By Diane Kim, Cypress High School, Grade 11
February 14, 2011
Facebook isn’t just for social networking anymore; it’s also surprisingly very educational. As students begin to have busier schedules, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to meet with classmates to study for a difficult class. Because Facebook is both a popular and virtual place to communicate, students find this website as an effective way to study with their peers.
Posting on Facebook groups help alert only students of a particular class instead of an entire body of contacts.
“People want to group chat and to communicate with only certain people.” said Shaye Morin, a junior at Cypress High School.
Facebook groups provide exclusive notifications because people can only be admitted if they are invited. The group also has options of providing a collective chat room and free uploads by anyone who is a member.
Students both contribute and learn through chats and wall posts about upcoming assignments and tests.
Lindjay So Hyun Cho, a junior at Cypress High School, said, “For AP Chemistry, everyone can post their lab data and compare answers. We learn a lot from it because we can ask questions to each other, especially a day before the lab portfolio is due. It’s really helpful because someone might be good at chapter 7, but not chapter 8, and it helps to work as a group.”
Students can also open up their internet browser and find the answers to common questions instead of frantically calling friends. “Facebook really helps clarify when we need information, like test dates or homework, that our calculus teacher didn’t say specifically,” said David Ye, a senior at Cypress High School.
Working with others online also gives the advantage of being casual and more open with peers.
“Many people are dependent on technology, and can be socially awkward when meeting face to face. Online study groups make it more comfortable for these students to freely open up and both help answer and ask questions,” said Samantha Kim, a freshman at Oxford Academy.
Students who are less outgoing are able to better express their needs through the internet without feeling burdened or embarrassed.
However, there is also a negative aspect to this trend. “Having study groups on facebook only gives more distraction. You end up looking at photos and other people’s walls. It’s hard to learn anything because it’s over the internet, and you end up just copying answers,” said Christine Ahn, a sophomore at Cypress High School.
Many high school students overburden themselves with AP classes of all kinds and working as a team has become essential to keeping up with high grades. As technology advances, so do methods of studying. While these study groups have the potential to cause for more procrastination, they also help encourage teamwork.
