This document summarizes a study on how first year students at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences use Facebook. Previous research identified four major Facebook activities: information sharing, sharing for educational purposes, social purposes, and leisure. The study surveyed 618 first year students about their Facebook activities and background characteristics. The survey results were analyzed using statistical software to determine if certain Facebook activities correlated with student characteristics like gender, age, or socioeconomic status. Understanding how students use Facebook could provide insights into its relationship with student success in higher education.
A literature review of the impact of online social neyworking sites on student engagement and achievement; as partial completion of the Masters of Education program at menorial Univesity of Newfoundland.
The Social Media Use and the Study Habits of MillennialsAJHSSR Journal
Social media use and social networking poured internationally in the present that no academic
institutions could stop its impact on education. Researches were conducted on the impact of these technologies
and its effectivity to certain school conditions. Hence, this study aimed at describing the extent of the usage of
social media as a vehicle to the improvement of study habits of the Carolinians especially to the stratified
proportionate and randomly chosen 50 Grade Ten students of the University of San Carlos, Basic Education
Department – South Campus in Cebu City, Philippines. Descriptive survey research using simple percentage,
mean and standard deviation was done using an adapted survey questionnaire which was tested for face and
content validity. To obtain reliability, the tool was pilot tested and was proven to be reliable (α = 0.891) using
Cronbach‘s Alpha. Based on the gathered data, students spent most of their time in social networking sites
whether on a typical day (28%) or weekend (46%) and they usually do this inside their bedroom (46%) or in an
internet café (54%) outside. They usually use their mobile phones (76%) to visit social sites and the majority
(34%) received less parental support. In terms of the students‘ level of study habit, it was rated average ( x =
3.32, SD = 0.33). This means that the use of social media does not give a negative influence on the study habits
of the students in this study. Even if most of them utilized whatever available technology they have such as their
mobile phones and they spend most of their time on internet cafés, it was recommended that parental
involvement and teachers‘ wise use of technology, pedagogy, and content should be strengthened for these
partners still play a significant role in achieving success both in instruction and education.
THE PROBLEM
The Effects of Unrestricted Usage of Social Media to the Academic Performances
Of Selected G12 SHS-IT Students from PHINMA - Cagayan de Oro College
Background Information of the Study
THE GRATIFICATION AND MISUSE PATTERNS OF FACEBOOK USE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE S...American Research Thoughts
This study explored the consequences of Facebook use in the lives of undergraduate
students and to what extent this social network site was subjective to their everyday requirements. In
this respect 100 college students from Govt. College Dharamshala were randomly chosen and after
reviewing several studies on Facebook use, a questionnaire containing 20 close-ended questions was
framed and circulated them in their free times. The collected data was tabled and analyzed with the
assistance of IBM SPSS 20. Finally, the study summarizes that the undergraduates access Facebook
for various purposes in their everyday life in which, academic search, online shopping, developing
(social) relations, sharing data, chatting, and killing loneliness are primary. The study also confirms
and supports the results of previous studies that the consumption of Facebook influences students’
academic, health and social life both negative and positive manners. It is alarmed that if the
dependency of students on Facebook is not taken seriously by parents, teachers and policymakers, it
would influence their social relationship, health status, moral attitude and academic performance to a
large manner in coming years.
Research Thesis (The Impact of Facebook Usage to the Academic Performance of ...Anjenette Columnas
This is our research paper in a thesis-like form entitled "The Impact of Facebook Usage to the Academic Performance of the 4th Year Education Students in Andres Bonifacio College". Together with the unity of the group, our research thesis was made possible.
I hope this will help as a guidance for students who will also make their own research thesis in the future!
A literature review of the impact of online social neyworking sites on student engagement and achievement; as partial completion of the Masters of Education program at menorial Univesity of Newfoundland.
