Article published In:
Dutch Journal of Applied LinguisticsVol. 4:2 (2015) ► pp.154–173
Lowering the threshold for online learning with Facebook
A South African pilot study
Students’ understanding of their own learning needs can improve, if they can be made more aware of their own learning processes by supporting their metacognitive development. Research has shown that membership of online communities can positively contribute to the social acculturation process of first year students (Wohn, Ellison, Khan, Fewins-Bliss, & Gray, 2013). Moreover, these social networking sites could meet specific learning needs. A group of South African first year medical students doing a second language communication course were invited to become members of a closed Facebook group with the purpose of lowering the threshold of online learning. These students reported that their metacognitive awareness about their own learning processes was raised, which made it possible for them to progress towards and access the online learning experience. Data collected during the course were analysed following the grounded theory method and a framework for raising metacognitive awareness was created.
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