Social media used in education is ultimately an effective means to promote and enhance the interaction and participation of student groups developing a participatory culture (Jenkins et al, 2009) or community of inquiry (Garrison, 2006).

Strong communities of interest or social networks form around common learning interests in the information society (CICLE, 2009) and are part of ‘the scaffolding’ of the new collaborative learning process providing ‘social and cognitive guidance and support’ (Redecker, 2008). Personal space (where messages are sent and received) is complemented by group space (social networking sites such as Facebook) and also publishing space (such as Blogs, Wikis and Youtube) (CICLE, 2009).

It might be argued that one of the primary reasons why social media is an important element of the modern-day learning experience revolves around its capacity to inject a high level of engagement, interaction and flexibility into the education experience . The traditional educational experience is primarily focused on one-way broadcasting, the receiving, consumption and absorption of information. Social media in education, on the other hand, enables interaction and the creation of knowledge through participation and reflection.