Socializing the Classroom: Social Networks and Online Learning, by Susan B. Barnes, examines how social media can be used in education through two research grants and real-world applications. Barnes analyzes social media including Facebook, Courseware, and Second Life, while providing a theoretical foundation for examining social software. A new generation of students is surrounded by digital technologies, leading scholars and teachers to consider virtual worlds to engage students.By bringing together human-computer-interaction theories with social theory,Socializing the Classroom creates a theoretical foundation for future research in the area of social media, online learning technologies, and the development of social networks. Readers will gain a better understanding of how students use online learning environments to communicate task-oriented messages and maintain social interactions. This is an essential text for scholars, students, and those interested in social networks and the implementation of technology in education.

Susan B. Barnes is a professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Associate Director of the Social Computing Lab at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

IntroductionChapter 1: What are Social Media?Chapter 2: Self Identity and AwarenessChapter 3: Space Versus PlaceChapter 4: Structure of Networking CommunitiesChapter 5: Awareness and NotificationChapter 6: Second Life and Social PresenceChapter 7: Ethical Issues in Virtual WorldsChapter 8: Social NormsChapter 9: Trust OnlineChapter 10: Remix CultureChapter 11: Social Capital: The Goal of Social NetworkingConclusion