2010

Facebook in Education
Teacher In-Service Workshop ID Project #1
This is an instructional design project that details the implementation of social networking sites into instruction for the Washington County, SC school district.

Vertoria Lagroon Dr. Jarek Janio EdTech 503 - Instructional Design July 11, 2010

Facebook in Education 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART 1 BACKGROUND AND ID MODEL ...............................................................................................................3 Background ................................................................................................................................................................ 3 Instructional Design Model .......................................................................................................................................3 PART 2 ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNING CONTEXT .............................................................................................. 5 PART 3 ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNERS .................................................................................................................7 PART 4 ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNING TASK .................................................................................................... 11 Learning Goals ........................................................................................................................................................ 11 Task Analysis .......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Learning Objectives ................................................................................................................................................. 13 PART 5 ASSESSMENT OF THE LEARNING ......................................................................................................... 13 Facebook Fan Page Rubric ................................................................................................................................... 14 Facebook Course Group Rubric ........................................................................................................................... 15 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................................. 16 APPENDIX A ............................................................................................................................................................. 17 Facebook in Education Survey: Learner Analysis ................................................................................................... 17 APPENDIX B ............................................................................................................................................................. 22

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Facebook in Education 2010

PART 1 BACKGROUND AND ID MODEL BACKGROUND

The purpose of this project was to design instructional materials for an in-person teacher in-service workshop for the training of 160 teachers in the Washington County, SC school district. The teachers that will attend the workshop will be referred to as trainees for the remainder of this document. The topic of this training will be educational uses of Facebook, a highly-popular social networking site. This workshop will last from one to three hours and will include both hands-on and follow-up activities. The training will take place in a computer lab with broadband access.
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN MODEL

This design projects goal is to produce a packet of instructional materials that can be successful learned between one and three hours. Thus, the outcome of this design project is a product. Therefore, this design project will follow a product-oriented instructional design model. According to Gustafson and Branch, there are four key assumptions that characterize product-oriented models (2002). Key components of this project align with the characteristics of product-oriented models. Those components are (1) the product developed will be several hours in duration, (2) an instructional product is needed, and (3) the product must be usable by learners with only facilitators available (Gustafson & Branch, 2002).

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Facebook in Education 2010

The product-oriented instructional design model that will be used for this project is the Seels and Glasgow ID Model 2: For Practitioners (1998), which is shown below. The Seels and Glasow model was chosen because their model is based on the assumption that design and development take place in the context of project management (Gustafson & Branch, 2002). In this case, the workshop training on educational uses of Facebook is the project that will be managed by the trainer. The Seels and Glasgow model consists of three phases: needs analysis, instructional design, and implementation and evaluations. The divisions allow the project to be planned, managed and resourced in three phases. The initial phase, need analysis, consists of the formation of learning goals, requirements, and environment. During this phase, an analysis will be conducted on the purpose of using Facebook in the Washington County, SC school district. The instructional design phase is made up of six steps: task analysis, instructional analysis, objectives and tests, formative evaluation, materials development, and instructional strategy delivery systems. All six steps are interactive and include feedback. In this second phase, specific learning objectives will be developed for the successful usage of Facebook in education and instructional strategies will be analyzed. The final phase, implementation and evaluation, consists of developing and producing materials, training delivery and summative evaluation. In this third phase, the instructional materials for the training workshop will be developed and produced, along with the successful implementation of Facebook in the school district.

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Facebook in Education 2010

Figure 1. The Seels and Glasgow ISD Model 2: For Practitioners. Note. From Making Instructional Design Decisions, Second Edition (p. 178), by Seels and R. Richey, 1998. Obtained from http://2short.net/rd

PART 2 ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNING CONTEXT

The plan for analyzing the learning context will consist of two dimensions: (1) the substantiation of a need for instruction to help learners reach learning goals and (2) a description of the learning environment in which the instruction will be used (Smith & Ragan, 2005). The initial focus will be on the need for instruction. A needs assessment will be performed using the innovation model. Facebook is a relatively new social

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Facebook in Education 2010

networking site and the idea of using social networking sites in education is an innovative concept. There are several key questions to ask to determine the need for instruction. Do trainees possess basic internet skills? Are trainees familiar with social networking sites? Can trainees successfully use and maneuver around Facebook? Do trainees know how to effectively use Facebook to enhance instruction? The answers to these questions will allow the instructional designer to determine the necessity of the instruction and the depth. Before the training workshop takes place, an interview with the school district administration and IT department will be conducted to ensure that Facebook is not blocked by the district web-filtering service. Trainees will receive hands-on instruction in a computer lab with forty computers that have broadband access. More questions include: Will the usage of Facebook create a huge change in the delivery of instruction? Will students be required to participate in more online learning as a result of the new resource? The outcome of this needs assessment will aid the Washington County, SC school district in addressing topics such as digital inequality and internet access for staff and students. Will all trainees use Facebook for the same purposes? What expectations does the administration have for trainees usage of this tool? These questions will be asked of the administration in interviews to be conducted during the learner analysis.

