title: Using Facebook to facilitate course-related discussion between students and faculty members.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To use Facebook to facilitate online discussion of the content of a Comprehensive Disease Management course and to evaluate student use and perceptions of this exercise.
  
  
  METHODS
  A Facebook page was created and coordinators encouraged students to "like" the page and to post and view study tips, links, or questions. At the end of the course, students' use and perceptions were evaluated using an anonymous survey tool.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of week 1, there were 81 followers, 5 wall posts, and 474 visits to the course Facebook page. At peak use, the page had 117 followers, 18 wall posts, and 1,326 visits. One hundred nineteen students (97% of the class) completed the survey tool. Twenty-six percent of students contributed posts compared to 11% who posted on the course discussion board on Blackboard. Students were more likely to post and be exposed to posts on Facebook than on Blackboard. Students found Facebook helpful and 57% said they would miss Facebook if use was not continued in subsequent courses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Students in a Comprehensive Disease Management course found the addition of a Facebook page a valuable study tool and thought most posts added to their learning.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. m.divall@neu.edu
authors.forename: Margarita V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: DiVall
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Kirwin
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003479:Curriculum; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D005178:Faculty; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D015397:Program Evaluation; D061108:Social Media; D013339:Students, Pharmacy