Social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter have become a societal phenomenon, and educators are increasingly experimenting with these new tools in order to find out if they can be used for teaching and learning.

However, we can wonder whether the use of the social media is really in the process of changing teaching and learning practices and whether Irish students are ready to adopt these new tools. We can also query whether social networking sites can contribute to connecting students and developing the feeling of belonging to a learning community amongst them.

In order to investigate these various issues, this chapter offers the findings from a case-study where a Facebook page was introduced in a learning context. Based on the comparison and the analysis of student and staff participatory and use patterns between a Virtual Learning Environment and a Facebook page, as well as feedback questionnaires, this study highlights that the networking site led to a greater level of interactivity amongst students, who enjoyed the informality and accessibility of the page. Yet, preconceptions associated with social media continued to prevail, with students failing to appreciate the educational potential of the site.