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Facebook in Education 2010

PART 3 ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNERS PLAN AND RATIONALE

The analysis of the learners will be completed by researching the topic of instruction and the learner itself. First, information will be collected concerning the recent trends of the usage of social networking sites in education. Teachers with experience using the modern tools will be interviewed as well as instructors that have previously delivered workshops or designed instruction on this new movement. Interviews will be conducted through electronic mail, video conferencing, and face-toface meetings. Information will be obtained from correspondence with experts in the field, educational technology journals, and Facebook application creators. Secondly, a sample of the teachers within the Washington County, SC school district will participate in a survey. An electronic survey will be sent to the 160 trainees, of which at least 70% are expected to participate. The purpose of the survey is to gather fundamental information about trainees. Background information about the workshop participants such as years of teaching experience and learning styles will be collected in order to effectively design instruction. Major focuses of the survey will be computer and internet skills and attitude towards educational technology. The surveys will address trainees prior knowledge and skills in technical tools in the classroom. The surveys will also look densely at participants knowledge of social networking sites and how they can be used in education. Questions will be asked to determine whether or not participants are supportive of the new method of educating students. Questions will also attempt to predict the frequency in which Facebook will be used.

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Facebook in Education 2010

SURVEY

The survey will be a Google Documents form that will be delivered to the 160 trainees via email. The survey will consist of 13 questions. Surveys will be sent out 5 weeks prior to the in-service workshop and the deadline for completion will be 3 weeks before the training is to take place. Link to the survey: http://bit.ly/dtWsek

REPORT

Ninety-two percent of the trainees, 147, completed the survey within the specified time frame. The data collected has been organized in the following graphic organizers.

Years of Teaching Experience

0-1 2-5 6 - 10 11 - 15 16+

The chart above illustrates the years of teaching experience the trainees possess. Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed possess a year or less of teaching experience.

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Facebook in Education 2010

However, sixty-three of the 147 participants have over ten years of teaching experience. Many of the trainees were familiar with social networking sites and had at least one account with such sites as outlined in the chart below. The majority of the trainees currently possess a Facebook account. Only 15 of the surveyed trainees do not have an account with a social networking site. However, none of the participants are currently using social networking sites with their instruction.

Social Networking Sites

90 80 70

60
50 40 Social Networking Sites

30
20 10 0 No account Facebook Ning Twitter Second Life

The data showed consistent results concerning learning styles and delivery preferences for new content. Seventy-seven percent of participants favor small group settings. Presentations including visual and aural items were the preferred instructional delivery method.

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Facebook in Education 2010

Opinions varied concerning feelings about the training and using Facebook. Five respondents felt Facebook in education was a horrible idea and was not interested in the training workshop at all. Ten participants were very excited about the training. One hundred thirty-two respondents had varying opinions. Finally, information was gathered about how participants will use Facebook in their instruction after the workshop. The chart below outlines the plans of the trainees.

Facebook Uses
80 60 40 20 0 Facebook Uses

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Facebook in Education 2010

PART 4 ANALYSIS OF THE LEARNING TASK LEARNING GOALS

When given access to Facebook, trainees will create a secret course group and invite dummy students including an introductory message. When given access to Facebook, trainees will create a course fan page, consisting of a page photo, welcome note, and link to site related to the course content.
TASK ANALYSIS

The flow charts below provide a detailed task analysis for completing the learning goals by illustrating the steps for creating an effective course group, fan page, and quiz on Facebook.

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Facebook in Education 2010

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Facebook in Education 2010

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The objectives and sub-objectives for this instructional design project are located in the Appendix. There are four prerequisite skills that workshop participants should possess. Refer to the chart for a list of objectives and corresponding outcomes.
PART 5 ASSESSMENT OF THE LEARNING

The assessment of the learning will take place with two activities. One of the assessments will be completed during the workshop, while the other will be completed at a later time. Both assessments will be projects in which the trainees will have to demonstrate the ability to successfully complete the learning goals. The assessment activity to be completed in the training will be to create a Facebook fan page for a course of the trainees choosing. The fan page must be complete with a photo and description. The trainee must write and publish a welcome note for the page and upload or post instructional material on the page. The follow up assessment activity is for the trainee to create a group on Facebook dedicated to a specific course that he or she teaches. This group will need to have a complete profile with a photo, description, and invited members. The invitation that is sent to the students must have a message attached informing the prospective members what the group is about and what is appropriate to take place within the group setting. The trainee will be required to post a minimum of one discussion post and facilitate a discussion on a topic of their choosing. This assessment is to be completed after Facebook is implemented into the school district and students acquire accounts. Rubrics for both activities are included below.

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Facebook in Education 2010

FACEBOOK FAN PAGE RUBRIC

Component
Create a course fan page.

