Facebook was used because students used this more than any other social media tool. The student experience is the focal point and has links to retention, attrition and students success. Uses moodle as the VLE. Students are changing and come from a broader area of society.

Wanted to facilitate informal students groups and had looked at the literature but much of this literature around social media use is related to course materials. Role theory was thought to provide a useful framework (Muibrack & Farrell 1995) there are 3 types in their framework which are:

• Task orientated – information seeker
• Maintenance – supporter – encourager
• Descriptive – lurks

The study wanted to explore the key reasons students use a college facebook and understand the roles students play. The students were all on a one year government funded programme focused on foundation studies to enable students to enter an undergraduate programme and so was at first year undergraduate level.

There were 133 students who joined facebook and the age group was 18 – 50 predominantly women and from lower socio economic backgrounds.

Two key areas were the focus of the facebook which were peer support and students experience and social interaction. Some group members did peer mentor those who were struggling and students were very positive about the space. Six themes were found around its use which were logistical support, informal peer support, results comparison, tutor support and clarification, social activities and talking with peers and stress release and anxiety.

The roles from the framework were reflected but the descriptive role was limited in use.

Good quote from the session “may your life one day be as awesome as you pretend it is on facebook”.