58 International Journal of Online Pedagogy and Course Design, 5(1), 58-73, January-March 2015 Copyright © 2015, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. ABSTRACT Social Networking Sites (SNS) are increasingly used in academia to facilitate informal learning, knowledge co-creation, and collaborative problem-solving. Deriving these pedagogic benefts requires SNS usability for all. This paper reports results of an early investigation into SNS usability for blind students. Think-aloud observations generated verbal evidence of six participants’Facebook interaction experiences. Verbal protocol analysis revealed where and how challenges arose in online social interactions. Design standards analysis identifed responsible interface elements and potential remedial measures. Results show that locating Friend’s profle and Timeline, reading, writing, and posting messages were signifcantly challenging. Participants needed additional time and effort, and occasionally sighted help, to perform these basic SNS functions that are integral parts of informal learning activities. Feasible design improvements are proposed that merit further investigation. Implications for educators, learning technologists, cognitive scientists, and usability experts are discussed. Blind Students’ Challenges in Social Media Communication: An Early Investigation of Facebook Usability for Informal Learning Rakesh Babu, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA Keywords: Blind Student, Informal Learning, Online Social Interaction, Social Media, Usability INTRODUCTION Social media offer myriad informal learning op- portunities by facilitating peer communication, fostering learning communities, and promoting 21 st century literacies (Muñoz & Towner, 2011; Lybeck, Bruhn, & Feyissa, 2011). Over 90% of American youth regularly use social media for academic and personal reasons (Smith, Caruso, & Kim, 2010). Facebook, with over a billion monthly users, is the most popular social networking site (SNS) (Facebook, 2013). The ‘Timeline’ is Facebook’s most visible online social interaction (OSI) platform (Muñoz & Towner, 2011). It offers a conducive environ- ment for informal learning. Students clarify doubts by posting questions that are answered by others through reply posts. They engage in discussions and collaborative problem-solving by ‘commenting’and ‘liking’posted topics. This informal, social learning positively impacts academic outcomes (Shen & Wu, 2011). Blind DOI: 10.4018/ijopcd.2015010105