This post is provided by guest blogger, Sheana Graham, graduate student at the University of St. Francis in Joliet, MS in Training and Development program.

There are many different ways to provide training to adults in today’s society. Today, online learning and eLearning have become two very popular alternatives to traditional education. Social media has become just as popular as eLearning has over the past 20 years. Is there a way to incorporate the two of them? This article addresses the pros and cons of using social media, specifically Facebook, in the education of adults. The author suggest one of the number one reasons that Facebook could be a useful tool is that it allows the students to be able to connect and socialize with other students, build relationships and exchange eLearning information. He also argues that Facebook can be an inexpensive way of learning. He also gives his reasoning behind why he thinks that Facebook might NOT work for eLearning.

My opinion of the article is that I agree with everything that the author has argued. I am an advocate for the advancement of eLearning and its growth in the coming years. I hadn’t considered the advantages of using social media in the eLearning world. The author gives good reasons behind why he thinks Facebook is the future face of eLearning and he also gives tips on how to incorporate the two. What I appreciated about the author’s work is that not only did he give reasons why, he also gave good reasons why not. One of his reasons why it wouldn’t work is the fact that using Facebook is not a secure learning place.

References

Pappas, C. (2015, May). Using Facebook for eLearning: The ultimate guide for eLearning professionals. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/using-facebook-for-elearning-ultimate-guide-for-elearning-professionals