Facebook as an Informal Tool for Learning: Exploring Perceptions of Greek LIS Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Facebook use in higher education has been explored from different perspectives (i.e. academic institutions, teachers, students). This research aimed to investigate Greek Library and Information Science undergraduate students perceptions of Facebook use for educational purposes. A questionnaire was distributed online during the first two weeks of June 2015 to 278 undergraduate students studying Library and Information Science in Greece. 135 questionnaires were collected with an overall response rate 48.6%. It was found that students employ Facebook mainly for social interaction and communicate though they do recognize the educational potential of social networking sites. Academic institutions and teachers need to stay up-to-dated with the emergence of new Web 2.0 tools and use them when appropriate to meet their goals. This research contributes in providing a further insight into the way students employ social networking sites and thus, assist academic institutions in formulating their strategy and teachers in incorporating Facebook in delivering their courses.