Exploring students’ purposes of usage and educational usage of Facebook

A Meta-Analysis of Facebook-Assisted Learning Outcomes in Different Countries or Regions

In this special pandemic time, many learners have been forced to stay at home receiving education through mobile learning applications and social media such as Facebook. It is thus meaningful to meta-analytically review the studies on Facebook-assisted learning outcomes in different countries or regions to provide constructive suggestions for improvements on mobile learning. Through a meta-analysis using Stata 14.0, this study concludes that the Facebook-assisted learning approach may improve learning interaction, learning performance, social presence, engagement, psycho-motor, and overall skills in different countries or regions, although there are still different results and even controversial issues. The controversies lie in different findings in Taiwan, Switzerland, and UK, where no significant results are revealed regarding the use of Facebook for educational purposes. Future research could examine the construction of a sustainable online learning model, the classic theory, gender differences, and other mobile applications.

Impact of social media use on critical thinking ability of university students

Purpose

This research aims to discover the relationship between social media usage (SMU) and the critical thinking ability (CTA) of university students, and to answer the question that whether social media dependence (SMD) affects the development of CTA, and thus providing a reference for the social media access strategy of academic libraries from the perspective of media information literacy.

Design/methodology/approach

The research data were collected via 300 valid questionnaires whose respondents are students from three universities in China. Multistage stratified cluster sampling method was used to select the respondents, which guarantees statistical representativeness. A pre-test was conducted to ensure the validity of the questionnaire.

Findings

It is shown that the total score of CTA and the six sub-dimensions are significantly positively correlated with SMU, but strongly negatively correlated with SMD. Based on the mediating effect testing, it is discovered that the degree of SMD can affect the promoting relations between the usage intensity of social media (UISM) and CTA. Clearly, SMU is a double-edged sword. While it narrows the digital gap in terms of accessibility, it widens the digital gap in terms of usage.

Originality/value

The differences in SMU have a significant impact on the development of CTA of university students. This inspires us to consider the ability of “using social media in a balanced way” as an important evaluation and training direction when inquiring media literacy. As social media is becoming a critical channel in cultivating individual's thinking skills, it is highly suggested that the amount of time spent on reading fragmented information on the internet should be controlled.

Learning Social Media Content Optimization: How Can SMEs Draw the Users' Attention on Official WeChat Accounts?

Application of artificial intelligence is accelerating the digital transformation of enterprises, and digital content optimization is crucial to take the users' attention in social media usage. The purpose of this work is to demonstrate how social media content reaches and impresses more users. Using a sample of 345 articles released by Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on their official WeChat accounts, we employ the self-determination theory to analyze the effects of content optimization strategies on social media visibility. It is found that articles with enterprise-related information optimized for content related to users' psychological needs (heart-based content optimization, mind-based content optimization, and knowledge-based content optimization) achieved higher visibility than that of sheer enterprise-related information, whereas the enterprise-related information embedded with material incentive (benefits-based content optimization) brings lower visibility. The results confirm the positive effect of psychological needs on the diffusion of enterprise-related information, and provide guidance for SMEs to apply artificial intelligence technology to social media practice.

"Everywhere You Look, You'll Find Food": Emerging Adult Perspectives Toward the Food Media Landscape

This study explores what emerging adults value in food media, i.e. food-focused content and personae in media. Emerging adults (18-25) are an important target group for food media as they transition toward nutritional independence and consume media substantially. Seven semi-structured focus groups were conducted with thirty-seven Belgian participants. Thematic analysis revealed three themes (hedonism, ability, information) grouping nine subthemes (entertainment, sensory appeal, convenience, familiarity, cost, autonomy, education, health and fitness, and innovation) characterizing emerging adults' food media experiences. Incidental exposure and interpersonal influences also mark their food media consumption. This demonstrates food media's interwovenness in emerging adults' media habits. Further research should consider these themes and complexities, including their potential impact toward food-related habits and media use.

Determinants of Facebook use among students and its impact on collaborative learning

The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of Facebook use among university students in Jordanian universities, and its impact on collaborative learning. The study compares Facebook use between students of social sciences disciplines and students of sciences disciplines. The study used a quantitative research approach. The research instrument used is a questionnaire. The results of the study showed that the relationship between Facebook use and collaborative learning is above average, which means that the more time spent on Facebook, the better academic performance students achieve through collaborative learning. Additionally, the study revealed that Facebook use was posited to affect collaborative learning, though the level of effect varies between social sciences and science disciplines. The study proposes a model that describes the relation between collaborative learning and Facebook use, which bridges a gap in the Arabic context that lacks models showing this type of relationship.

