“Social Media’s Impact on Collaborative Learning Communities: Unveiling the Potential and Challenges”
Abstract:
Social media platforms have gained significant popularity in recent times, capturing the interest of many users, beneficiaries, and academics who want to grasp the various purposes, advantages, and drawbacks associated with its use. There has been a huge growth in the number of users on this site, as well as the creation of alternate and novel applications for these sites. Text messaging has increasingly replaced telephone calls as a key form of communication in some situations. Additionally, it has become the main method for supporting education and sharing academic information. Consequently, several research in management and information technology have examined the impacts of students, particularly those at universities, using these platforms. This study focuses on analyzing the academic and social factors and effects related to the use of social networking and technology.
Introduction:
The rapid advancement of communication tools and information technology has resulted in the obsolescence of some old communication methods and the introduction of quicker and more efficient alternatives. This phenomenon is not limited to local interactions, but extends to the global scale, since significant communication tools and social platforms have evolved and are regularly used by people. Overall, and specifically pupils at various academic levels. There are many and varied factors and patterns that motivate folks to utilize these websites. The use of these platforms may serve the objective of exchanging scholarly information related to academic disciplines, sustaining existing levels of social engagement, or establishing new connections to share sentiments and emotions about diverse societal phenomena and events.
This study focuses on analyzing the academic and social factors and consequences related to the utilization of social networking and technology. Specifically, it examines how these factors impact the collaborative learning process among university students, including their interactions with colleagues, peers, and level of engagement with others. The impact of extensive use of social media technologies on the feeling of belonging will also be examined and evaluated.
Discussion:
Social networking sites and collaborative learning:
Undoubtedly, social networking sites have garnered significant attention from users and scholars, particularly students at various academic levels at universities, to the extent that they have become the primary mode of communication among them.
Social media has effectively addressed and resolved previous barriers and disparities in communication. Consequently, these platforms have garnered increased attention from authorities due to their ability to facilitate communication between individuals across long distances and enable prompt decision-making, irrespective of racial or linguistic differences. Natural phenomena and other related subjects. Social networking sites are the product of the combination of communication technology and people’s strong desire to meet their social needs. These sites have significantly contributed to the development of new tools that support and enhance students’ cognitive structure. They facilitate interaction, communication, and the exchange of information and ideas at minimal expenses. Utilizing basic equipment with little financial inputs to overcome possible barriers (Wheeler, Yeomans, 2008; Rifkin, 2009). Using social technology methods has several advantages (Brown, 2010):
- Enhancing relationship,
- Improving learning motivation
- Offering personalized material course and
- Developing collaborative abilities
Enhancing relationship means fostering a heightened inclination to engage in communication among students, so enhancing their academic achievement and elevating their level of classroom involvement. Students may engage in electronic group learning procedures with a considerable level of autonomy prior to discussing these issues and presenting questions to the professors in the classroom, without experiencing fear or anxiety (Wheeler et al, 2008).
The initial study focused on determining the degree to which university students may benefit from social media in enhancing the educational process (Gray, Chang & Kennedy, 2010). Hamid and his colleagues conducted much research in 2009 that clearly demonstrated that the integration of social media technologies in university teaching is an ongoing trend. Challenging and intricate, it is not readily accessible in an adequate and suitable manner to support the process of learning. Conversely, it has the potential to result in inaccurate knowledge and contradictory viewpoints and choices in the future. Furthermore, university education is not sufficiently facile, since the tasks and responsibilities assigned at the university level are deemed more arduous and not simply comprehensible with the use of social media technologies. There is a substantial body of early research in this sector that has focused on the need of investing more effort in converting social media technologies into tools that can be used in educational and academic settings.
Since of Belonging:
The level of students’ affiliation with both the university and the specific college they are enrolled in has a significant impact on their academic progress and overall happiness with their academic life (Tinto, 1998). Several empirical studies have investigated the impact of a student’s feeling of affiliation with an educational institution on its ability to fulfil its fundamental obligations (Deci, 2017).
Research has also shown that the level of social cohesiveness and unity among university students has an impact on their likelihood of completing their study at the university. It also influences their capacity to cultivate advantageous social connections.
Tinto’s concepts believes that new students are affected by a multitude of diverse backgrounds. The degree of students’ persistence in their studies has an impact on diversity, goals, and trends.
The outcome is contingent upon two fundamental factors: the level of academic and social assimilation. The concept of belonging pertains to the psychological aspect of students’ sentiments, namely their sense of coherence and connectivity with the educational institution. Several essential aspects influence the level of pupils’ perseverance.
(Hoffman & Morrow, 2022) conducted research that identified two main characteristics of a student’s feeling of belonging: their connection with their peers and their relationship with their institution. Student-to-Faculty ratio. The research identified five elements that are associated with the student’s perception of belongingness. The factors considered in this study are: (1) The degree of empathy towards the college (Empathetic Faculty Understanding), (2) The perception of support from colleagues (Perceived Peer Support), (3) The level of isolation experienced (Perceived Isolation). (4) The level of assistance and sense of ease in relation to the college (Perceived Faculty Support) (5) The level of comfort experienced in classrooms is influenced by the perceived level of support provided by the teacher and the overall classroom environment.
