Social media in the classroom is gradually changing from a banned practice to a useful tool for some UNC professors. And with change comes new rules.
UNC’s Faculty Council passed the University’s first social media policy two weeks ago, aiming to protect the privacy of its students.
The new policy requires instructors to clearly outline assignments that require students to use a social media site such as Facebook, Twitter or various blogging sites. Professors are also obligated to give students options for their use, such as using an alias or alternative assignments that do not involve social media.
Public policy professor Pete Andrews said he brought the matter to the University’s attention because of conversations he had with several students.
“I had gotten in a conversation with some of my students who were worried about privacy, and I raised it with members of the (education policy committee) because what goes out on the Internet stays there forever,” he said.
Nursing professor and education policy committee chairwoman Theresa Raphael-Grimm said some students worry about how postings about their opinions now will affect them in the future.
“If a student were supposed to write a blog as part of a class and in that blog reveal political opinions or just personal insights, we were concerned that in 40 years when that student ran for president, someone could pull that up and say, ‘Look what they wrote in college,’” she said.
Kelly Crupi, a recent graduate who took a class in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication last year, said her class used Twitter and Facebook groups rather than a Sakai site.
“In my opinion, this format worked very well, she said. “In every other class I’ve had where professors tried to get students to use the Sakai forums to ask questions or discuss class concepts and ideas, it really only ever happened if it was either required or was for extra credit.”
