Social Networking In Higher Education

I have to admit that I was a little bothered by Matthew William’s article “MySpace and Facebook: What Higher Ed can Learn from Social Computing.” William’s article blames instructors for treating students as “mute receptacle[s]” and says that it is no wonder they are spending so much time on social networking sites, as these sites allow them to express themselves. William’s article suggests that most classrooms are instructor-centered and that students often do not get a chance to participate. He thinks that students like social networking sites because “users are invited to participate at a personal level.” I do agree that instructors should attempt to get students involved in their education and that social networking sites may help; however, I wouldn’t bank on these educational sites becoming incredibly popular. Students like social networking sites because, well, they are SOCIAL!!! Social time is always more fun than school time. Implementing these sites into higher-education may help get a few more people involved, but it is naïve to think that students will ever want to complete school work, rather than socialize.