Below is a comparison of three platforms, Facebook, Schoology, and Edmodo. It is important to keep these questions in mind as you consider the pros and cons of each.
The competition: Facebook vs Edmodo or Schoology
| Feature | Edmodo / Schoology | Description | |
| Building student personal learning networks | Yes | No | Facebook allows you to make global connections with those who share your passions and interests. Edmodo and Schoology are confined to those in your classroom and classrooms or experts chosen by your teacher. |
| Building teacher personal learning networks | Yes | Yes | Facebook is a great place for teachers to develop personal learning networks (PLNs) using groups or pages. An easy way to start is to just type your interest in the search and take a look at what shows up. Adult PLNs are also possible in Schoology and Edmodo. For example a Twitter hash tag (#histedchat) created in Australia has led to an Edmodo group for those involved where history resources are shared. All you need in order to join is the appropriate group code. |
| Strengthening your digital footprint | Yes | No | What happens in Edmodo and Schoology generally stays there. Facebook allows you to set transparency so your teachers can model and guide you in putting your best foot forward to start creating an online identity leading to academic, career, and citizenship success. |
| Must be 13 | Yes | No | Facebook collects personally identifiable information from students. Schoology and Edmodo do not require such information and also require student use under the supervision of an educator. |
| Access from school | TBD | Yes | While Edmodo and Schoology are sites that can be accessed from schools in most cases, sites like Facebook are often blocked. If this is a site you want to use, see if there is an unblock method or determine if this would be a good homework tool instead. |
| Advertising | Yes | No | Facebook is funded by advertising. Schoology and Edmodo have other funding models. |
| Free | Yes | Yes | Most features on all three platforms are available free. There are some paid for options in each. |
| Closed moderated groups | Yes | Yes | All three platforms allow you to have groups that are closed and moderated. |
| Open moderated groups | Yes | No | Only Facebook allows you to have groups that are open for others to find and join. |
| Messaging between students | Yes | No | Facebook users can set their profiles to allow messaging or not allow it. Schoology and Edmodo don’t allow private messaging between students. |
| Events / Calendar | Yes | Yes | You can RSVP and communicate within Facebook events. You can not with Edmodo / Schoology. |
| Global connections | Yes | No | Your connections are usually limited to your class and classes the teacher has connected with. |
| Students can post assignments | Yes | Yes | You can post assignments in all three platforms, but Edmodo and Schoology are designed for this with a sleek system. This would be much clunkier on Facebook. |
| Google Docs integration | No | Yes | You could of course post links to Google docs in Facebook but Schoology and Edmodo have Google Docs integrated directly into the platform. |
| Create polls | Yes | Yes | Select “Ask Question” in Facebook. Select “Create Poll” in Schoology and Edmodo. |
| Create quizzes | No | Yes | You can create quizzes that are embedded into Facebook, though you could share a link to a quiz. Edmodo and Schoology have quizzes embedded into the platform. Educator David Grills says quizzes are great for checkups on learning, and the students used it a lot for peer help and communication with him. |
| Access after graduation | Yes | No | Your Facebook activity is usually available to you even after you leave a class or graduate unless your group is deleted. This is something to ask your teacher. Edmodo and Schoology are generally school-based platforms and usually not continued after a school year or graduation. |
| Requires private information from users | Yes | No | Facebook requires private information and uses that information for advertising. Schoology and Edmodo do not. |
| Gradebook and assignments | No | Yes | Schoology and Edmodo are specifically learning management systems that let you capture and record student work. Facebook does not have such a feature. |
The verdict
Facebook is the platform where our students and parents are already communicating. That is why Facebook is a great choice when working with students over 13 years of age or when trying to strengthen the home school connection.
While Facebook isn’t the best tool to serve all your needs, it is your best option for social media savvy teachers who want to help students make global connections to authentic audiences, establish a digital footprint, and/or develop a personal learning network. Doing so is not only a good idea because it helps students achieve academic and career readiness, but it is also a good idea because they need our help as responsible role models and guides in their online worlds.
If Facebook is your platform of choice, remember students can “join” a group and “like” a page without friending the moderator. As mandated reporters, friending students may come with more responsibility than teachers are interested in taking on.
If working with students younger than 13 or for teachers who are uncomfortable using social media themselves, Edmodo or Schoology are terrific platforms (see a comparison here and here).They are also the preferred choice if you are looking for a closed learning management system.
Regardless of what platform you choose, remember it is important to know your school or district’s social media / internet acceptable use policy before choosing a route. It is also a good idea to have a discussion with your supervisor about what you plan to do.
I just started to get to know itslearning, a learning plaform out of Norway. Lots if potential for personalized learning.
ReplyDeleteThank you for this interesting post Lisa. My initial reaction is that you are comparing apples to oranges. If the premise of the post would have been to compare LMS or CMS products, then Facebook would not be a consideration since only Schoology has classroom support tools such as attendance tracking, grade book, and homework drop (digital workflow) - which you point out in the last row of your table. In addition, you mention that Edmodo and Schoology do not support PLNs. The very definition of a personal learning network includes face-to-face / digitally connected local teams (PLTs & PLCs) that can be classroom based and school based - both can be supported well by Edmodo & Schoology. If you want to compare social media use to support learning, then I would start by comparing Facebook to Pinterest and Google Plus. My preference is Schoology, however we also have teachers and students that love Edmodo. Facebook is rarely used by our teachers as a CMS, and student use of Facebook is on decline. Thanks again Lisa - for sparking a conversation worth having. www.rtschuetz.net
ReplyDeleteI am not sure your facts about Schoology are entirely correct. Most of Schoology access is set by permissions when you create courses or groups. At the district admin level, even with the free accounts, you can customize. For example, you have the option of allowing students to PM each other,or you can create groups that are open for anyone using Schoology to join. Students can remain in Schoology as long a the admin or teacher gives them access... it does not "expire" when they graduate. Also, Schoology has both the free and the enterprise levels, so there is even more room to customize. Our district currently uses the "free" platform. I created a group specifically for students to join, where they can post and share and discuss. I like Schoology because I feel it is the best of all the worlds for students... for Social Media as well as Blended Learning environment.
ReplyDeleteStephanie Donofe, Westerville City Schools
Thanks for starting this conversation. There's been some great dialogue around this topic on Schoology (www.schoology.com/group/13100889/update/37301221). Thought you might find it interesting.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Mr. H
Students do not need an official social networking platform. They can use Facebook, Twitter, or Google+. Better yet, they could use all three. But social networking is only part of the experience. Students network to learn, so the central piece of your classroom should be a learning platform and not a social platform.
ReplyDeleteSchoology is a learning platform. It lets kids access all their class information and materials, keep track of assignments through the class calendar, take online quizzes, and participate in discussion boards. Teachers post articles, textbook chapters, videos, interactive laboratories, and other activities for students to complete. With Schoology, students can take online quizzes, work in groups, check their grades, and submit homework through a dropbox. Those are HUGE advantages over Facebook that every teacher needs.
Schoology offers the best connection for parents, too. It is far better than Facebook. Parents are can view assignments, posts, and all class information which is probably similar to what they can see on Facebook. With Schoology, parents can also see their child's grades, and they can see every assignment turned in through the Schoology dropbox. Parents can actually see how their students are doing academically!
Does Schoology offer social networking? It actually does. Every post made by a teacher can be automatically sent out through Schoology, Facebook and Twitter simultaneously.
Facebook is a great compliment to other learning platforms, but it should be used with something bigger and better. If I could only pick one - and that is the premise of your blog post - then hands-down the answer is Schoology.