Social Networks Sites (SNSs) have become one of the most extended ways through which people communicate and interact with each other, exceeding the time and space limits of traditional social networks. Since its appearance, SNSs have been presented as significant alternative communication paths to the traditional ones. Consequently, people not only have the possibility to acquire knowledge but also to create and share information in the public net (Campbell, Chong, Ewen, Toombs & Tzalazidis, 2016). Additionally, nowadays SNSs constitute a current tool of interaction in the students’ daily life, becoming one of the basic communication technologies that are reframing pedagogy. In this light, the pedagogical possibilities of SNSs have been recently explored due to its potential to create multiple educational scenarios and, in consequence, to achieve pedagogical aims.

In the last decade, many studies have shown how these digital scenarios have gradually been incorporated into the in conventional educational contexts and, at the same time, in the academic literature (Nagel, Remillard, Aucoin & Takenishi, 2018; Tuzel & Hobbs, 2017; Norman, Nordin, Din, Ally & Dogan, 2015; Gómez, Andersson, Park, Maw, Crook & Orsmond, 2013; Del Moral & Villalustre, 2012; Pasadas, 2010; Hiradhar & Gray, 2008). Following these studies SNSs are offering numerous pedagogical opportunities for emerging generations in formal, non-formal, and informal educational contexts. Considering these studies, there is an agreement among the academic literature about the positive impact of SNSs on diverse learning environments (Froment, García & Bohórquez, 2017). The positive impact of SNSs in learning contexts is provided by the implementation of active pedagogies that go beyond the traditional ones. Because of the growing interest in SNSs, it is worthwhile to analyse the pedagogical implications of their use. Even though the number of academic works have raised in the last decade, there is a lack of academical works that seek to conceptualize and approach the educational use of SNSs under a critical perspective.  

Henceforth, from a critical approach several questions arise: a) What are the pedagogical implications of the use of SNSs at the educational context? b) How is teacher-student interaction in the pedagogical use of SNSs? c) What advices and ambiguities are proposed from the academic literature? d) What limitations and challenges derive from its educational use?

In order to answer the aforementioned questions, the aim of this study is focused on a systematic review of the most recent and relevant literature written in English and Spanish. Specifically, this paper aims to: a) select the most relevant academic papers on SNSs and Education in the English and Spanish production; b) review and identify the types of variables which are important for the study of the educational possibilities of the use of SNSs; c) explore the potential use of SNSs in educational contexts; d) analyze the role of teacher and students in the educational use of SNSs; f) identify the main recommendations, ambiguities, and controversial areas of using SNSs in educational scenarios. To conclude, this paper pretends to review, synthesize and analyze critically the most relevant papers about the educational use of SNSs in the educational scenarios.

In order to achieve the aims of the study, a systematic review using the most relevant articles in the field of SNSs and education has been performed. The applied method for the literature review was a combination of systematic and rapid review in which the studies were identified under some restrictions of time, searching engine and text type (Petticrew & Roberts, 2006, p. 39). For the purpose of creating a data set that incorporates the most relevant literature, eight databases were selected: ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycARTICLES, EBSCO, ISOC, DOAJ, and REDIB. After selecting the mentioned databased, the search criteria were established. The search process was the following keyword combination: “Social Media” or “Social Network Sites” AND “Education” or “Teaching”, or “Learning” (also “Redes sociales” AND “Educación”, or “Enseñanza” or “Aprendizaje” (as Spanish keywords). Then it was only considered the categories of “Journal articles” and “Full-text”. After applying the criteria, a total of 821 academic works focused on the topic were gathered. Once the abstract and the title of the articles were read, 164 were temporally selected and 161 were definitely included. Considering the selected articles, inclusive and exclusive criteria were applied, resulting in a sample of 105 definitive articles for the systematic analysis. In order to justify the possible different results found in the selected studies, the sample of the selected articles was classified in three groups: theoretical, qualitative, and mixed. Quantitative articles were excluded in order to apply future analysis (meta-analysis).The next stage was the coding of the selected studies as an essential task of the process of classifying the characteristics of the studies (Lipsey & Wilson, 2001). For the organization of the information, a content analysis was carried out for which a category system was designed.

While the case study date is still in a preliminary stage of analysis, it is expected that most of the references found agree with the positive effect of the educational use of SNSs in formal, non-formal and informal contexts. In addition, the interest of academics in the pedagogical possibilities of the research topic has notably increased in the last 8 years. After a deep revision of the totality of the articles that constitutes the sample, it has been detected three important categories of analysis: (1) Educational Relationship; (2) Pedagogical strategies for the SNSs use, (3) Limitations, ambiguities and challenges. With regard to the educational relationship, most of the studies suggest that SNSs facilitate and improve the interaction between the educator and the educated. In relation with the pedagogical strategies the SNSs use, experts alert the need of providing a formation for the educators who are likely to manage digital scenarios. Most of the strategies proposed follow the philosophical foundations of active pedagogies. Finally, the main conclusions are outlined and suggestions for future research are discussed. Some limitations are discussed, and future areas of research are proposed.

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