Using social network technology as a peer-mediated learning tool in a computer course

This study examines the effectiveness of applying social network technology in a classroom. A slide-sharing social network technology, the OpenSlide system, was installed for use in an operating systems course for college students in a university´s information management department. A quasi-experimental study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of the instructional design by comparing the performance of an experimental class who used the OpenSlide system and a control class who did not use the system. The findings show that all students in the experimental class made significantly more progress than those in the control class, and that surface learners in the experimental class made significantly more progress than surface learners in the control class. Using the OpenSlide system helps construct a situated learning environment for legitimate peripheral participation in the classroom.