Corporate Social Networks Applied in the Classroom

Abstract

The impact of online social networks has been extensive because of the new way they enable not only in terms of the relation, communication and collaboration among people, but also between people and businesses. So much so, their use is already habitual within organizations, known as Corporate Social Networks, in order to achieve the same benefits. The present study aims to analyze the advantages these corporate social networks have in the classroom seen as a micro-organization where a group of students interact, work and collaborate during a master´s or postgraduate course. To support this research, during 2015 a corporate social network (Yammer) has been introduced to 5 groups of students of various master´s in the prestigious business school ESIC. The feedback obtained from those students and some examples of classroom dynamics prove the usefulness and great value of a corporate social network in postgraduate classes, although some common difficulties and considerations raised by the students themselves have to be taken into account in order to manage its optimal adoption in class. This study also tries to propose some guidelines and best practices obtained as a result of the experience of use and the adoption of social networks in class in order to improve the learning process and innovate in the methodology applied to education.