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The effects of using Facebook as a discussion forum in an online principles of economics course: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Author

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  • Harmon, Oskar R.
  • Tomolonis, Paul A.

Abstract

This paper makes a comparison between using social media or traditional Course Management System (CMS) discussion groups in a fully online Principles of Microeconomics course. Students were randomly assigned to a discussion forum in either Facebook or CMS to discern a difference in the level of engagement and learning outcomes. The popular hypothesis is that students using social media have greater engagement with the class and higher learning outcomes relative to students using a CMS platform. Reasons for the positive effect include the ease of use and student familiarity with social media, which allows them to make more connections and gain a deeper understanding of the course material through discussions with others. Contrary to the widely held view, the results of this study suggest that participation in the treatment Facebook group is associated with declining student engagement and a reduction in the semester course average of 3 to 5 points on a 100-point scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Harmon, Oskar R. & Tomolonis, Paul A., 2019. "The effects of using Facebook as a discussion forum in an online principles of economics course: Results of a randomized controlled trial," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 30(C), pages 1-1.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ireced:v:30:y:2019:i:c:5
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iree.2019.100157
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    Cited by:

    1. Martina Maněnová & Janet Wolf & Martin Skutil & Jitka Vítová, 2021. "Combating the Coronavirus Pandemic in Small Schools," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-15, June.
    2. Hadsell, Lester, 2020. "Not for want of trying: Effort and Success of women in principles of microeconomics," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
    3. Barreiro-Gen, María, 2020. "Evaluating the effects of mobile applications on course assessment: A quasi-experiment on a macroeconomics course," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    4. Middleditch, Paul & Moindrot, Will & Rudkin, Simon, 2022. "Teaching with Twitter: An extension to the traditional learning environment," International Review of Economics Education, Elsevier, vol. 41(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Online; Social media; Facebook;
    All these keywords.

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