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Facebook and other sites may serve as a better communication channel between students and professors, but there are drawbacks to consider.
For some college students, social networking sites (SNS) such as Facebook and MySpace have become their principal means of communication. Many have lessened or completely relinquished usage of their school and personal e-mail addresses. Others have installed these sites' mobile features so that they can constantly be in touch with their online networks.
Recognizing this phenomenon, colleges and universities have started thinking about how to harness the connective power of SNS to further engage students in academic life. Likewise, higher education recruiters have begun to follow their college's lead. Many are finding that prospective students are using these networks in addition to searching campus Web sites. As such, recruitment measures include using SNS to "e-recruit" students. Recent studies are even showing that professors are using social networking sites like these to assist in negotiating the teacher-student relationships. Yet, at many colleges and universities, administrators and faculty still wonder whether they should embrace SNS as a pedagogical tool. Some wonder whether these sites will really live up...