Student class standing, Facebook use, and academic performance

Active vs passive media multitasking and memory for lecture materials

Access to digital technology in the 21st century has led to the emergence of media multitasking (MMT), which involves attempting to engage with multiple streams of media at the same time. This behaviour, which is frequently considered to be a form of inattention, has become increasingly prevalent in educational settings, such as undergraduate lectures. The aim of the present study was to examine volitional media-multitasking (MMT) during an asynchronous online lecture by giving participants the opportunity to engage with a secondary, non-required media stream (i.e., the game of snake). Participants (n = 222) were randomly assigned to either an Active condition, in which they could play the snake game using the arrow keys; or a Passive condition, in which they could watch the snake game, but could not play it. In both conditions, participants could toggle the snake game on and off, using a keypress. MMT was indexed behaviourally by measuring the percentage of time participants had the secondary stream toggled on (i.e., snake time percentage), a method pioneered by Ralph et al. (2020), and subjectively by asking participants to what extent they engaged with other media while the lecture was playing. Following the lecture, participants completed a multiple-choice quiz and self-reported their level of MMT. Our behavioural measure (i.e., snake time percentage) indicated that participants spent significantly more time MMT in the Active condition than the Passive condition. However, there were no significant differences in self-reported MMT or quiz performance across conditions. Furthermore, correlations between both measures of MMT and quiz performance were non-significant. Thus, the present study found no performance decrement as a result of, or in association with, increased volitional MMT.

A Holistic Investigation of the Relationship between Digital Addiction and Academic Achievement among Students

Digital addiction (DA), an umbrella term referring to addiction to any type of digital media, such as the internet, smartphone, digital games, and social media, is a significant factor influencing students' academic achievement (AA). Many scholars have contributed to this line of research from around the world. Nevertheless, the literature lacks a holistic investigation of how the DA-AA research field evolved, which could guide future studies. The current study aims to address this void and conducts a combined bibliometric and science mapping analysis of research addressing the relationship between DA and AA. Data were retrieved from the WoS database, considered one of the optimal databases for such studies with its comprehensive coverage of quality journals. One hundred eighteen articles were included in the final dataset and were analyzed using the SciMAT software, which allowed analysis over three consecutive periods and yielded comparable results regarding the conceptual and thematic evolution of the DA-AA domain. The results indicated an increased research interest in the topic, especially during the last five years. The science mapping analysis showed that the most-studied types of addiction were smartphone addiction for the first two periods and social media addiction for the last. Research in the DA-AA domain which focused on understanding the addictive use of smartphones during the first period, evolved to address factors such as self-efficacy or life satisfaction leading to smartphone addiction and lower grades. During the third period, the number of factors addressed gained significant variety and covered family-related and personal factors.

The Impact of Social Media Use for News on Academic Performance in Underrepresented Undergraduate College Students

Researchers have demonstrated that the relationship between social media use (SMU) and academic performance is mixed. This study extends those findings by examining how SMU for news predicts grade point average (GPA) for Hispanic, Black/African American, and White college students while controlling for gender. Students (N = 378) completed surveys where they reported how many times per week they used various social media platforms for news, whether or not they used those platforms to consume certain types of news, and demographic information. For Hispanic students, results indicated that using YouTube for entertainment news predicted lower GPAs, whereas using YouTube for news predicted higher GPAs. Black/African American students' use of Facebook for news predicted lower GPAs. SMU for news for White students did not predict GPA. Findings indicate that race/ethnicity should be considered when examining the relationship between SMU and academic performance and that minority students' GPAs are affected by their use of social media for news.

Does active participation via integrated questions in large lectures matter?

This paper investigates whether the intensity of participation in large lecture quizzes in a tertiary education context, facilitated and monitored by an online platform, is associated with better examination performance. The platform mirrors lecture slides onto student devices and uses integrated "clicker" style questions within the lecture to quiz students on concepts learned. Using regression, we find that the intensity of quiz participation is positively related to students' performance. Student study perceptions, based on study and career plans, moderate the results. These findings are relevant to educators, especially in a post-COVID-19 learning environment, where the online quiz function could be used to foster participation.

