A study of the effective use of social software by further and higher education in the UK to support student learning and engagement

This is the final report for a UK JISC-funded study into the appropriate and effective use of social software in further and higher education. The study was carried out in a six-month period from August 2008 to January 2009. The report is intended to be read by both policy makers and teaching staff in further and higher education who are considering the use of social software as an aid to teaching or as a means of encouraging, motivating or helping to retain students. The primary function of the study was to collect information about the way social software was actually being used in the sector and to record the experiences of the staff (mainly educators) and students to find out what benefits had been found, what, if any, problems and issues had been encountered (and how these had been resolved)