Participatory practices on social networking sites. Potential and limits of a student-voice experience

Abstract

The last years and decades have seen a growing significance of social networks as tools for expressing personal identity and collective participation, especially among the younger generations. Participatory practices of various kinds are highlighting the fusion of the areas of formal learning and the informal contexts in which children live. Apart from the benefits that accompany this phenomenon, the potential risks that we may face without the appropriate skills have to be taken into account as well. Acquiring specific skills can help reduce these risks and make the most of the potential of these digital environments. The experiences described in this paper are supposed to examine whether an environment similar to Facebook can be used to lend a voice to the students of a secondary school in order to empower them to play a key role in the improvement process of their education. The current lack of students’ participation in the study made the authors reflect on the use of social networking sites in a school environment, both in relation to the student voice approach and the conditions for its effective implementation in schools.