Efficacy of Social Networking Sites for Sustainable Education in the Era of COVID-19: A Systematic Review

The sudden advent of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated containment measures require educational institutions of all sizes to adopt eLearning as the only option for sustainable education. Despite the numerous Learning Management Systems, the rapid migration to eLearning posed numerous challenges that negatively affect the effectiveness and sustainability of the educational activities. The current study systematically reviewed recent articles that recognized the value and feasibility of using Social Networking Sites (SNSs) in education. The study highlighted the current eLearning challenges and illustrated effective strategies for the sustainable educational use of SNSs by both institutions, teachers, and students. Thus, solutions to the problems experienced in education during the COVID-19 period were highlighted based on SNS-supported strategies.

The use of social media as a tool to educate United Kingdom undergraduate pharmacy students about public health

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The role of community pharmacists in England now includes public health service delivery, which is deemed to be an essential pharmacy service. This study aimed to evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions of social media as a learning tool and to investigate if workplace skills could be imbedded into a course assignment.

EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AND SETTING

Final year Kingston University MPharm students (N = 120) were divided into 10 groups for a course assignment. They had to deliver an offline and online public health campaign on an assigned topic. Following the campaign, students delivered an oral presentation and created a poster to showcase their campaign content and strategy.

FINDINGS

Over half (51.3%) preferred the self-directed learning aspect of the assignment while 28.2% preferred the delivery of the campaign and use of social media. Students noted that they had developed team working, communication and creativity skills. Most (93.6%) agreed that social media was an effective tool when learning about public health. Students achieved higher scores for their social media pages than they did for their oral presentation.

SUMMARY

A blended learning approach proved to be an effective way to teach final year pharmacy students about public health topics. Social media was noted as an effective tool to learn about public health. A public health assignment is an effective way to support pharmacy students to learn how to use this medium appropriately to support healthy lifestyles.

Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching Methodologies through Audiovisual Media

Contemporary rapid advancements in science and technology have brought about and continue to convey change in all sectors of everyday life. Education as one of the institutions of utmost importance is directly and indirectly affected by these changes and needs to redefine its role to keep pace. Nowadays, information and communications technologies (ICTs), in which audiovisual media technologies are encompassed, are omnipresent in all educational levels and disciplines, including media studies. New approaches in traditional teaching methodologies, which demand many skills and abilities by the educators, are reformulated through utilization of audiovisual media technologies, aiming at administering enriched outcomes that support the objectives that are set, especially in the field of media studies, where audiovisual media technologies are an integral part and even inherent in many of the courses (journalism, radio, television, social media, public relations, communication). The purpose of this paper is to summarize, through a theory and bibliographic review, the various implementations of audiovisual media as the educational techniques and tools that will provide technology-enhanced learning. As this paper is an investigation of the effects of audiovisual media in technology-enhanced learning and teaching methodologies, the contribution to the discipline of media studies is straightforward.

Perceived Benefits and Risks of Social Media: Ethiopian Secondary School Students' Perspectives

Recent findings show teenagers use social media increasingly in their daily life. There is also a consensus that social media have both pros and perils on students’ academic affairs. The objective of this study is to assess how Ethiopian secondary school students perceive the benefits and risks associated with social media use. Data were collected from 353 secondary schools students through self-reported questionnaire. The findings reveal that the leading perceived benefits of social media are recreational and relational purposes. The role social media play in students’ academic activities is likely less considered. As a pilot study in a developing country, this study may raise awareness of schools, teachers, and parents about the benefits and risks of using social media for teenager students. Thereby, there will be future researches that enable them to effectively monitor their students to use social media primarily for academic purposes.

University students' usage of the internet resources for research and learning: forms of access and perceptions of utility

Most prior studies into the utilization of internet technology for learning purposes in contemporary educational settings in developing countries has largely dealt with its impact on academic performance, communication and general educational purposes. This paper investigates the place of the internet in academic research and learning of students, through both quantitative and qualitative research approaches, using 250 undergraduate students in three selected universities within North-Eastern Nigeria. To gain an in-depth understanding of the perception of the students' views, a focus group was conducted with 18 students. The students perceived that the lack of digital readiness among their staff and institution, the absence of electronic library for easy accessibility to journals from the scientific database, and inefficient cybercafé and internet facility within their university settings were the main issues discouraging the utilization of the internet within their institutions. Yet, they still strive to find ways through self-organization, resilience and resourcefulness to make use of the internet to facilitate their studies. Most of them stated that they depended on their smartphone/handsets to access the internet through subscription from other internet providers and have become overly reliant on Google, Yahoo, and open access e-Journals. Nevertheless, the students believed that the use of internet enabled them to perform research ahead of time, tackle multiple homework, widens the scope of reading and learning, promotes self-learning, encourages and enhances peer learning as well as ameliorates student's examination preparation.

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.