The social networking phenom has been battled against, especially as far as entering the classroom goes, with the U.S. even offering up a congressional bill that would hold back funds from those schools that don't restrict access to them.
Enter Elgg, which has been created for the purpose of academic use. The open-source social networking software was created at the University of Brighton.
What you get is a profile page, blog, friends lists and photo sharing ability - pretty much what is used the most across any social networking site.
Stan Stanier, the school's learning technologies manager, who oversees a 33,000-member Elgg installation, said, "The virtual learning environment model used by 
nearly all universities these days is based on the traditional tutor-led, course-structured mode of learning and doesn't easily allow for significant participation by students or for crossing course boundaries. Higher education is meant to be an environment for student-centered and collaborative learning."
The technology helps to create "personal learning environments," basically mashup areas where someone can bring together resources of whatever a student or professor may need to look at, document or communicate.
The word is starting to get out about the software, as Elgg is now powering over 50 networks in schools and colleges across the world.
Professor Ewout ter Haar, at the Universidade de São Paolo in Brazil where the software is very popular, said that "One undisputed finding in educational research is that group study works." Ter Haar also added that the software enables students and teachers to share and debate their work, and as a networking tool to find those with similar interests. "Students seem to be using especially their blog as the expression of their academic identity."
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