INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS' LEARNING BEHAVIOR IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

Social media is a phenomenon that has dramatically changed the way university and college students communicate, collaborate and access academic content. This research explains how social media can affect students' learning behavior in higher learning institutions and its positive and negative impact. The study is based on a mixed-methods survey of 412 undergraduate students from three faculties and examines trends in social media usage, how well social media is embedded in the academic context, and the effects of social media on concentration, time management, collaborative learning and academic performance. Findings showed that although social media can be very beneficial for social interaction, access to learning materials, and communication with lecturers, overuse and mis-use of social media is linked to distraction, procrastination and poor academic results, especially when students report spending > 4 hrs per day on the social network for non-academic purposes. The paper places the results into the context of the Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Social Constructivist learning theory, and the findings are presented as practical suggestions for students, teachers and educational policy makers who wish to take advantage of the educational value of SMT but also reduce the negative impacts on students' learning behavior.