Developing pragmatic skills of social capital investment : review of the role of social technologies in the student lifecycle

Social networking applications have become an integral part of university communication and learning technology strategies. Starting from the applicant recruitment to student support, to teaching and learning, social technologies have been assimilated in the technological fabric of Higher Education Institutions over recent years. Social networks are no longer a novel phenomenon, in technology terms the decade since the emergence of social networking services is an incredibly long timeframe. In this article, we present a review of extant research and scholarship in the area of social technologies and their applications throughout the student lifecycle at university and in life-long learning. We discuss key features and developments in the social technology arena, then present considerations for future research.