Overview - Pages, Groups and Groups for Schools

Facebook has three options for creating collaborative spaces Pages, Groups, Groups for Schools.

Groups for Schools

Provides collaborative spaces that are restricted to members of the UQ community. Within the UQ community group you can setup sub groups. It is possible to message other members of the UQ community without being friends with them.

• Type of learning activities: Learning activities that are restricted to the members of the UQ community.
• Privacy: There are 3 options available:
  • Open: Anyone can see an open group, and who's in it. Members of the UQ community can also see or post updates, photos, files and events shared within the group.
  • Closed: Anyone can see a closed group, and who's in it. Only members of a closed group can see or post updates, photos, events and files.
  • Secret: Only members of a secret group can see the group, who’s in it and what members post and share.
• Membership approval: There are two options:
  • Any UQ community member can request to join an Open or Closed group. All members can add members and approve membership requests.
  • Only the group administrators can approve membership requests and add members.
• Communication: Only members of a group can post in closed or secret groups. The administrators of open groups can choose to allow non-members who are in the UQ community to post in the group.

Groups

Provides collaborative spaces that are open to all Facebook members.

• Type of learning activity: Learning activities that require collaboration between both UQ members and the wider community.
• Privacy: In addition to an open setting, more privacy settings are available for groups. In secret and closed groups, posts are only visible to group members.
  • Open: Anyone can see an open group, who's in it and posts.
  • Closed: Anyone can see a closed group, and who's in it. Only members of a closed group can see or post updates, photos, events and files.
  • Secret: Only members of a secret group can see the group, who’s in it and what members post and share.
• Membership approval: Group members must be approved or added by other members. When a group reaches a certain size, some features are limited.
• Communication: In groups, members receive notifications by default when any member posts in the group. Group members can participate in chats, upload photos to shared albums, collaborate on group docs and invite members who are friends to group events.

Pages

Pages are designed to allow real organisations, businesses, celebrities and brands to communicate broadly with people who like them. Pages may only be created and managed by official representatives.

• Type of learning activity: Generally pages are not suitable for learning activities. Maybe suitable for authentic learning tasks that require students to create an original business, brand or organisation.
• Privacy: Page information and posts are public and generally available to everyone on Facebook.
• Audience: Anyone can like a Page to become connected with it and get News Feed updates. There is no limit to how many people can like a Page.
• Communication: Page admins can share posts under the Page’s name. Page posts appear in the feeds of people who like the Page and their friends. Page admins use Page Insights to track the Page’s growth and activity.

Adapted from: How are pages different from groups? Which one should I create?