Thanks to the social innovation of Facebook, Twitter and other Internet social networks as alternate means of communication the speed of communication has revolutionized. Social network such as Facebook has spawned revolutions in unexplainable turn of events. As a undergraduate college student I have seem firsthand how social media has enhance the means of communication between professors and students outside the classroom for academic. Social networking has many advantages and has revolutionized the usage of the Internet. First year experience course offered by liberal arts institution encourage the use of social networking as a alternative form of communication.
Traditional academia practice describes a teacher student dynamic within a classroom setting. Colleges have realized the potential of social network as a possible field for recruiting new students. Professors have incorporated the concept of social network into other resources offered by the college for students to access. My school currently has multiple Facebook pages that have many purposes. The number of niche pages range from topics like resident life, get connect, mascot, connect with your community, Greek and so much more. Just about every organization on a college campus can have a Facebook page. This keeps students updated on upcoming events that could be of interest. To academic pages strictly dealing with academic attributes of the college.
Professors rely on social networks as an alternative form of reaching their students. This keeps students updated on assignments, exams and even cancellation of class. The availability of professor beyond the classroom becomes key to students who have questions regarding assignments, exam and things of that nature. This makes many resources available for students. It could also serve as a distraction based on the main intent of the usage. The difficulty of keeping socializing separate from the “classroom” is a challenge often faced by students. The temptation of checking the never-ending status update of friends can stray students from the academic.
The hazards of social media networks are alarming on many levels in regards to privacy. Some issues of social media in regards to education are associated on privacy between students and professors. This can lead to student creating a social networking page entirely devoted to for that particular purpose. This does not utilize the full potential of the social network and is truly wasteful in a sense of future usage. The release of personal information to a public audience that could be used in an ill matter, it can potentially lead to harm to the user image. It is especially concerning when that audience is an academic institution. A student’s academic career can be jeopardized. Many individual have felt the effect of these issues on both sides of the fence. In early 2011, Dr. June Talvitie-Siple was force to resign for posting a comment reflecting her view on her community.