What Is Social Networking?

Social networks can provide a range of benefits to members of an organization:

Support for learning: Social networks can enhance informal learning and support social connections within groups of learners and with those involved in the support of learning.

Support for members of an organization:  Social networks can potentially be used my all members of an organization, and not just those involved in working with students. Social networks can help the development of communities of practice.

Engaging with others: Passive use of social networks can provide valuable business intelligence and feedback on institutional services (although this may give rise to ethical concerns).

Ease of access to information and applications: The ease of use of many social networking services can provide benefits to users by simplifying access to other tools and applications. The Facebook Platform provides an example of how a social networking service can be used as an environment for other tools.

Common interface: A possible benefit of social networks may be the common interface which spans work / social boundaries. Since such services are often used in a personal capacity the interface and the way the service works may be familiar, thus minimizing training and support needed to exploit the services in a professional context.  This can, however, also be a barrier to those who wish to have strict boundaries between work and social activities.