Using Facebook to Support Learning and TeachingA Safe Use Policy

Context

Facebook is a social network service that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. There are ever-increasing examples of Facebook being used very successfully by teachers to support learning and teaching. There are also legitimate concerns about the potential for Facebook’s misuse. The details of these debates are outside the scope of this policy though background information is available through the associated briefing paper and case studies which can be accessed via Moodle and the Intranet.

This policy focuses on the safe use of Facebook to support learning and teaching in the context of Cornwall College. It does not cover the personal use of Facebook by staff for social or other purposes. The college’s Staff Professional Code of Conduct sets out the behaviour expected of staff in all contexts in which staff, students and the wider community interact, including through Facebook and similar social network sites. The college trusts staff to use their judgment and integrity in all aspects of working with students. On-line as elsewhere, you should not engage in any behaviour which is likely to bring the college into disrepute or have a serious adverse effect any aspect of college life. In particular, conduct that would lead any reasonable person to question your suitability to work with young people or vulnerable adults is incompatible with the standards expected of staff.

If you are intending to use Facebook in your work with students you must follow the principles set out in this policy. The use of other social network sites is not specifically covered by the policy though many principles will translate into other contexts. If you would like to explore the use of other social networks or similar services you must first discuss this with one of the college’s Safeguarding Officers, who have oversight of all aspects of student safety.

Pages, Groups and Friends

Facebook currently offers facilities for creating on-line pages and groups as well as allowing Facebook ‘friends’ to send messages directly to each other. The detail of these features are beyond the scope of this policy but must be well understood by anyone intending to use Facebook with students. In general terms:

To use more that the simplest elements of Facebook you will need to create your own Facebook profile, which can include more or less personal information depending on what you choose to reveal. Users who agree to connect to each other as ‘friends’ can see each other’s profile and post messages to each other directly.

College Facebook sites must be administered through a Facebook profile that is registered to your college email address. This ‘professional profile’ must be used for all contact between you and students. It must not be used for any purposes

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unrelated to college. Staff using Facebook for personal social networking must do so through a profile registered to a personal email address.

Whether using a professional or a personal profile, you must not offer or accept Facebook friendship requests from current students, ex-students who are under 18 or vulnerable adults unless this has first been agreed with the college’s Safeguarding Officer.

Facebook Pages can be set up in several ways, the simplest of which is a notice board that does not require users to have a Facebook profile and does not support posts or contributions by anyone other than the page administrators.

Facebook Groups typically have a membership who can all make post or contributions to the group’s shared notice board space. The group can be set up so that only approved members have access to it, but so that everyone in the group gets notified when a new post is sent to the group.

The decision to create a page or a group will depend on your purpose in using Facebook. Groups are more versatile and allow better communication than simple pages, but for the same reason require more active supervision.

Your college Facebook sites must be actively supervised by you to ensure that college policy on equality and diversity, bullying and dignity at work are adhered to and that any content that is offensive, threatening or unlawful is immediately removed.

Sites not requiring group membership must not allow users to post comments.

Setting up a Facebook Site

Before setting up a Facebook site you must subscribe to and familiarise yourself with Facebook’s official Facebook in Education page, which includes Facebook’s guidance on safety. You must also complete the college’s on-line Safe & Effective use of Social Networking Sites in Supporting 16-19 Learners baseline briefing , which is available through the college Moodle site.

Contact the college’s Safeguarding Officer to register your intention to create a Facebook site. You can do this by sending an email to sgo@cornwall.ac.uk . You will receive a checklist which you must complete and return to the Safeguarding Officer before the site is made accessible to students.

You must notify the Safeguarding Officer if your site is taken out of use.

All Facebook sites must clearly display the college logo, including the name Cornwall College.

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Advice on eSafety must feature prominently on the site as must clear guidance on reporting abuse or other eSafety breaches.

Administrators

Each site must have at least 3 administrators. You must be registered as the administrator of any site you create. At least one other colleague who works with you must also be registered as a site administrator. Both administrators must have full and complete access to the site and be contactable by any students using it. Administrators are responsible for the supervision of the site and must monitor postings on a daily basis.

The college’s Safeguarding Officer must also be registered as an administrator on all sites.

Students may not be site administrators and security settings must prevent any unauthorised access.

Using a Facebook Site

Students must complete the college’s own Facebook consent form (located at the end of this document) before being given access to a group site. Consent must be given by a parent or other legal guardian where a student is under 16 or a vulnerable adult.

Membership of a group must be through invitations sent by you to students. Students must confirm their own membership of a group and must not be added to the group by you.

Images of students may not be posted to Facebook unless permission has been given on the college’s Facebook consent form. Consent must be given by a parent or other legal guardian where a student is under 16 or a vulnerable adult.

Only whole-group posts and messages should be sent to students through Facebook. Messages to individual students must be sent from your college email account to the student’s college email account through the regular college email services.

Offensive, threatening or unlawful material that appears on your Facebook site or material that contravenes college policy on equality and diversity, bullying or dignity at work must be reported to the college Safeguarding Officer.

Sites must not make public the personal details of students, their employers or staff, or disclose other information that might cause distress or harm their reputation.

Full participation in a course must never depend on Facebook and alternatives must be available to any student who has no access or chooses not use it.

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Staff must ensure that effective support arrangements are in place if using Facebook with students who have a known vulnerability or accessibility issue.

General

General principles underpinning the staff use of all online services are covered by the general principles set out in the college’s Staff Professional Code of Conduct. In particular:

Staff must not use social networking sites, similar forums or other online services to send or receive personal or social messages to or from current students or ex-students who are under 18.

Staff must not accept or make online friendship requests from or to current students or ex-students who are under 18.

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Consent FormCornwall College Facebook Groups

Name of student

Some college courses make use of Facebook1 groups to support students in their study. Students using college groups are expected to follow the terms, conditions, rights and responsibilities set out by Facebook. In particular, you must not bully, intimidate, threaten or harass, incite violence or hatred, promote unlawful behaviour or otherwise offend other users. You must not make public other people’s personal details, or disclose information that might cause them distress. Where the college makes use of social network sites other than Facebook the same principles apply.

Occasionally, teachers may take photographs or make videos of students for use in Facebook. These materials will only be used to support you in your study.

Please answer these questions, then sign and date below.

Please circle your answer

Do you agree to follow these principles when using college Facebook groups?

Yes / No

Do you agree to your image appearing in college Facebook groups for the purpose of supporting your study?

Yes / No

Signature of student Date

This form must be countersigned by a parent or guardian where a student is aged under 16, or additionally by a carer or support worker where any student’s ability to protect himself or herself is significantly impaired on account of learning difficulty, disability or otherwise.

Name of parent, guardian or carer

Signature Date

This form must be retained by the course manager. It must be securely stored and disposed of in line with the College’s data protection policy.

1

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