Twelve tips for using Facebook as a learning platform

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced health educators to adapt quickly to teaching and supporting students online. Social media platforms – of which Facebook is presently the most popular worldwide–has demonstrated its utility in facilitating online learning and fostering student support. In order for educators to get the most out of the platform, they should consider adopting a systematic and evidence-based approach. This article draws upon current literature and the authors’ experiences to offer practical tips for health educators wanting to use Facebook as a learning platform and support tool for their students. We offer twelve tips, organized into prescriptive steps for creating and managing a Facebook group, and suggestions for utilizing Facebook’s features to foster student learning, collaboration, communication, and socialization.

Keywords:

• Facebook
• social media
• e-learning
• online learning

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Michael Todorovic

Michael Todorovic, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University and research fellow in the Menzies Health Institute Queensland.

Elisabeth Coyne

Elisabeth Coyne, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University.

Vinod Gopalan

Vinod Gopalan, PhD, is a senior lecturer in Medical Education & Histopathology in the School of Medicine at Griffith University and research fellow in the Menzies Health Institute Queensland.

Youn Oh

Youn Oh, BN, is a teaching fellow in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University.

Lila Landowski

Lila Landowski, PhD, is a postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer in the School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania. She is a Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research and a Director of Epilepsy Tasmania.

Matthew Barton

Matthew Barton, PhD, is a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Griffith University and research fellow in the Menzies Health Institute Queensland.