Social Media and the Hybridization of Education

摘要

This article presents a discussion and a new theoretical model about how we adequately can describe education on the level of the classroom after the introduction of digital media and wireless networks. As its point of departure the article describes the contemporary situation within the classroom referring to research in Danish upper secondary schools. Then it discusses this situation in relation to medium theory and the education situation before digital media and wireless networks. After that the article provides a systems theoretical explanation following Niklas Luhmann and finds the theory's explanatory power limited in relation to the new situation. Next the article introduces actor network theory following Bruno Latour to overcome the limits of Luhmann's systems theory and reconstruct it framing a hybrid theory both sensitive to the new situation and able to observe it and analyze it adequately as historically linked to the old society. Exemplifying this hybrid theoretical model the article presents the action research project, Socio Media Education, showing pedagogical consequences and possibilities of the new media environment in relation to education. Finally we provide a conclusion on the contemporary situation of social media and the hybridization of education.