A REVIEW OF E-LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES - Opportunities for Teaching and Learning <s> Social Networking <s> The convergence of mobile technologies into student-centered learning environments requires academic institutions to design new and more effective learning, teaching, and user experience strategies. In this article we share results from an mLearning design experiment and analysis from a student survey conducted at the National College of Ireland. Quantitative data support our hypothesis that mLearning technologies can provide a platform for active learning, collaboration, and innovation in higher education. In addition, we review mobile interface and user-experience design considerations, and mLearning theory. Finally, we provide an overview of mLearning applications being developed in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Ireland including, Virtual Graffiti, BuddyBuzz, Flickr, and RAMBLE. <s> BIB001 </s> A REVIEW OF E-LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES - Opportunities for Teaching and Learning <s> Social Networking <s> In the context of today's electronic media, social networking has come to mean individuals using the Internet and Web applications to communicate in previously impossible ways. This is largely the result of a culture-wide paradigm shift in the uses and possibilities of the Internet itself. The current Web is a much different entity than the Web of a decade ago. This new focus creates a riper breeding ground for social networking and collaboration. In an abstract sense, social networking is about everyone. The mass adoption of social-networking Websites points to an evolution in human social interaction. <s> BIB002 </s> A REVIEW OF E-LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES - Opportunities for Teaching and Learning <s> Social Networking <s> This study advances our knowledge of students’ online self-disclosures by examining a random sample of students’ Facebook profiles at a large, public research University in the Northeast. A quantitative content analysis revealed that the vast majority of students had a Facebook account and very small proportions restricted access of their profile to University staff. Substantial proportions of students’ profiles contained contact information, course schedules, positive references to the University, and pictures of students’ consuming alcohol. Detailed implications for practice are discussed. <s> BIB003 </s> A REVIEW OF E-LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES - Opportunities for Teaching and Learning <s> Social Networking <s> The authors use their own experiences with social software to argue for the need for caution in its uses in education. They particularly draw attention to difficulties in engagement, the effects on identity, an emphasis on superficial issues, lack of coherence, and problems with authenticity and trust. While Facebook and Second Life appear to have potential for educational applications, the disquiet associated with them may need to be taken into account: and this can affect both students and their teachers. One of the authors is a student on an online course and extracts from her blogs and journal capture the emotional and psychological effects of engaging in these new worlds at the time it happened. Both authors have noticed changes in their responses over time and point to the need for integration and coherence for “virtual identities” to play an appropriate part in higher education. The paper raises more questions than it answers and suggests that there is an urgent need to theorise online identity, th... <s> BIB004 </s> A REVIEW OF E-LEARNING TECHNOLOGIES - Opportunities for Teaching and Learning <s> Social Networking <s> Abstract Partly owing to the status of podcasting as a buzzword and subject of much recent media attention, educational technology researchers and practitioners have been using the term very loosely. Few studies have examined student perceptions and uptake of “podcasting” in the true sense of the word, whereby a syndication protocol such as Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is used to allow students to subscribe to podcast feeds or channels, facilitating the automatic download of new content as it becomes available. The small number of studies that have covered this aspect of podcasting suggest that students generally do not tend to make use of this functionality, but instead prefer to simply download the media files manually. By drawing on research into the usage of RSS and podcasting both inside and outside the field of education, as well as extant literature on university students' usage patterns and behaviors with respect to information and communications technologies (ICTs) and the Internet, the authors postulate a number of possible reasons why podcasting syndication services have not experienced substantial levels of uptake among students to date. They argue that it is premature to dismiss RSS as a distribution mechanism for digital audio content in teaching and learning, and describe a number of examples of educational applications that could potentially make the use of such services worthwhile and valuable to both teachers and students. The authors conclude with suggestions for research to test the theories set forth in the article. <s> BIB005
Social networking creates online communities where people share interests and activities. Users are able to choose how they are "seen" within this community by creating profiles for themselves and can choose what information they wish to share. While social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Bebo were not developed as educational tools they have been eagerly adopted by some educational institutions seeking new levels of student engagement and interactivity BIB004 ).  notes that Facebook is a feature of contemporary student life and transition to university can be eased through interactions with numerous online communities. Some educational institutions are concerned by the possibility of postings which might be considered inappropriate and they addressed this by blocking access to Facebook through their network  . Contrary to the negative perceptions of using this very popular technology in an educational context, De  found that the use of Facebook for academic discussions with postgraduate distance learning students enhanced student's learning and insight. Cloudworks is one social networking site specifically developed for educational purposes.  state that Cloudworks harnesses Web 2.0 principles of connecting and sharing by bringing together "teachers/designers to share, discuss and find new ideas and designs" (p. 779). LibraryThing, another social networking site developed with an educational flavour, enables users to share information about books that they have read. Godwin (2007) suggests this social network can be used to encourage students to read or to undertake critical reviews. Using technological infrastructures such as Joomla and Drupal, social networking sites have also been created specifically for individual courses or sub groups within institutions. Each of these social networking sites have a slightly different focus on different areas of social interaction BIB002 making their fit for purpose a necessary consideration when using them in teaching. BIB004 caution that online social networking does not come without concerns: the uncertainty of someone's online "identity" can lead to lower levels of engagement; there can be an emphasis on superficial issues; and problems may arise with authenticity and trust. Students also need to be made aware of the visibility of their online behavior and recognize the long-term consequences of sharing personal information and how it may (negatively) impact future relationships, careers or employment BIB001 BIB001 ; BIB003 BIB005 ).