalities to the original
application. This way the student becomes an active element in the learning process. He is not only focused on the learning of communication networks concepts but he can also develop new learning tools for the social community.

References:
[Facebook., 2011] Facebook social network web site. Resource: http://www.facebook.com/facebook.
[Nafria, 2007] Nafria, Ismael. “Web 2.0”. Ed. Gestión 2000, 2007.

Keywords:

Web 2.0, social networks, learning comunication networks.