Although Facebook is generally considered a prime procrastination tool, some Boston University students and faculty members said the site can also be utilized for educational purposes.
In October, The London School of Business and Finance launched LSBF Global MBA on Facebook. The application allows prospective students to view lectures and videos and learn the course work required to obtain an MBA – all through Facebook.
The program’s Facebook page states that its “goal is to deliver a first-class MBA experience that allows students all over the world to study in their own time and at their own pace.”
While the Facebook application is free, there is a charge to take exams. According to The Chronicle of Higher Learning, the whole program costs a total of $22,000.
“It sounds like a great idea to me, if it allows people to pursue their MBA,” said Classical Studies assistant professor Mark Alonge.
Alonge said he believes distance learning is a great way for teachers to reach more students.
“Facebook is a well-established platform that is convenient for people to use,” Alonge said. “I don’t see why other schools wouldn’t use it.”
Eros Angjeli, a sophomore in the School of Management, said he thinks the LSBF Global MBA is a “good idea” that has potential to be successful.
Combining social life with education on the networking website wouldn’t problematic, he said.
Others, such as SMG freshman Diana Chen, said they believe this could be an issue.
Chen said although it’s a good idea “on the surface,” it is flawed.
“You have your personal life, and you have your professional life,” she said. “There should be a line.”
Norman Blanchard, the director of SMG’s undergraduate program, said he believes there is value in the classroom environment that cannot be reproduced online.
“We believe that the traditional model of learning works better,” he said. “The question is, is distance education better than traditional education? We believe we offer a superior product.”
Blanchard also pointed out that BU does not offer any sort of distance education, a fact he doesn’t see changing in the near future.
College of Communication freshman Chaya Rusk also questioned the validity of earning a degree via Facebook.
“I’m appalled,” Rusk said. “I’m astounded that people think this is acceptable.”
Rusk said she “wouldn’t trust someone with that kind of degree.”
Dana Jones, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she believes LSBF Global MBA will not be a huge success as it will be “targeting specific people” who may not want to leave home.
She also said she doesn’t believe people can ever seriously consider Facebook an academic resource.
“People use Facebook to get away from studying,” Jones said.
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