Smartphone Use and Addiction among Pharmacy Students in Northern Thailand: A Cross-Sectional Study

In Thailand and worldwide, smartphone addiction among university students is a growing concern. This study aims to investigate behaviors of smartphone use, the prevalence of smartphone addiction, the duration of smartphone use, and their associated factors among pharmacy students at a university in northern Thailand. This cross-sectional study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire to collect data from January to February 2021. Smartphone addiction was measured using the Smartphone Addiction Scale: Thai Short Version (SAS-SV-TH). Of 281 students (70% female, average age of 21.1 (2.0), year 1 to 5), 87% used smartphones and tablets. Their average time spent on a smartphone was 7.5 (±3.1) hours daily on weekdays and 8.1 (±3.1) on weekends. The top three reasons for using smartphones were social networking (92.9%), education (90.3%) and entertainment (89.6%). Health-related problems associated with smartphone use were insomnia (51.3%), anxiety (41.3%), headache (38.8%) and stress (38.4%). The prevalence of smartphone addiction was 49% (95% CI: 44-55%); the associated factor comprised time spent on smartphones (>5 h/day). The prevalence of spending more than five hours daily on smartphones was 75% (95% CI: 70-80%) during weekdays and 81% (95% CI: 77-86%) during weekends; associated factors for during weekdays included a monthly smartphone bill of more than 500 THB (adjusted odds ratio: 4.30 (95% CI: 2.00-9.24) and for senior students (adjusted OR: 3.31 (95% CI: 1.77-6.19). The results remained the same for the weekend. In short, the results show that half of the pharmacy students were addicted to their smartphone; time spent on smartphones (>5 h/day) was associated with addiction. Therefore, university students should be encouraged to adopt healthy habits for smartphone use (such as limiting screen time and maintaining good posture while using a smartphone or tablet) and to increase their awareness of health-related problems.

Factors associated with stress impacting academic success among post-secondary students: A systematic review

Objective: To synthesize peer-reviewed primary research exploring factors associated with perceived stress impacting post-secondary students' academic success. Methods: A systematic review identified research conducted in North America, Europe, and Australia in the last ten years across 12 databases. Results: Of the 6,214 references screened, 14 English articles published between 2011 and 2018 were deemed relevant. Subsequent analysis characterized articles by study design, location, population, factors with a statistically significant relationship with both perceived stress and academic success, and future research directions. Findings reveal a complex relationship among overlapping factors associated with perceived stress on academic success at both the intrapersonal (eg, academic, demographic, psychological, attitudinal, and behavioral characteristics) and interpersonal levels (eg, social capital). Conclusions: Further research should measure the association of the identified factors to inform areas where resources could be targeted within post-secondary institutions to prevent stress from unduly impacting students' educational outcomes.

Academic Cyberslacking: Why Do Students Engage in Non-Academic Internet Access During Lectures?

Introduction

University students, as members of the digital generation, often access the internet for non-academic purposes while attending lectures in the classroom. Internet access for non-academic purposes during lectures is known as academic cyberslacking. This study aims to test the effects of media multitasking, self-efficacy, self-regulation, social media engagement, and Attention, Relevance, Confidence, and Satisfaction (ARCS) motivation, on the engagement in academic cyberslacking by university students.

Methods

The participants were 1485 university students, who had previously engaged in academic cyberslacking during lectures. The research instruments in this study were an academic cyberslacking scale, a media multitasking self-efficacy scale, a self-regulation scale, a social media engagement scale, and an ARCS motivation scale. The research model and hypotheses are tested using structural equation model (SEM) by Lisrel. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) is also used to analyze all the instruments. The respondents’ demographic data were analyzed using SPSS.

Results

The results showed that it is only media multitasking self-efficacy and social media engagement which have any significant effects regarding academic cyberslacking. Self-regulation and ARCS motivation do not have direct association with academic cyberslacking.

