As MOOCs have grown in popularity over the last few years, much attention has justifiably been given to the video format of the lectures themselves.  A recent study from Michigan State University highlights how important the bog standard discussion forums attached to each course probably are to learning outcomes however.

The study found that when students were engaged in vigorous debate online (via a Facebook group), they managed to absorb considerably more of challenging scientific based learning than those who only had access to standard teaching.

The paper highlights how this informal learning can not only help to supplement the content delivered in class itself, but also help to connect up the student with other interesting people in the field, which may help the career of students as well as their knowledge absorption.

“One of the things we struggle with as educators is how to take students’ spark of interest in something and develop it in ways that can serve them,” the authors say. “If students had these kinds of niche communities to be part of, in addition to their formal curriculum, that could really provide a rich environment for them.”

The value of community

The study saw participants given the option of joining a Facebook group that was designed to cover the latest climate related news.  The behavior of participants was then analyzed and moderated to ensure it remained on topic and useful to the experiment.

Whilst previous studies have found mixed results for such social media based appendages to formal learning, this study is arguably the first in which such participation was both voluntary and informal.

The authors reveal that participants felt comfortable participating in such a way because the platform is already such a common part of their normal habits.  As such, it provides a forum that is less hierarchical than one mandated by their tutor.

Of course, there are plenty of other useful platforms for facilitating such discussions, so it shouldn’t be taken to mean that Facebook is the best or only medium, nor indeed that such communities are not without risk.  The authors are adamant however that the provision of such informal learning opportunities offer students a valuable addition to their class based activities.

“While any social network site can be misused,” they say, “there’s also a significant and underexplored opportunity to develop these spaces as forums for learning, healthy academic debate and career development.”