Abstract:

Facebook has gained widespread popularity during the recent years. According to a number of studies, it has become a significant part of student lives. It is estimated that from 70% to 90% of students posses a Facebook account. Even though designed for social interactions, educators have been keen to examine whether Facebook facilitates other activities, such as learning activities. Specifically informal learning on Facebook has been something that attracted a lot of research. Results of studies conducted on this field have been mixed, with the majority of them being opposed to any type of learning happening on Facebook. This study examines informal learning on Facebook, by overcoming shortcomings of previous studies, such as high reliance on students’ opinions about Facebook’s usefulness for learning, viewing informal learning merely related to discussions about academic experience, and lack of focus on activities, such as sharing and consuming educational content, something that may be highly beneficial for students, as far as informal learning is concerned.

Keywords:

Facebook, informal learning, social networks.