Professionalizing Student and Faculty Use of Social Networking Tools: What Works?

Social networking tools have surpassed e-mail as the preferred communication tool of traditional college students. Students use these tools to write about faculty, students, and school-related activities. A quick Internet search can reveal several stories about the misuse of social networking tools and resulting disciplinary and legal issues on many campuses. To teach students and faculty how to maintain a positive online presence, the University of Minnesota created an online learning module, now completed by over 900 students and faculty. In this session, we'll demonstrate the module, share evaluation results, and discuss best practices for professionalizing social networking.