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This article was downloaded by:[University of Oxford][University of Oxford]On:11 June 2007Access Details:[subscription number 773573297]Publisher:RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK
Communication Education
Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information:http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/title~content=t713684765
I'll See You On "Facebook": The Effects ofComputer-Mediated Teacher Self-Disclosure on StudentMotivation, Affective Learning, and Classroom Climate
To cite this Article:Mazer, Joseph P.,Murphy, Richard E. and Simonds, Cheri J. ,'I'll See You On "Facebook": The Effects of Computer-Mediated TeacherSelf-Disclosure on Student Motivation, Affective Learning, and Classroom Climate ',Communication Education, 56:1, 1 - 17To link to this article: DOI:10.1080/03634520601009710URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03634520601009710PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLEFull terms and conditions of use:http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdfThisarticlemaybeusedforresearch,teachingandprivatestudypurposes.Anysubstantialorsystematicreproduction,re-distribution,re-selling,loanorsub-licensing,systematicsupplyordistributioninanyformtoanyoneisexpresslyforbidden.Thepublisherdoesnotgiveanywarrantyexpressorimpliedormakeanyrepresentationthatthecontentswillbecompleteoraccurateoruptodate.Theaccuracyofanyinstructions,formulaeanddrugdosesshouldbeindependentlyverifiedwithprimarysources.Thepublishershallnotbeliableforanyloss,actions,claims,proceedings,demandorcostsordamageswhatsoeverorhowsoevercausedarisingdirectlyorindirectlyinconnectionwithorarising out of the use of this material. © Taylor and Francis 2007
 
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I’ll See You On ‘‘Facebook’’: TheEffects of Computer-Mediated TeacherSelf-Disclosure on Student Motivation,Affective Learning, and ClassroomClimate
Joseph P. Mazer, Richard E. Murphy & Cheri J. Simonds
This experimental study examined the effects of teacher self-disclosure via Facebook on anticipated college student motivation, affective learning, and classroom climate.Participants who accessed the Facebook website of a teacher high in self-disclosure anticipated higher levels of motivation and affective learning and a more positive classroom climate. In their responses to open-ended items, participants emphasized  possible negative associations between teacher use of Facebook and teacher credibility.Participants offered recommendations for teachers regarding the use of Facebook and other weblog services.Keywords: Teacher Self-disclosure; College Student Motivation; Affective Learning;Classroom Climate 
In the traditional classroom, teachers may spend more time talking than theirstudents (McBride & Wahl, 2005). While teachers may spend a considerable amountof time covering course content, they are also likely to self-disclose by sharinginformation about themselves, telling personal stories, and conveying their personalbeliefs (Nussbaum, Comadena, & Holladay, 1987). A multidimensional construct,self-disclosure is defined as ‘‘any message about the self that a person communicatesto another’’ (Wheeless & Grotz, 1976, p. 47). The
amount 
of teacher disclosure refers
Joseph P. Mazer (M.S., Illinois State University, 2006) is a doctoral student in the School of CommunicationStudies at Ohio University. Richard E. Murphy (M.S., Illinois State University, 2006) is an instructor in theDepartment of Communication Arts at Wayne State College. Cheri J. Simonds (Ph.D., University of Oklahoma,1995) is an Associate Professor in the School of Communication at Illinois State University. This project wasfunded in part by a Teaching-Learning Development Grant from the Center for Teaching, Learning, andTechnology at Illinois State University. Joseph P. Mazer can be contacted at jm161106@ohio.edu
ISSN 0363-4523 (print)/ISSN 1479-5795 (online)
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2007 National Communication AssociationDOI: 10.1080/03634520601009710
Communication Education Vol. 56, No. 1, January 2007, pp. 1
 Á 
17 
 
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to how frequently an instructor self-discloses;
valence 
references the positive andnegative nature of the disclosures; and
relevance 
refers to the relationship of thedisclosure to course content (Cayanus & Martin, 2002). The present study examinesthe effects of teacher self-disclosure on various student and teacher characteristics viaa computer-mediated social network used primarily by students.
Computer Mediated Communication via Virtual Social Networks
Over the past 30 years, computer mediated social networks have been developing atan increasing rate. While time constraints can often limit the amount of face-to-facestudent socialization, students who use forms of computer-mediated communication(CMC) (e.g., online meeting places or social networks) may experience moreopportunities to develop personal relationships than their face-to-face counterparts(Walther, 1995). Scholars found that students who communicate via CMC with otherstudents use more direct uncertainty reduction strategies (e.g., more intimatequestions and self-disclosures) than students in face-to-face conversations (Tidwell & Walther, 2002). Thus, the use of CMC in the instructional context could ultimately have a positive effect on the student-teacher relationship, which can lead to morepositive student outcomes. Additionally, these findings may offer an explanation withregard to communication between students and their teachers. O’Sullivan, Hunt, andLippert (2004) extend this notion by discussing various methods that increasemediated immediacy 
 * 
‘‘the communicative cues in mediated channels that canshape perceptions of psychological closeness between interactants’’ (p. 471). Factorssuch as font use, language, and punctuation all affect student perceptions of teacherimmediacy via computer-mediated channels. In fact, Waldeck, Kearney, and Plax (2001) found that students are more likely to communicate with teachers online whoutilize immediacy behaviors (e.g., use students’ first names, ‘‘emoticons’’ to convey emotion) in email messages.O’Sullivan et al. (2004) found that students who viewed an instructor’s websitewith high levels of mediated immediacy, including forms of self-disclosure, reportedhigh levels of motivation and affective learning, indicating positive attitudes towardthe course and the teacher. Therefore, teachers can increase mediated immediacy by including forms of self-disclosure on personal webpages; however, to date, researchhas not explored the effects of teacher self-disclosure on student outcomes or teachercharacteristics via virtual social networks used primarily by students.Web-based programs such as Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook offer users amedium to create a virtual identity and network with friends and family. UnlikeFriendster and MySpace, Facebook operates exclusively for those in the academiccommunity and has become increasingly popular on college campuses. As the seventhmost trafficked website in the United States, approximately 8 million students fromover 2,000 colleges and 22,000 high schools use Facebook to post personalinformation such as pictures, hobbies, and messages to communicate with fellow students and instructors as well as friends and family (Lashinsky, 2005). This socialnetwork is unique from others (e.g., Friendster and MySpace) in that it serves to
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