I just read an article by Steven Downes, where a child got in trouble for using Facebook to create a study group for chemistry.  You can see the full article at this link http://www.thestar.com/N%20ews/GTA/article/309855

We have been discussing social networking sites a lot here lately, so this article seemed to jump out at me.  There are a variety of reasons people create such networks and they range from meeting new friends, maintaining relationships with current friends, promoting advertising, etc.  Nonetheless, I agree with one of the comments in the article, “What is the difference in creating a study group.”  The only difference in this situation is the fact that it is on the internet, but if you think about it a teacher should be more excited about having a discussion trail rather than a closed group meeting with no idea what types of discussions are happening among the group.

So I questions, would the instructor rather the student be confused about particular questions, or to gain better insight about the assignment from his/her peers?  This is a tough situation, but personally I usually remember things my friends say a lot quicker than if I am working alone on something.  In the same way, discussions tend to stick with me much better in understanding a concept.  So what are the limitations of such social networks?