Facebook and sport education: mirroring the model at home to promote parental involvement

ABSTRACT

Social networks had become so important that they constitute a way of life for many individuals, and Facebook is probably the most popular one. Society has become totally connected, but classrooms still remain rather isolated. The goal of the study was to extend the Sport Education Model (SEM) through a social network, Facebook, to promote parental involvement, assessing its impact at home. 41 parents of 49 grade 12th secondary education students agreed to participate (39?57 years): 14 fathers and 27 mothers. The vast majority of participating parents that included information about their socio-economic and educational background considered themselves medium level (11 out of 13). Unfortunately, most parents did not provide this type of information (69.30%). An AcroGymnastics learning unit was implemented using the SEM during 16 sessions. All Facebook activity was recorded by the site, and semi-structured interviews were used to obtain data directly from the parents. Quantitative data was analysed using Gytrics, while MAXQDA 11 helped with qualitative data management. Quantitative results showed that the Facebook group had a notable effect in parents’ involvement: 42.26% joined (67% mothers), 100% reacted, 70.47% published content, 48.69% uploaded a picture/video, 503 posts, 14,528 hits, and 2025 reactions: 1912 likes and 113 comments. Themes derived from the analysis of the qualitative data reinforced the idea that Facebook helped promote parental participation: involvement, affiliation and learning, and some SEM features at home: affiliation, festive atmosphere and participation. Finally, a change in the PE status was also observed among parents. In conclusion, the combination Facebook-SEM had a notable positive effect on parental involvement, especially among mothers of medium socio-economic background. The number and type of activities posted by the administrator seemed to be a key element to positively integrate Facebook in education.     

‘Breaking Ground’ in the use of social media: A case study of a university earthquake response to inform educational design with Facebook

On September 4 2010, a massive 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Canterbury region in the South Island of New Zealand. The response from the University of Canterbury was immediate and carefully co-ordinated, with the university's web-based environment and a responsive site developed on the social media platform ‘Facebook’ becoming prominent sources of support for many months. This case study illustrates how the university effectively utilised these environments and their impact within the wider university community. Case study methodology draws upon literature from the fields of social media, social network communities and crisis informatics. The findings propose that social media can effectively support information sharing, communication and collaboration in higher education contexts, in particular in times of crisis, but suggest there needs to be a defined purpose to integrate these within an institution's communications strategy given the resource implications and range of social media already used by students.     

Twitter and Facebook for User Collection Requests

Libraries are offering more services through social media Web sites like Twitter and Facebook, and this presence online is encouraging more conversation between libraries and patrons, including collection development requests. A review of popular Twitter and Facebook library profiles reveals the most successful accounts to be those where the library actively engages its users online. Through these media, libraries can have direct, immediate conversations with patrons that result in patron-initiated material requests.     

A Longitudinal Test of the Effects of Facebook on Cultural Adaptation

The present study is a longitudinal examination of the role of Facebook on the cultural adaptation of Muslim immigrants to the United States (n = 379). Immigrants’ use of Facebook affects interactions with the dominant culture and with the ingroup. Respondents were asked about their use of Facebook, motivation to culturally adapt, and perceptions of the US at two different points in a 6-year period. Analysis revealed that Muslim immigrants to the US from 2006 to 2012 who used Facebook more for social interaction with the ingroup were less likely to be motivated to culturally adapt to the US dominant culture, and these same immigrants were more likely to have a negative perception of the US dominant culture as their Facebook use increased.     

Facebook usage and mental health: An empirical study of role of non-directional social comparisons in the UK

The present paper explores the relationship between nature of Facebook usage, non-directional comparisons and depressive syndromes. The extant research on linkage between social media usage and mental health is inconclusive. The paper uses data collected through an online survey of 399 Facebook users in the UK. A Facebook frequency rating scale was developed and validated as a part of the study. The Iowa-Netherlands Comparison Orientation Measure was modified and used to measure social comparison. The depressive syndromes were captured by the modified Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. The Rank Theory of Depression was used a guiding framework. The data collection had focused on the 20–29 year olds, as justified by the literature.The study found a negative relationship between active Facebook use and non-directional social comparisons. The relationship was reversed in the case of passive usage. There is small but significant causal linkage between increased non-directional social comparisons and depressive symptoms among the users.     

Governing online platforms: From contested to cooperative responsibility

Online platforms, from Facebook to Twitter, and from Coursera to Uber, have become deeply involved in a wide range of public activities, including journalism, civic engagement, education, and transport. As such, they have started to play a vital role in the realization of important public values and policy objectives associated with these activities. Based on insights from theories about risk sharing and the problem of many hands, this article develops a conceptual framework for the governance of the public role of platforms, and elaborates on the concept of cooperative responsibility for the realization of critical public policy objectives in Europe. It argues that the realization of public values in platform-based public activities cannot be adequately achieved by allocating responsibility to one central actor (as is currently common practice), but should be the result of dynamic interaction between platforms, users, and public institutions.     

Undermining anarchy: Facebook's influence on anarchist principles of organization in Occupy Wall Street

Drawing on concepts rooted in cybernetics and anarchist political theory, this article argues that the shift in Occupy Wall Street from being a physical protest camp in late 2011 to an online movement in 2012 coincided with a shift in social media activity. Analysis of Facebook activity suggests a move from functional to anatomical hierarchy and a corresponding move from many-to-many communication to one-to-many communication. In conclusion, we argue that this development served to undermine the movement's anarchist principles of organization.     

Medical student use of Facebook to support preparation for anatomy assessments

The use of Facebook to support students is an emerging area of educational research. This study explored how a Facebook Page could support Year 2 medical (MBChB) students in preparation for summative anatomy assessments and alleviate test anxiety. Overall, Facebook analytics revealed that in total 49 (19.8% of entire cohort) students posted a comment in preparation for either the first (33 students) or second (34) summative anatomy assessments. 18 students commented in preparation for both. In total, 155 comments were posted, with 83 for the first and 72 for the second. Of the 83 comments, 45 related to checking anatomical information, 30 were requiring assessment information and 8 wanted general course information. For the second assessment this was 52, 14 and 6, respectively. Student perceptions on usage, and impact on learning and assessment preparation were obtained via a five‐point Likert‐style questionnaire, with 119 students confirming they accessed the Page. Generally, students believed the Page was an effective way to support their learning, and provided information which supported their preparation with increases in perceived confidence and reductions in anxiety. There was no difference between gender, except for males who appeared to be significantly less likely to ask a question as they may be perceived to lack knowledge (P < 0.05). This study suggests that Facebook can play an important role in supporting students in preparation for anatomy assessments. Anat Sci Educ 10: 205–214. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

Mixi Diary versus Facebook Photos: Social Networking Site use among Japanese and Caucasian American Females

A survey of Caucasian-American and Japanese young women investigated cultural differences in types of social networking site use and motives for use. Although there were some disparities between American and Japanese young women in motives for social networking site use, generally the main motive was communication with ingroup peers known offline. Participants reported lesser use for social identity gratifications and social compensation. The findings also indicated that American young women are more prone to public expressions of connection with peer group via their Facebook photographs. Japanese young women are much more likely to communicate closeness via Mixi diaries. Such diaries illustrate a preference for privacy among Japanese being available only to those considered close friends.