Myspace%20and%20Facebook:%20Reaching%20our%20students%20with%20their%20technology%20of%20choice

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Myspace and FacebookReaching our students with
their technology of choice

• Yvonne Nalani MeulemansSciences and Health
  Human Services Librarianymeulema_at_csusm.eduCalifo
  rnia State University San Marcos Melanie
  ChuOutreach Librarianmchu_at_csusm.eduCalifornia
  State University San Marcos
• LOEX National ConferenceMay 5, 2006

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What areMyspace and Facebook?
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Myspace/Facebook as Computer-Mediated
Communication

• CMCs strengthen existing ties.
• Strong ties will often use more CMC types.
• Weak ties tend to use a single type of CMC.

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Myspace/Facebook as Computer-Mediated
Communication

• Bulletin boards facilitate beyond classroom
  communication.
• May support student social life beyond classroom.

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Myspace/Facebook as Computer-Mediated
Communication

• Bulletin boards allow for determination of
  self-presentation
• Myspace/Facebook can be significantly customized
  a means to determine self-presentation?

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First-year student usage survey

• 3608 Myspace pages by current CSUSM students
  (appx 7500 FTE)
• Of 89 responses
• 49 had both
• 38 had Myspace page only
• 2 had Facebook page only

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First-year student usage survey

• A fair, positive correlation between number of
  visits per day and time spent per visit was found
  (r(89) .4).
• Many use their pages to communicate with people
  they already know offline.

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First-year student usage survey

• Of those who reported they had both a Myspace and
  Facebook page, 90 said they use it to
  communicate with others about school, professors,
  or courses.
• Of those with only a Myspace page, 50 said they
  use it to discuss school professors or courses.

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Focus group

• Discussion points
• First contact
• Typical session
• Benefits/problems
• Academic use
• Role at CSUSM
• Recent press coverage

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Focus group

• Demographics
• 2 first year, 1 junior, 1 senior
• Variety of majors
• All have Myspace, 2 have both
• Typical usage 20 times a day

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Focus group

• Benefits
• Keeping in touch with friends
• Learning about new people
• Drawbacks
• Melodrama
• Time-consuming
• Myspace/Facebook v. WebCT

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Focus group

• Findings reiterated survey results
• CMC literature
• Academic potential
• Usage

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Practical integration

• Make your own page.
• Post bulletins with search tips, create an
  anonymous comment box, or start a blog on
  research.
• Can support just in time/point of need
  reference.

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Practical integration

• Add to existing outreach efforts.
• Promote and create awareness of library services
  and events.
• Create profile for library with multiple
  librarians contributing.
• Support learning communities.

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Concluding points

• Analyze user population
• Determine learning objectives
• Assess impact
• Further research
• Myspace v. Facebook

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• Yvonne Nalani MeulemansSciences and Health
  Human Services Librarianymeulema_at_csusm.edu
• Melanie ChuOutreach Librarianmchu_at_csusm.edu