Conclusion

Students do academic cyberslacking during lectures. Media multitasking self-efficacy and social media engagement can predict students’ academic cyberslacking. It is recommended that students direct their involvement in the digital environment to more constructive efforts during lectures.

Boosting EFL learners’ commitment and enjoyment in language learning through social networking: A literature review

Social networking applications have been designed as innovative technologies used by the higher education section to enhance the acquisition of literacy skills, driving learners to engage in online learning platforms. Such tools such as social networking have also been proven to facilitate teaching and learning; therefore, educational programs and universities are increasingly making use of networking sites to form connections with students and to offer online instructional content. This trend has placed questions, regarding the effect of social media on language learning and its potential use as an effective instructional tool. The constructive role of enjoyment did not obtain equal academic consideration in the EFL learning milieu until Positive Psychology was presented to L2 education. Using social networking, users find online tasks appealing and experience the enjoyment that, in turn, impacts their behavioral intention to use them positively. Commitment is another factor that refers to the degree to which students are involved in learning enthusiastically. This construct concerns the extent to which students are loyal to learning, textbooks, and class etiquette. As it contributes to the quality of learning, it is considered a prerequisite for students’ academic success and educational attainment. Based on the role of the above-mentioned constructs in language learning, the present review tries to consider the role of social networking in boosting EFL students’ commitment and enjoyment. Consequently, some implications are presented for academic stakeholders in the quest of considering the role of social networking in language education.

Effect of social media overload on college students’ academic performance under the COVID-19 quarantine

Features and relevant services of online social media have been attracting users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous studies have shown that college students tend to use social media more frequently than other groups. However, in being affected by social media overload, the social media use behaviors of many college students have been out of their control in terms of their capabilities or cognition. Based on the stressor–strain–outcome (SSO) model and the theory of compensatory internet use (TCIU), we developed a research model to study the causes of social media overload and its impact on college students’ academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 441 valid responses from college students through questionnaires in China are collected via purposive sampling and used in the data analysis. This study conducts PLS-SEM to analyze collected data, finding that boredom proneness is associated with overload (stress), which has a bearing on social media overload (strain) and the reduction in final performance (outcome). Through illustrating the psychological and behavioral conditions that hinder the academic performance of students, this study provides deeper insights into students’ uncontrollable use of social media. Moreover, with respect to the identified antecedents, this study aims to find solutions to mitigate the impact of social media overload resulting from boredom proneness on the academic performance of college students.

Learning Outcomes of Educational Usage of Social Media: The Moderating Roles of Task–Technology Fit and Perceived Risk

This study aims to explore the moderating roles of task–technology fit (TTF) and perceived risk (PR) in the relationships between the educational usage of social media (SM) platforms and its use outcomes. This is to better understand the potential benefits of using SM for educational purposes and to provide thorough insights on how SM usage would influence students’ use outcomes. We conceptualize the potential use outcomes through three-dimensional factors: perceived satisfaction, perceived academic performance, and perceived impact on learning. We further hypothesize that TTF and PR have negative moderation effects on the relationships between SM usage and the variables of use outcomes. In addition, we examine gender differences using multi-group analysis. Data were collected from a state college in Palestine using a self-administered survey, and Smart-PLS was used for data analysis and model testing using partial least square–structural equation modeling. The findings reveal that TTF has significant negative effects on the relationships between SM usage and its outcomes, whereas PR has insignificant negative moderation effects. Despite the significant negative interaction effects of TTF, the educational usage of SM has a positive impact on use outcomes. Furthermore, the findings only indicate significant gender differences in three variables: information sharing, TTF, and PR.

