The mobile learning conscious tutor: Incorporating Facebook in tutorials

Today's students are digital natives, and advances in mobile technology should impel institutions of learning to revaluate their tutoring systems. Our study explored tutors' potential to introduce mobile learning through the social media application, Facebook, in tutorials conducted at the University of Johannesburg's faculty of education. This study further considered the tutors' potential to motivate students to use their devices for learning on social media through professional communities of practice online. Our exploratory qualitative study sought to understand the perception of tutors and tutees about the inclusion of Facebook through in-depth reviews of the literature, focus group interviews, questionnaires, and online log data responses. The data was thematically analysed and the results suggest that tutors can encourage students to use their devices for academic purposes through online Facebook discussions. Our conclusion is that the inclusion of Facebook as part of the tutorial experience can support virtual professional communities of learning online beyond the traditional physical and formal tutorial.