[Social Networking and Learning]

By

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank to my supervisor supporting me throughout my project and giving his valuable suggestions. Finally thanks to all my friends and family for their utmost support and inspiration.

DECLARATION

I, (Your name), would like to declare that all contents included in this dissertation stand for my individual work without any aid, & this dissertation has not been submitted for any examination at academic as well as professional level previously. It is also representing my very own views & not essentially which are associated with university.

Signed __________________ Date _________________

Table of Contents

What are social networks?1

Social Networking and Innovation and Teaching Pedagogy3

What is the role of a teacher and how these networks can help teachers?6

Universities and social networking7

Merits8

Essentials required10

Networking as an easy and effective medium for students14

Conclusion17

REFERENCES19

Essay Question: With advances in the communication systems available, in what ways can educators employ social networking to enhance learning?

What are social networks?

As a technical definition of network we find that it is a social structure that can be represented in the form of one or more graphs in which nodes represent individuals (sometimes referred to as actors) and edges relationships between them (Voss 2002). Relationships can be of different types, such as financial exchanges, friendship, sex, or air routes. It is also the means of interaction of different people such as online games, chats, forums, spaces, etc. (Wikipedia)

Another definition is that "Networks are forms of social interaction, defined as a dynamic exchange between individuals, groups and institutions in contexts of complexity. An open system in permanent construction involving sets identified in the same needs and problems and that are organized to leverage their resources. " According to Cobo and Romani (2007), social networks describe "all the tools designed to create spaces that promote or facilitate the formation of communities and levels of social exchange."

A need exists today to enhance network formation among university professors, then, perhaps this is the type of training that takes place in the not too distant future in our universities. Before continuing listing reasons or arguments why we need to create learning networks as a training strategy, we should determine what we mean by learning network (Piaget 2004).

As Suchman (2002) believe that a learning network, "understood as the principal means of information and communication," will allow proposing and exchanging experiences, content, activities and information on a specific topic.

Voss (2002) propose the creation of networks, new networks of professional learning, to understand the common goals of learning, networks imply a sense of shared goals, counseling, voluntary participation and a facilitator. The authors understand that "networks are a way of involving teachers in the direction of their own learning expert will overcome the limitations of their institutional roles, hierarchies, and geographic location, and encourages them to work together with many different people. (Gillani 2001)Participants have the opportunity to grow and develop in a professional community that focuses on their own development by providing ways of learning that have more to do with the experienced ...