The Role of Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube Frequency of Use in University Students’ Digital Skills Components

The literature provides rich evidence on students’ levels of digital skills as well as on their frequency of Internet and social media use. Several studies have examined the relationships between social media use and academic achievement. However, there are not any studies investigating the relationships between social media use and digital skills of higher education students. To fill this research gap, this study examines the links between the frequency of social media use and students’ digital skills. The survey was conducted with 155 university students in Greece. The instrument on six digital skills components was evaluated in terms of reliability and consistency. The research findings reveal a strong positive association between the use of YouTube and students’ digital skills on content evaluation and protection. Age and educational level differences were noted in several digital skills components, whereas age and gender were related to the frequency of Instagram use. The main conclusion is that the generic use of Facebook and Instagram does not affect students’ digital skills. However, combined literature evidence implies that when social media are used for educational purposes, they might influence students’ perceived levels of digital skills. Implications and limitations are discussed in the study.

Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Students’ Learning Experience Using Microsoft Teams versus Social Network Sites

The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 forced governments to continue with distance learning. Due to the absence of a formal digital learning management system (DLMS), public universities in many countries adopted social network sites (SNSs), e.g., Facebook and WhatsApp, and/or digital communication platforms, e.g., Microsoft (MS) Teams and Zoom for teaching and learning. This research investigates students’ learning experiences and responses to course/s incorporating SNSs and MS Teams as a sole distance learning platform during COVID-19. An online, pre-tested, questionnaire was used, directed at bachelor students in public institutions in Egypt, offering tourism and hotel programs, who received their courses using both SNSs and MS Teams. The results showed that the usage of both SNSs and MS Teams helped students to access information and learning resources, have good impact on their knowledge construction and critical refection, and report overall positive learning experience. The results of paired-samples t-test showed statistically significant differences between students’ experiences of course/s incorporating SNSs and MS Teams. However, students recorded limited support by their educators and peers and low participation in course activities that adopted MS Teams. They also reported poor assessment and feedback with course/s that incorporated SNSs. Hence, several implications for scholars, policymakers, and educators were presented for achieving better learning experience and to cope with the pandemic or similar crises, especially in universities with poor infrastructure, including unavailability of DLMS.

Compassion-Focused Technologies: Reflections and Future Directions

Compassion is a prosocial motivation that is critical to the development and survival of the human species. Cultivating compassion involves developing deep wisdom, insight, and understanding into the nature and causes of human suffering; and wisdom and commitment to take positive action to alleviate suffering. This perspective piece discusses how compassion relates to the context of modern technology, which has developed at a rapid pace in recent decades. While advances in digital technology build on humankind's vast capacity to develop practical tools that promise to enrich our lives and improve our social connections, in reality the effects are often far from benign. The motives underlying the development of many contemporary digital platforms seem rooted in competitiveness and capitalism; while modern social media and online platforms are having a profound and pervasive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of humans around the globe. Nonetheless, digital technology holds considerable potential to promote compassionate insight, wisdom, and prosocial behavior. We reflect on the current state of technology within human society and examine the notion of compassionate technologies; discuss how contemporary paradigm shifts such as the inclusive design movement may be harnessed to build tools and platforms that promote collective good and increase prosocial behavior; and highlight examples of initiatives that are harnessing modern technology to advance democracy, collective knowledge, and personal freedoms and agency.

Facebook and older adults: Fulfilling psychological needs?

Self-determination theory posits that feeling related, competent, and autonomous is central to wellbeing. However, meeting these psychological needs can become difficult as adults age. Facebook use has been associated with enhanced relatedness, competence, and autonomy in a student population, but the effect of Facebook use on the psychological needs in older adults has yet to be investigated. Drawing from self-determination theory, we investigated whether Facebook use facilitated older adults' relatedness, competence, and autonomy needs, and the relationship between these psychological needs and levels of mobility. One hundred and twenty-seven adults (Mage = 71), completed an online survey that measured Facebook use, relatedness, competence, autonomy, and levels of mobility. More frequent Facebook users reported significantly higher levels of relatedness compared to less frequent Facebook users, and less mobile participants reported significantly lower levels of autonomy and used Facebook significantly more frequently than more mobile participants. The potential of Facebook as a tool to help older adults meet their relatedness needs is discussed.

