Facebook turned into e-learning support in Venice: a great case study where Math lessons meet social networks – and students too!
For sure it’s not the first time I read about Facebook being leveraged as a learning-support tool in university (or college-grade classes as well).
This time, the news come from Italy (some pride about it intended), Cà Foscari University where a Facebook Page is being used as a great – and easy – learning support tool.
Professor Paolo Pellizzari built the Matemates Page, which is now used by more than 400 first-grade students, at first as a common repository of lessons hours, book list, bibliography, and then a full-featured place where students can interact, question and – definitely – learn about math lessons in a completely new way.
As reported by local newspaper Corriere del Veneto, Professor Pellizzari stated that “shy students may take advantage of the Facebook community and participate in lessons’ activities”.
A questionnaire, available here, shows which level the users (AKA students) engagement has reached:
- 80% thought the page was useful and thinks that Facebook is an innovative learning tool
- 55% answered that the Facebook Page is “a quantum leap” regarding conventional learning
- 37% even said that this tool may get them better grades (!)
A great way to leverage Facebook as more than just a social game.
Social learning anyone?
[Via Corriere.it (italian language only) and Matemates]