Uses of social media technology for academic purposes:
Several studies (Dabner, 2011) (Mack, 2007) have been undertaken on the use of social networking technologies to cater to university students. Some individuals have attempted to predict the outcomes of these studies and use the many elements of social networking to support kids in schools, enabling them to get advantages from participating and interacting with these platforms. And collaborative efforts to achieve optimal levels of mutual benefit. There are many arguments that support the idea of modifying existing social media technology to meet the changing demands of users. This may be done by implementing virtual structures and simulation systems (Mack, 2007).
Internet pages primarily aim to create virtual structures and spaces that cater to the many requirements and interests of users. They provide tools to facilitate cooperative learning and give answers to various challenges. academics and students may encounter challenges in the recent time, such as those related to humanitarian elements and the decline of teaching and instructional abilities among some academics. Therefore, social networking platforms were established to address both individual and collective issues and provide humanitarian aid while also ensuring the effective delivery of academic and scientific content. The primary objective of most interaction pages has been to effectively engage with them. Social networking platforms strive to attain a level of appeal that captures the interest of users.
According to teachers’ accounts, internet networks and technology have fostered engagement and facilitated the sharing of viewpoints and ideas outside the confines of the classroom. By engaging in the processes of reconfiguration, exit, entrance, and development of personal files, learners experience a notable enhancement in their skills and talents. (Ractham & Firpo, 2011).
The educators who use social media technologies are better equipped to assess students’ proficiency and monitor their progress in the curriculum via the monitoring of their CVs. Additionally, they possess the capability to modify and mould study materials to align with the pupils’ individual aptitudes and resumes (Gray, Chang & Kennedy, 2010).
Cooperative learning facilitates constructive communication among students, leading to more efficient outcomes through collaborative engagement on the Internet. This, in turn, enhances effective interaction among students even when they are not actively participating. Several studies have attempted to quantify this phenomenon. (Oradini & Saunders, 2008) conducted a study comparing traditional learning methods with modern learning tools that involve participatory learning. They found that incorporating social media technology into traditional learning can enhance and improve the learning experience, making it more engaging and increasing the level of learning (Andreas & Haenlein 2010). The students’ drive to progress throughout the educational journey.
The impact of social media technology on students’ academic performance:
Research has shown that social networking sites significantly capture students’ attention, therefore warranting investigation as a novel approach to enhance students’ comprehension and knowledge. The Internet is often regarded as the key medium for using marketing, because to its diverse and always expanding range of programmes. The participatory character of trade and communication over the Internet is steadily growing, particularly with the rise of diverse networks. The formation of networks first started as peripheral activities for pleasure, but with time it evolved into a phenomenon where contact via the Internet became a requirement, requiring the use of one or more of these networks. Websites have been created and used as sophisticated cultural spaces for social activities, such as engaging in conversations and exchanging emotions. Numerous organisations have established various groups with distinct objectives for their activity. (Saba, 2013).
In recent times, we have seen a global trend of websites being used more often, and this trend is projected to continue for a significant duration. Initially, it was a pastime for many intellectuals and then a societal tradition for the affluent class, until it eventually evolved into a way of life accessible to everyone worldwide. Electronic websites have been used by young individuals, particularly those in the younger age bracket, as a medium for interacting with their peers, defining, and developing their identities, and establishing social connections (Ellison, 2007).
According to Khan’s (2009) research on Facebook users, there is a negative correlation between the frequency of Facebook usage and students’ academic performance, indicating that increased use of Facebook has a detrimental impact on their academic achievements. Research conducted by (Lum, Alqazli & Englander, 2018) shown that using social networks for purposes other than comprehending its functionalities results in a deterioration of students’ academic performance. Researchers have discovered the occurrence of Internet addiction, which has resulted in a rise in the global population of Internet users during the last twenty years.
Additionally, it has been demonstrated that Internet addicts frequently disregard their employment, obligations, and responsibilities, resulting in diminished performance and in a study conducted by (Nalwa and Anand, 2003), as well as in another study by Academic Karpinski (2009), it was found that individuals who use Facebook excessively spend minimal time on studying and learning. Consequently, this lack of academic focus leads to a decline in their academic performance when compared to their peers who have lower cumulative GPAs (Karpinski & Duberstein, 2009).
Kee & Namsu (2009) study examined the factors that attract and distract students from their university responsibilities across different generations. The study found that Facebook is the primary source of distraction for the current generation, diverting their attention away from academic duties. The study revealed a correlation between the excessive and escalating utilisation of the Internet for academic purposes and the decline in students’ academic performance. This decline was particularly evident when students accessed inappropriate websites that did not align with their academic objectives. Furthermore, the study found a negative association between poor academic performance and the increasing usage of social networking sites and platforms.
Considering the information provided, there are potential advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of websites and social media technologies in the educational context. Most investigations have endeavoured to ascertain the ultimate ramifications of using social media technologies among university students. They have determined that there is a detrimental and adverse effect, particularly with the escalating use of this technology. Another group of researchers found that there is no statistically significant correlation between the usage of social media technology and the academic performance of university students.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this article highlights the transformational influence that social media has had on communities that engage in collaborative learning. It also highlights the potential for digital platforms to improve learning outcomes, stimulate cooperation, and promote lifelong learning within communities. It is possible for educators and students to make use of the interactive and participatory character of social media to harness the collective intellect and different viewpoints of online communities. This will allow for the enhancement of educational experiences and the empowerment of students to flourish in the digital age.
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