Facility-Related Factors Affecting Academic Performance of Medical Students in Human Anatomy

INTRODUCTION

Medical students' academic performance plays an important role in producing qualified graduates who will become great practitioners and workforce for the country's health sector responsible for controlling, diagnosing, and treatment of diseases. The purpose of this study was to identify college facility-related factors affecting medical students' academic performance in the human anatomy course.

METHODS

To achieve the objective of this study, a cross-sectional study design was carried out between January 13 and March 30, 2019. One hundred twenty study participants were recruited in the study. Data were collected using self-administered questioners. Binary and multinomial logistic regression were applied to analyze the data.

RESULTS

A total of 120 participants were included in the study. Of which, 81 (67.5%) were male while 39 (32.5%) were females. Dormitory crowdedness (AOR 3.16 (95% CI: 0.83-2.01, p= 0.11), large class size (AOR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.11-4.64 p = 0.005), inadequate classroom facilities (AOR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.51-4.91, p = 0.001), low internet access (AOR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.07-3.22, p = 0.015) and inadequate anatomy-teaching model (AOR = 2.63; 95% CI: 1.17-6.12, p =0.003) were significantly associated with low performance of students in human anatomy course exam. However, college library (AOR = 0.23; 95% CI: 0.1-0.48 p = 0.061) did not show significant association with academic performance (p = 0.61).

CONCLUSION

Dormitory crowdedness, large class size, inadequate classroom facilities, low internet access, and inadequate anatomy-teaching models were independent factors, which affect the performance of medical students in the human anatomy course exam. However, there was no significant association between the college library and the performance of study participants in this particular course.

Responses to COVID-19 in Higher Education: Social Media Usage for Sustaining Formal Academic Communication in Developing Countries

The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has forced higher education institutions to shift from face-to-face to online education. However, many public institutions, especially in developing countries, often do not have access to formal online learning management systems (LMS) for facilitating communication with students and/or among faculty members. This research empirically examines the extent to which social media sites are adopted by faculty members and students for sustaining formal, i.e., sole and official tools, academic communication. For this purpose, online questionnaire surveys, supplemented with in-depth interviews, were undertaken with both faculty members and students. The results showed that students’ personal usage of social media has promoted its effective usage for sustaining formal teaching and learning. However, significant differences were found between faculty members and students regarding social media usage for student support and building an online community. Students used social media for building an online community and supporting each other, whereas faculty members were focused on teaching and learning exclusively. The results confirm that proper usage of social media could promote a new era of social learning, social presence and an alternative platform to foster online learning. Research implications for higher education policymakers, especially in developing countries, and scholars are discussed.

Curvilinear performance effects of social cyberloafing out of class: the mediating role as a recovery experience

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether Chinese college students' social cyberloafing out of class has a curvilinear effect on academic performance and whether students' levels of psychological detachment and relaxation mediate the effect.

Design/methodology/approach

A field survey was used to collect 502 self-reported responses from student Internet users at a large university located in central China.

Findings

The results show an inverted U-shaped relationship between social cyberloafing out of class and academic performance. Two types of effort recovery experience gained from social cyberloafing, psychological detachment and relaxation, mediate that effect. Students' social cyberloafing out of class is positively associated with psychological detachment and relaxation, which in turn, have opposite effects on academic performance.

Practical implications

This study offers novel insights into the effects of social cyberloafing on college students' academic achievement. The findings illustrate how social cyberloafing can serve as a recovery experience and improve academic performance, but it can hinder performance if the cyberloafing is excessive.

Originality/value

This study extends the cyberloafing literature by focusing on Chinese college students' cyberloafing out of class. The study finds that a moderate amount of social cyberloafing out of class can result in psychological detachment, relaxation and improved performance when returning to academic work. However, both too much or too little social cyberloafing can result in difficulty returning to academic work and reduced academic performance. The findings are novel to the cyberloafing literature.

