A Guide to Implementing Virtual PAL using Facebook

Groups

Shazia Ahmed

Sarah Honeychurch

Lorna Love

How it all got started

• Retention within ‘Information and Mathematical Sciences’ and ‘Science and Engineering’

• Peer Assisted Learning

• Barriers

• Online discussion space

How it all got started

• Facebook groups or Moodle forums?

• Benefits of “virtual” PAL over traditional PAL

- time buffer

- visible conversations

- level playing field

- urgency of misunderstandings

- clear articulation forced

- holiday and resit periods

Where we are now

• Level 1 Groups

Science & Engineering Entrants (675), Maths & Stats (268), Psychology (378), Engineering (245), Computing Science (114), and more…

• Level 2 Groups

Maths (295), Computing Science (183), Engineering(177), Physics (140)

• Level 3 Groups

Maths (142), Computing Science (192)

Getting started with Facebook

• Profile, page or group?

• Privacy settings

• Moderation

• Who to invite

• How to invite

Facebook Profile

• About you!

• Add as much or as little information as you like

• Must have Profile before Group or Page can be created

• Privacy Settings

Facebook Pages

• Best for ‘broadcasters’ – sets expectation of traditional creator / audience relationship

• Facilitates communication from you to members (and members to you)

Facebook Pages

• No control over membership – anyone can see you, anyone can like you!

• Users get no notifications (but posts do appear in their news feed)

• Suitable for: Services, Colleges, Schools

Facebook Groups

• Can be public or private

– Open

– Closed

– Private

• Suitable for community groups

• Good for conversations and discussions

• Equal communication between all members of group

• Users get notifications (unless settings changed)

Facebook Groups

OpenSecretClosed

Summary

Profile Page Group

• Individual• Only allowed 1 per person•Control of who sees what (privacy settings)• Account details can’t be shared• Control over who is/not your friend

• Public – visible to all whether logged in or not• Official profile/ presence• Admin can be shared with others (details not public)• Fans “like” a page• Some control of who can post• “Broadcasts” information

• Can be public or private:• Open• Closed• Private

• Community groups• Admin can be shared with others (group members can see who admin are)• Members join a group (with/out admin approval)• Discussion

Administration

• Moderation policy– Who will moderate?– Policy– Sanctions

• Who to invite?– Current students– Senior students– Alumni– Academic staff– Support staff

• How to Advertise?– Email– Moodle– Class noticeboards

Guidelines and Policy

Rule #1: Don’t annoy.

Guidelines and Policy

Rule #2:

Stay on target

Guidelines and Policy

Promote your services

Expand your audience’s knowledge

Respond to your audience

Rule #3:

Examples of conversations from Facebook Groups

Time-Critical Conversations

Time-Critical Conversations

Academic ‘Chat’

Interactions between students

Messages of Support

Organising meetings/study groups

Current Affairs

Conversations with staff

Conversations with each other

Conversations with senior students

FeedbackKeep going with these Facebook groups and try as hard as possible to get EVERYONE in the group as early as possible in first year. In my experience as a student who travels in, it helps feel a part of the University. Without the Facebook groups I would feel a lot more isolated and probably at lot less engaged.

I like facebook groups because they are "faster" than emails or any other way and i can discuss live with other students. So helpful

I feel that the facebook pages are well-managed/curated by the university staff - there to help when we need it yet able to stand back when we're having a mild moan and I'm glad that we have them

I can ask a question and one of the group, lecturer or student, will answer me instantaneously.

On the whole I feel the most useful thing about the Facebook page is that it makes it easier to talk to people who you don't really know, and who you would find it difficult asking the same questions of in person.

It builds a sense of community and you learn peoples faces and their names

Its like being in a tutorial sometimes.

Group Activity

• Purpose of group/page

• Moderation

• Invitation

• Advertising

• What month to start

• What types of post and when

Questions

• What month did you start and why?

• Did you have difficulty agreeing?

• How much time do you think moderation/admin will take?

• What measures of success would you use?

• Are you going to implement a group/page on your course and why (not)?

Join our Group

• Sarah Honeychurchhttps://twitter.com/nomadwarmachine

• Shazia Ahmedhttps://twitter.com/ShaziaAhmed

• Social Media and Learning Communitieshttps://www.facebook.com/groups/12544718765832/