EDUCATIONAL USE OF FACEBOOK IN HIGHER-EDUCATION ENVIRONMENTS: CURRENT PRACTICES AND GUIDELINES

Social networking systems were not designed specifically to build and manage learning experiences. However, they can provide support to the current collective orientation of educational processes. Thereof, higher-education teachers should recognize the importance of deploying these tools that meet connectivity requirements of today’s digital natives. Even though multiple documented experiences on this subject exist, they are independently published and scattered in various media. Consequently, it becomes arduous to identify key issues to consider, when projecting integration of social networks into the educational process. Thus, with the aim of simplifying that task, this work summarizes these key issues, through a documentary review. Risks and opportunities of social networking incorporation into educational college processes are identified, and a concise guide is presented with the recommendations and considerations arising from them. This study focuses on Facebook, by virtue of it being nowadays the preferred social networking instrument among students.