Identifying factors that influence students performance through social networking sites: An exploratory case study

Social network sites (SNSs) are the most essential communication tools among students, especially at higher levels of education. The purpose of this study is to identify and examine the factors that have an impact on the academic performance of students by using SNSs. The suggested factors that affect student performance are interactions with colleagues, interactions with instructors, engagement, and cooperative learning. The primary research objective of this case study is to determine which factors affect students' academic performance while using SNSs. In this study, i.e., quantitative research, a survey was conducted to analyze the factors associated with student's performance, among undergraduate and graduate students during the 2016/2017 academic session. The survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistical correlations and regression models. The findings indicate that SNSs have a significant positive effect on interactions with colleagues, interactions with instructors, engagement, cooperative learning, and student performance. In addition, interactions with colleagues and instructors while using SNSs simplify the communication between students and instructors, which leads to an enhancement of cooperation, knowledge sharing, and improvement and development of the learning process and also provides many learning chances.

Correlates of social media fatigue and academic performance decrement

Purpose

The current study aims to investigate if different measures related to online psychosocial well-being and online behavior correlate with social media fatigue.

Design/methodology/approach

To understand the antecedents and consequences of social media fatigue, the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework is applied. The study consists of two cross-sectional surveys that were organized with young-adult students. Study A was conducted with 1,398 WhatsApp users (aged 19 to 27 years), while Study B was organized with 472 WhatsApp users (aged 18 to 23 years).

Findings

Intensity of social media use was the strongest predictor of social media fatigue. Online social comparison and self-disclosure were also significant predictors of social media fatigue. The findings also suggest that social media fatigue further contributes to a decrease in academic performance.

Originality/value

This study builds upon the limited yet growing body of literature on a theme highly relevant for scholars, practitioners as well as social media users. The current study focuses on examining different causes of social media fatigue induced through the use of a highly popular mobile instant messaging app, WhatsApp. The SSO framework is applied to explore and establish empirical links between stressors and social media fatigue.

Social Media Usage and Tertiary Students’ Academic Performance: Examining the Influences of Academic Self-Efficacy and Innovation Characteristics

The universal growth of social media usage among tertiary students has been linearly associated with academic performance. As social media use continues its constant growth, its application among tertiary students is inevitable. Its influence on academic performance turns out to be an ever more important question to think about. Researchers have mixed results, some found social media usage having little to no effect, and others found negative and positive effects on academic performance. Using a sample of 808 students in ten public tertiary institutions, this study makes an effort on how to deal with these differing outcomes and to investigate the effect of social media usage on tertiary students’ academic performance. We explored the relationship of the frequency of students’ use of social media for educational purposes and their academic performance, as measured by their cumulative grade point average (i.e., CGPA) with academic self-efficacy and innovation characteristics as mediator and moderator, respectively. The results revealed that social media usage for educational purposes positively related to academic performance. It also demonstrated that the use of social media can negatively affect academic performance. This study makes it more noticeable the effect of academic self-efficacy as a mediator in further improving the academic performance of students. Additionally, the empirical results of the study demonstrated that the moderating effect of innovation characteristics between social media usage and academic performance was stronger. The practical relevance of the study is to help governments, politicians, policy makers, students, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to carve specific policies, guidelines, and initiatives in support of social media usage as an innovative and effective tool for learning and sustainable academic performance.

Determinants and academic achievement effect of Facebook use in educational communication among university students

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that drive students to use Facebook for educational communication and explore the impact of Facebook use for educational communication on perceived academic achievement.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted through a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from student Facebook users at a large technology and engineering university in Malaysia. Partial least squares path modeling was used to test the hypotheses in the research model.

Findings

This empirical study showed that Facebook use in educational communication is determined by subjective norms and purposive value. Facebook use in educational communication positively affected perceived academic achievement.

Practical implications

The findings provide useful insight for higher institutions and educators regarding the potential academic effects of integrating Facebook into higher education learning. Moreover, this study provides insight into the factors that drive Facebook use in educational communication.

Originality/value

Prior studies have largely investigated the determinants and the effects of Facebook use among university students. However, little research has focused on educational communication phenomena. This study investigated determinants and academic achievement effect of Facebook use in educational communication among university students.

