Creation of a Course Facebook Page to Increase Classroom Engagement

1. Creation of a Course Facebook Page to Increase Classroom Engagement Deborah J. Good, Ph.D. Dept. Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise Virginia Tech

2. Facebook is too big to ignore • 1.19 Billion Facebook Users Worldwide • Average time spent on Facebook per day is 20 minutes • 34% of Facebook users are aged 18-29 • November 2013 Facebook data • http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/by-the-numbers-17-amazing-facebook-stats/#.UryJN2RDvdE

3. Students use Facebook during class time (among other things…) • Visually observed students during lecture • 14 Facebook • 10 email • 13 other (Pinterest, shopping, news, Scholar, pictures, non-class documents, weather) • 11 talking • 6 texting

4. Course Description and Methods • Metabolic Nutrition-HNFE 3026 • Junior/Senior Level Course • Required for Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise majors. • Approximately 230-240 students per year • Methodology • Pre-survey on Facebook page interest • Facebook metrics • Post-survey on Facebook page usage

5. Pre-Survey DataFacebook page interest

6. Metabolic Nutrition Facebook Page • 170 joined the page initially (69.4%) • An average of 162 students during the course were members • No grade difference in students who joined versus those that did not

7. Post-survey dataFacebook Membership

8. Facebook Page EngagementViewing posts

9. Facebook Page EngagementLikes, Shares, Comments on posts

10. Facebook EngagementFacebook Statistics

11. Post-Survey DataEngagement

12. Post-Survey DataSelected Student Comments-Positive • I think it added to the course by referencing real life examples and making the material we were learning applicable to everyday life ( like the Kevin Ware story) • Yes it was enjoyable. Helped to remind me while I was on facebook that I need to study for class. Interesting articles were posted as well • I didn't think it was a good idea to have a facebook page initially, but I found that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. • I did not use the Facebook page as much to help with class but I found many of the posts and articles to be more relevant to everyday life and enjoyed reading them. Some of the posts and articles I even sent to family/friends.

13. Post-Survey DataSelected Student Comments-Negative • Not much was very relevant to the exams, which is why i (sic) didn't use it much. • I did not find the Facebook page useful. It was a good idea, and it may work for some people, but I would respond better to it if articles weren't posted. At least when I use facebook, i (sic) scroll through my news feed and look at statuses rather than go on people pages and am less likely to read long articles • The facebook page was not very useful. It was unique because it is my only class which uses facebook, but I did not gain anything from the page nor did it help me in the class

14. Post-Survey DataInterest in staying “friends”

15. Metabolic Nutrition Facebook Page-2014 Screen Shot taken 12/26/13

16. Future Plans for 2014 • Currently 311 members with the spring 2014 class • Creative Content assignment is generating a lot of interest. • Dr. Jie Li (Stats) will join me and help to analyze data http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjoj6EYQjh8

17. Conclusions • Majority of students were interested in, and joined a Facebook page for the course • But for 2013, students were passive “friends”, never fully engaged. • For 2014 class, a creative content assignment is being used to increase student engagement with the page. • Students reporting that it is “fun” • Lots of “views” • More “likes” than for posts by the professor last year.