Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out today finds.
But while large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology.
“The uses of social-networking tools are clearly growing in frequency,” says Kay McClenney, director of the Texas-based Center for Community College Student Engagement, which released the report. But “colleges are not taking advantage of that particular set of tools for making connections with students to the extent that they could.”
The report is based on a survey of more than 400,000 students from 663 institutions that assesses how much effort students invest in their studies, whether they interact with faculty and staff, and whether they are challenged by their academics. Studies show that the more engaged students are in such activities and relationships, the more likely they are to learn.