Social Media Use in Higher Education: A Review

Nowadays, social networks incessantly influence the lives of young people. Apart from entertainment and informational purposes, social networks have penetrated many fields of educational practices and processes. This review tries to highlight the use of social networks in higher education, as well as points out some factors involved. Moreover, through a literature review of related articles, we aim at providing insights into social network influences with regard to (a) the learning processes (support, educational processes, communication and collaboration enhancement, academic performance) from the side of students and educators; (b) the users’ personality profile and learning style; (c) the social networks as online learning platforms (LMS—learning management system); and (d) their use in higher education. The conclusions reveal positive impacts in all of the above dimensions, thus indicating that the wider future use of online social networks (OSNs) in higher education is quite promising. However, teachers and higher education institutions have not yet been highly activated towards faster online social networks’ (OSN) exploitation in their activities.

Use of social media, student engagement, and academic performance of business students in Malaysia

Purpose

Social media is a popular communication tool for college students in many countries including Malaysia. Even though the literature indicates that the use of social media in a higher learning environment is likely to enhance academic performance of college students, the mechanism that explains such association is yet to be explored. Based on the claims that the integration of social media use is purposeful to enhance student engagement, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of student engagement as a potential mediator between social media use and academic performance of college students in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

A total number of 227 business students in one of the public universities in Malaysia were randomly chosen to participate in this study. Questionnaire was used as the main data collection technique, which was personally administered during class sessions. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling-partial least square (SEM-PLS).

Findings

The result showed the multidimensionality of student engagement. It also indicated that cognitive engagement mediated the relationship between social media and academic performance, but not behavioral, emotional, or agentic engagement. The result suggests that social media has the potential to be used in a learning environment as it promotes cognitive engagement of students in class and subsequently their academic performance and success.

Research limitations/implications

One of the limitations of the present study is that the generalizability of the finding to a much larger population of students may be limited as the sampled students were recruited from business students in one of the public universities in Malaysia only. Students of different academic programs in different universities may have a different pattern of using the social media.

Practical implications

This study will help higher learning institutions and educators think of ways to integrate the use of social media in learning activities to help students achieve better academic performance. As shown by the findings, such use can encourage students to be cognitively engagedt in class in which the students can be more active learners.

Originality/value

The present study adds to the literature in social media use by addressing the issue of how it helps enhance academic performance of college students in a single model. Past studies tended to examine the role of social media and student engagement and the effect of student engagement on academic performance separately. Furthermore, this study took into consideration various types of social media used by college students who tend to have multiple accounts.

The effects of using social network sites on academic performance: the case of Qatar

Purpose

Social network sites (SNSs) have been common applications attracting a large number of users in Qatar. Current literature remains inconclusive about the relationship between SNS usage and users’ academic performance. While one stream confirms that SNS usage may lead to addiction and seriously affect individuals’ academic performance, other studies refer to SNS as learning enablers. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it investigates the SNS usage profiles among the young generation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) represented by Qatar; second, it examines the relationship between the identified SNS usage profiles and their respective users’ academic performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study follows a quantitative survey-based method that was adapted from Chen’s internet Addiction Scale to fit the context of social networks. Data were collected from students of two universities in Qatar, one private and another public. Respondents’ grade point average was also collected and compared across the different usage profiles to understand how SNS usage behavior affects academic performance.

Findings

Results reveal that there is no linear relationship between SNS usage and academic performance. Therefore, this study further investigates SNS usage profiles and identifies three groups: passive (low usage), engaged (normal usage) and addicted (high usage). It was found that engaged users demonstrate significantly higher academic performance than their passive and addicted peers. Moreover, there is no significant difference in the academic performance between passive and addicted users.

Research limitations/implications

This study is cross-sectional and based on self-reported data collected from university students in Qatar. Further research venues could employ a more general sample covering a longer period, differentiating between messaging tools (e.g. WhatsApp) and other pure SNS (e.g. Twitter), and to cover other aspects than just academic performance.

