Facebook



**Facebook**
Ability to bring together groups of people to discuss, debate and share information online is a strength of Facebook. It's as easy as creating your own group from your profile page, ensure that it's marked private and then invite those that you want to participate. c
 * Advantages for PD**
 * private discussion boards


 * lists of upcoming meetings


 * message posting


 * shared photos and videos

"William Baker, a professor of marketing at San Diego State University, surveyed 1,600 executives and found that firms that rely heavily on external social networks scored 24 percent higher on a measure of radical innovation than companies that don't. Online networks can help you hire the right people, market your product" []

Facebook:
Despite being a social networking tool mainly for young adults to connect with their friends, co-workers and family members on the Internet by posting updates, uploading photos and videos, Facebook can also become an excellent e-learning platform. By just tweaking some of the technologies, teachers can publish their slides for lessons and lots more multi-media contents. With a strong and powerful platform, educators can even create some useful applications for Facebook that comes with better functions and features for education using state-of-the-art technology. For example, they can develop an application that allows students to consult their teachers directly, thus increasing the efficiency for both students and teachers to solve problems. [] using these ideas the ability to adapt Facebook for use by the CO will be easy. Businesses and organizations can utilize Facebook to share information with partners across the world, without filling up an email inbox. []


 * **Advantages ** || **Disadvantages **  ||
 * **Flexibility **: accessible 24x7, any place as long as you have an internet connection  || **Text-based **: Predominantly relies on inputting text which can be challenging for those who don’t like to write or have poor keyboard skills, but with the advance of broadband connectivity and voice and video conference technology — this will be less of an issue.   ||
 * **Levelling **: reserved people who usually don’t speak up can say as much as they like while “loud” people are just another voice and can’t interrupt  || **No physical cues **: without facial expressions and gestures or the ability to retract immediately there’s a big risk of misunderstanding <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Documented **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: unlike verbal conversation, online discussion is lasting and can be revisited <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Information overload **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: a large volume of messages can be overwhelming and hard to follow, even stress-inducing <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Encourages reflection **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: participants don’t have to contribute until they’ve thought about the issue and feel ready <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Threads **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: logical sequence of discussion is often broken by users not sticking to the topic (thread) <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Relevance **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: provides a place for real life examples and experience to be exchanged <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Time lag **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: even if you log on daily, 24 hours can seem like a long time if you're waiting for a reply; and then the discussion could have moved on and left you behind <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Choice **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: a quick question or comment, or a long reflective account are equally possible <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Inefficient **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: it takes longer than verbal conversation and so it’s hard to reply to all the points in a message, easily leaving questions unanswered <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Community **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: over time can develop into a supportive, stimulating community which participants come to regard as the high point of their course <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Isolation **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: some learners prefer to learn on their own and don't participate in the discussions <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">  ||
 * **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Limitless **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: you can never predict where the discussion will go; the unexpected often results in increased incidental learning <span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;"> || **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">Directionless **<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-AU;">: participants used to having a teacher or instructor telling them what to do can find it a leaderless environment (and that’s where tutors come in  ||

got this off [] seems to sum up all of our issues? maybe we can use it?

**Research questions**


 * A. What are the issues involved with using social networks for professional development in the workplace?**
 * Cost free - no startup or ongoing fees
 * Technical - web-based, easy access


 * Privacy - privacy settings enable security, confidentiality


 * Ease of use is high - little training required


 * Difficult to maintain both private and professional relationships on one Facebook account


 * B. How do Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, podcasts and video lectures) complement such social networks?**
 * Integrates well with other Web 2.0 tools - you can attach photos, videos and links, eg to related wikis or blogs


 * C. How is a work-related social network developed and sustained?**
 * Facebook allows you to develop a network of relationships which could support professional development


 * It has an appealing 'intimacy' which could enhance community feelings and goals


 * It provides several methods of communication between members: chat (between 2 members only), email, wall posts, event notifications


 * It enables expansion of networks through features such as friend suggestions