Social Networking: Learning Theory in Action

You probably don't use MySpace or Facebook, but the incoming waves of freshman of the immediate future engage now in social networking that is as real a part of their lives as your commute to work is yours. But is their online connectivity enhancing any learning skills? This author reports on a well-funded study of the social network actions of K-12 students and concludes:

Certainly, social learning theory is not new, but some would argue that while the social learning theorists hold that social interaction is at the center of effective learning and that no individual learns in isolation, social networking software does not provide a helpful context within which social interaction skills are developed. In other words, the valuable social skills that support learning are not the skills developed within current Internet-based social spaces.