Originality/value

This study complements research efforts on the influence of technology on individuals and on the society in the GCC area. It concludes that engaged SNS users achieve better academic performance than the addicted or passive users. Contradicting the strong linear relationship between SNS and performance, as claimed by previous studies, is the main originality of this paper.

The Role of Executive Functioning and Technological Anxiety (FOMO) in College Course Performance as Mediated by Technology Usage and Multitasking Habits

This study investigated how technology use impacts academic performance. A proposed model postulated that academic performance could be predicted by a cognitive independent variable-executive functioning problems-and an affective independent variable-technological anxiety or FOMO (fear of missing out)-mediated by how students choose to use technology. An unobtrusive smartphone application called "Instant Quantified Self" monitored daily smartphone un-locks and daily minutes of use. Other mediators included self-reported smartphone use, self-observed studying attention, self-reported multitasking preference, and a classroom digital metacognition tool that assessed the student's ability to understand the ramifications of technology use in the classroom that is not relevant to the learning process. Two hundred sixteen participants collected an average of 56 days of "Instant" application data, demonstrating that their smartphone was unlocked more than 60 times a day for three to four minutes each time for a total of 220 daily minutes of use. Results indicated that executive functioning problems predicted academic course performance mediated by studying attention and a single classroom digital metacognition subscale concerning availability of strategies of when to use mobile phones during lectures. FOMO predicted performance directly as well as mediated by a second classroom digital metacognition concerning attitudes toward mobile phone use during lectures. Implications for college students and professors include increasing metacognition about technology use in the classroom and taking "tech breaks" to reduce technology anxiety.

Engagement Patterns of High and Low Academic Performers on Facebook Anatomy Pages

Only a few studies have investigated how students use and respond to social networks in the educational context as opposed to social use. In this study, the engagement of medical students on anatomy Facebook pages was evaluated in view of their academic performance. High performers contributed to most of the engagements. They also had a particular preference for higher levels of engagement. Although the students were deeply involved in the educational element of the pages, they continued to appreciate the inherent social element. The profound engagement of the high performers indicated a consistency between Facebook use in the educational context and better student performance. At the same time, the deeper engagement of high performers refutes the opinion that Facebook use is a distractor. Instead, it supports the notion that Facebook could be a suitable platform to engage students in an educational context.

Student use of Facebook for informal learning and peer support

Purpose

– As the use of social networking and social media technologies (SNT) has become pandemic amongst young people (Tess, 2013; Falahah and Rosmala, 2012) there has been an increasing drive amongst educators and researchers to explore the ways in which SNT may be utilised within the classroom (Junco, 2012). Whilst there is therefore an increasing amount of literature available in relation to the use of SNT within the classroom it does not appear that there has been sufficient research considering the manner in which SNT results in the development of a complex, invisible and organic social network amongst students. When these networks exist outside of the classroom they may allow informal learning and peer support to occur. The purpose of this paper is to investigate these issues. Additionally this paper seeks to determine if the use of Facebook by students may provide an indication of the likelihood of student success on their course.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper utilises an empirical approach to explore the nature of these invisible networks and the degree to which the use of SNT by students outside of the classroom may provide support for student learning in relation to informal learning and social interaction. This study explores the use of Facebook through the use of a case study of one cohort of 90 creative arts students who undertook a one-year Foundation in Art and Design course within a specialist arts college in the UK. This research utilises the technique of social network analysis (SNA) in order to visualise the type of interactions that occur within the online network and the strength of these interactions (Dawson, 2008).

Findings

– Results demonstrate that within this case study the creative arts student group created a complex and interrelated network of connections through Facebook with some students clearly placed at the centre of the network and others on the periphery. It is also demonstrated that those students who are more central within the network are more likely to remain on the course and achieve their qualification.

Originality/value

– This paper demonstrates that SNA provides a useful and insightful way in which to visualise what would otherwise be an invisible network of connections made by students outside of the classroom. Furthermore this paper will provide an insight for teachers and researchers into the benefits of the use of SNT within education, which will have practical implications for the future use of SNT in teaching and learning.