Meets Expectation
Fan page has an uploaded

Below Expectation
No photo or irrelevant

photo relevant to the course photo, no description of the and a description of the page that explains the purpose. Welcome note A welcome note to students has been written and published on the fan page. Instructional media has been posted or uploaded. A minimum of two instructional resources have been uploaded or posted. These items may include links to related websites, instructional videos, photos, etc. One or less resources are posted. Resources are not related to the content of the page. A note is not written or is not published. page.

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Facebook in Education 2010

FACEBOOK COURSE GROUP RUBRIC

Component
Create a course group.

Meets Expectation
Group has an uploaded photo relevant to the course and a description of the group that explains the purpose.

Below Expectation
No photo or irrelevant photo, no description of the group.

Invitation to students

Students have been sent an invitation to join the group that contains a message about the group and what should take place in the group setting.

No invitation is sent or does not contain an introductory message.

Instructional media has been posted or uploaded.

A minimum of two instructional resources have been uploaded or posted. These items may include links to related websites, instructional videos, photos, etc.

One or less resources are posted. Resources are not related to the content of the page.

Discussion

A discussion post has been posted and a conversation with the students has been facilitated.

No discussion topic was posted or students were left unsupervised.

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Facebook in Education 2010

WORKS CITED

Gustafson, K. L., & Branch, R. M. (2002). Survery of Instructional Development Models. Fourth Edition. Syracuse, NY: ERIC Clearinghouse. Smith, P. L., & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional Design. 3rd Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Facebook in Education 2010

APPENDIX A FACEBOOK IN EDUCATION SURVEY: LEARNER ANALYSIS
Please take the time to fill out this survey. This survey is being conducted in order to collect valuable information concerning the implementation of Facebook into the school district. Your responses will be extremely beneficial in guaranteeing an interesting and effective training workshop. This survey should take no more than 15 minutes of your time. Thank you in advance for your cooperation and participation.

* Required

1. Please rate your comfort level with computers and internet. *

very uncomfortable

very comfortable

2. Which internet browser do you prefer? * Internet browsers are computer programs that allow you to access the internet. Please check only one.

Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Opera Other:

3. Are you familiar with social networking sites? *

yes no

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Facebook in Education 2010

4. Do you have an account with a social networking site? * If yes, check all the sites you have accounts with. If no, check no.

No Facebook Ning Second Life Twitter Other:

5. Are you currently using social networking sites with your instruction? *

yes no

6. How do you feel about the use of social networking sites in education? *

horrible idea

very interested

7. How do you learn best? * Check all that apply.

Alone With a partner In small groups With someone of equal knowledge With someone with more knowledge Other:

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Facebook in Education 2010

8. How do you prefer to be taught? * Check all that apply.

Lectures Presentations Videos Hands-on Other:

9. What is your learning style? * Check all that apply.

Visual (spatial) - pictures, images Aural (auditory-musical) - sound, music Verbal (linguistic) words, speech, writing Physical (kinesthetic) - hands, touch Logical (mathematical) - logic, reasoning Social (interpersonal) - groups Solitary (intrapersonal) - alone, self-study

10. How will you use Facebook with your instruction? * Check all that apply.

Course communication Class projects Blogs Other:

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Facebook in Education 2010

11. What computer and internet skills related to Facebook do you currently possess? * Check all that apply.

Applications Blogs Discussion Boards Downloading Files Friends Fan Pages Groups Hyperlinks Messaging Menus Navigation Notes Uploading Files

12. How much are you looking forward to this training workshop? *

10

Not at all!

Very excited!

13. Please write your feelings about attending this workshop and your opinion of using Facebook in your instruction. Please include concerns and apprehensions you may have. *

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Facebook in Education 2010

14. How many years have you been in education? *

0-1 2-5 6 - 10 11 - 15 16+

Submit

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Facebook in Education 2010

APPENDIX B

Task Analysis Learning Objectives

Learning Task 1.0 Create a teacher Facebook account. 1.1 Edit profile information in a professional manner.

Learning Objective

Given access to Facebook, the trainee will be able to completely edit a profile page that includes only appropriate and professional information. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will be all to successfully upload an appropriate profile picture for their teacher account. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will be able to adjust privacy settings to limit communication with students.

1.2 Upload an appropriate photo or image.

1.3 Adjust account privacy settings.

2.0 Create a course group on Facebook. 2.1 Create a secret Facebook group.

Given access to Facebook, The trainee will create a group for the course that has secret restrictions. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will be able to invite students to join the course group including a message. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will post discussion questions and facilitate a discussion with the students within the course group. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will post instructional media such as links, photos, videos, etc in the course group to enhance instruction.

2.2 Invite students to join group.

2.3 Collaborate with students in the group discussion board.

2.4 Upload instructional media to the group.

3.0 Create a course fan page on

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Facebook in Education 2010

Facebook. 3.1 Create a fan page. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will completely create a fan page that includes contact information and a description of the purpose. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will write a welcome note to students and publish the note on the fan page. Given access to Facebook, the trainee will post instructional media such as links, photos, videos, etc on the course fan page to enhance instruction.

3.2 Write a welcome note.

33. Upload instructional media to the fan page.

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