Online social networks: perceptions of learning in formal, non-formal and informal contexts by youngsters, their teachers and administrators

Abstract

Online social networks (OSN) provide potential opportunities to develop digital
literacy, which includes the acquisition of technical skills, critical analysis and contextually situated learning practices in complimentary formal and informal contexts. In this article, we present the results of a study about the conditions to fulfill the potential of RSO. We inquired young Portuguese children (ages 10 to 16 years‑old), their teachers and administrators, through focus groups and semi‑structured interviews, according to the mixed methods research design. Our results indicate that teachers recognize a pedagogical potential to OSN, but consider, as students and administrators do, that learning using the OSN occurs mainly informally outside of the educational setting. Teachers also stated that they don’t feel prepared to integrate these tools into the context of their educational curriculum.