Study also finds that low-income students, contrary to recent studies, are

in many ways just as technologically savvy as their counterparts

    MINNEAPOLIS and ST. PAUL, Minn., June 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In a first-of-
 its-kind study, researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered
 the educational benefits of social networking sites such as MySpace and
 Facebook. The same study found that low-income students are in many ways
 just as technologically proficient as their counterparts, going against
 what results from previous studies have suggested.
 
     The study found that, of the students observed, 94 percent used the
 Internet, 82 percent go online at home and 77 percent had a profile on a
 social networking site. When asked what they learn from using social
 networking sites, the students listed technology skills as the top lesson,
 followed by creativity, being open to new or diverse views and
 communication skills.
 
     To watch a video about the study and a full interview with the lead
 researcher, visit:
 http://www1.umn.edu/urelate/newsservice/Multimedia_Videos/social_network.ht
 m
 
     Data were collected over six months this year from students, ages 16 to
 18, in thirteen urban high schools in the Midwest. Beyond the surveyed
 students, a follow-up, randomly selected subset were asked questions about
 their Internet activity as they navigated MySpace, an online forum that
 provides users with e-mail, web communities and audio and video
 capabilities.
 
     "What we found was that students using social networking sites are
 actually practicing the kinds of 21st century skills we want them to
 develop to be successful today," said Christine Greenhow, a learning
 technologies researcher in the university's College of Education and Human
 Development and principal investigator of the study. "Students are
 developing a positive attitude towards using technology systems, editing
 and customizing content and thinking about online design and layout.
 They're also sharing creative original work like poetry and film and
 practicing safe and responsible use of information and technology. The Web
 sites offer tremendous educational potential."
 
     Greenhow said that the study's results, while proving that social
 networking sites offer more than just social fulfillment or professional
 networking, also have implications for educators, who now have a vast
 opportunity to support what students are learning on the Web sites.
 
     "Now that we know what skills students are learning and what
 experiences they're being exposed to, we can help foster and extend those
 skills," said Greenhow. "As educators, we always want to know where our
 students are coming from and what they're interested in so we can build on
 that in our teaching. By understanding how students may be positively using
 these networking technologies in their daily lives and where the as yet
 unrecognized educational opportunities are, we can help make schools even
 more relevant, connected and meaningful to kids."
 
     Interestingly, researchers found that very few students in the study
 were actually aware of the academic and professional networking
 opportunities that the Web sites provide. Making this opportunity more
 known to students, Greenhow said, is just one way that educators can work
 with students and their experiences on social networking sites.
 
     The study also goes against previous research from Pew in 2005 that
 suggests a "digital divide" where low-income students are technologically
 impoverished. That study found that Internet usage of teenagers from
 families earning $30,000 or below was limited to 73 percent, which is 21
 percentage points below what the U of M research shows. The students
 participating in the U of M study were from families whose incomes were at
 or below the county median income (at or below $25,000) and were taking
 part in an after school program, Admission Possible, aimed at improving
 college access for low-income youth.
 
     Greenhow suggests that educators can help students realize even more
 benefits from their social network site use by working to deepen students'
 still emerging ideas about what it means to be a good digital citizen and
 leader online.
 
     Contact: Patty Mattern, University News Service, (612) 624-2801
 
 
 

SOURCE University of Minnesota