Playing and learning in an ‘arts and crafts’ class through online social networking

Soamshine Boonyananta
Chulalongkorn University
Bangkok, Thailand


This research project has the following two objectives: (1) to encourage students to play and learn at the same time in a course on arts and crafts through online social networking; and (2) to study the effects of using online social networking to support teaching and learning on this course. The research subjects were 44 undergraduate students from the Faculty of Education at Chulalongkorn University, enrolled in a course on arts and crafts for teachers in the first semester of the 2012 academic year. A qualitative research methodology was used, with the research instruments being an online social network interaction evaluation form; an online portfolio evaluation; a students’ satisfaction evaluation form on the implementation of online social networking to support teaching and learning; and Chulalongkorn University’s online teaching evaluation form.

The findings from the research were as follows:

The teachers had significantly improved the communications between themselves and the students. Teacher can analyse students individually through reflection on each piece of their arts and crafts work. Through their online portfolio, teacher can also follow the progress of each student continuously.
Using online social networking as a tool to evaluate students’ performances in the course can contribute to joint learning and interaction among students from different classes and areas of specialism. Moreover, as an online display is another channel to show students’ work on arts and crafts more openly to the public, it can also help to increase students’ pride in their works and enjoy ‘playing and learning’ in the arts and crafts class at the same time.