Studies in the Area of Higher Education Reported from M.K. Kabilan and Co-Researchers.

"Facebook (FB) is currently considered as the most popular platform for online social networking among university students. The purpose of this study is to investigate if university students consider FB as a useful and meaningful learning environment that could support, enhance and/or strengthen their learning of the English language," scientists writing in the journal Internet and Higher Education report.

"A survey was carried out with 300 undergraduate students at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang. It was found that the students believed FB could be utilized as an online environment to facilitate the learning of English. Nevertheless, teachers or language instructors have to integrate FB as an educational project with predetermined learning objectives and outcomes for the learning experience to be meaningful," wrote M.K. Kabilan and colleagues.

The researchers concluded: "It is suggested that future research should focus on the meaningfulness of FB to students' language learning experiences."

Kabilan and colleagues published their study in Internet and Higher Education (Facebook: An online environment for learning of English in institutions of higher education? Internet and Higher Education, 2010;13(4 Sp. Iss.):179-187).

Additional information can be obtained by contacting M.K. Kabilan, University of Sains Malaysia, School Education Studies, George Town 11800, Malaysia.

The publisher of the journal Internet and Higher Education can be contacted at: Elsevier Science Inc., 360 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-1710, USA.

Keywords: Country:Malaysia, Institutions Of Higher Education, Public Education

This article was prepared by Education Letter editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Education Letter via VerticalNews.com.