New Perspectives in Science Education

The use of digital tools to improve education is a relatively recent but active study object. In the Research Group about Digital Journalism and Broadband, in the Universitat Abat Oliba CEU, in Barcelona (Spain), we analyze, among other items, the use of social network in the classroom, taking advantage of the online activities. In this paper, we study the theoretical framework of social networks and links with education. After it, we will develop a quantitative and qualitative methodology (triangulation). We will select a universe of college used to include digital tools in the classroom (Moodle, online exercises, online exams, hypertext inclusion, streaming to document in the class), and, departing of these skills, we will ask them for aspects of social networks (focused on Facebook and Twitter) in a quantitative way (using Likert scales) and in a qualitative perspective. Observing the practical and social problems associated to the digitization of education, and with critical approach to the subject (relations of power professor-student, or even student-student, preserving the individual factor), we conclude the inclusion of social networks as a tool in the class time is positive, altough we will find the dangers and diverse possibilities.