The Social Media Use and the Study Habits of MillennialsAJHSSR Journal
Social media use and social networking poured internationally in the present that no academic
institutions could stop its impact on education. Researches were conducted on the impact of these technologies
and its effectivity to certain school conditions. Hence, this study aimed at describing the extent of the usage of
social media as a vehicle to the improvement of study habits of the Carolinians especially to the stratified
proportionate and randomly chosen 50 Grade Ten students of the University of San Carlos, Basic Education
Department – South Campus in Cebu City, Philippines. Descriptive survey research using simple percentage,
mean and standard deviation was done using an adapted survey questionnaire which was tested for face and
content validity. To obtain reliability, the tool was pilot tested and was proven to be reliable (α = 0.891) using
Cronbach‘s Alpha. Based on the gathered data, students spent most of their time in social networking sites
whether on a typical day (28%) or weekend (46%) and they usually do this inside their bedroom (46%) or in an
internet café (54%) outside. They usually use their mobile phones (76%) to visit social sites and the majority
(34%) received less parental support. In terms of the students‘ level of study habit, it was rated average ( x =
3.32, SD = 0.33). This means that the use of social media does not give a negative influence on the study habits
of the students in this study. Even if most of them utilized whatever available technology they have such as their
mobile phones and they spend most of their time on internet cafés, it was recommended that parental
involvement and teachers‘ wise use of technology, pedagogy, and content should be strengthened for these
partners still play a significant role in achieving success both in instruction and education.
THE PROBLEM
The Effects of Unrestricted Usage of Social Media to the Academic Performances
Of Selected G12 SHS-IT Students from PHINMA - Cagayan de Oro College
Background Information of the Study
THE GRATIFICATION AND MISUSE PATTERNS OF FACEBOOK USE AMONG UNDERGRADUATE S...American Research Thoughts
This study explored the consequences of Facebook use in the lives of undergraduate
students and to what extent this social network site was subjective to their everyday requirements. In
this respect 100 college students from Govt. College Dharamshala were randomly chosen and after
reviewing several studies on Facebook use, a questionnaire containing 20 close-ended questions was
framed and circulated them in their free times. The collected data was tabled and analyzed with the
assistance of IBM SPSS 20. Finally, the study summarizes that the undergraduates access Facebook
for various purposes in their everyday life in which, academic search, online shopping, developing
(social) relations, sharing data, chatting, and killing loneliness are primary. The study also confirms
and supports the results of previous studies that the consumption of Facebook influences students’
academic, health and social life both negative and positive manners. It is alarmed that if the
dependency of students on Facebook is not taken seriously by parents, teachers and policymakers, it
would influence their social relationship, health status, moral attitude and academic performance to a
large manner in coming years.
Research Thesis (The Impact of Facebook Usage to the Academic Performance of ...Anjenette Columnas
This is our research paper in a thesis-like form entitled "The Impact of Facebook Usage to the Academic Performance of the 4th Year Education Students in Andres Bonifacio College". Together with the unity of the group, our research thesis was made possible.
I hope this will help as a guidance for students who will also make their own research thesis in the future!
The Role of Social Media in Today's College Student ExperienceLiz Gross, Ph.D.
College students and social media: what’s left to know? Turns out, a lot! As social media has become part of the fabric of our students’ lives, researchers have been examining how it affects their identity development, decision-making, and campus engagement. This fast-paced, potpourri session will review a decade of research about college students and social media, including some not-yet-published findings.
Teachers’ professional development in online social networkingStefania Manca
Presentation held at EDMEDIA 2014 (Tampere, 23-26 June 2014) within the Symposium "Teachers’ Role in the SNS-Era: Different points of view from a global perspective"
Presentation that explains the relationship between the Facebook use and academic performance, based on the results of an expressive and exploratory survey study on college students who use Facebook and who do not use.
Ref: "Computers and Human Behavior" by Paul A. Kirschner & Aryn C. Karpinski
IMPACT OF FACEBOOK USAGE ON THEACADEMIC GRADES: A CASE STUDYSajjad Sayed
IMPACT OF FACEBOOK USAGE ON THE ACADEMIC GRADES: A CASE STUDY
This article prove a Impact on Students grades but it was recommendation of author of this article that students can reap higher grades if institute will monitor its usage. for example open access for few hours in a day at mentioned time.
Student-initiated Use of Facebook for Academic Learning: A Case StudyCITE
SONG, Yang (Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong)
http://citers2013.cite.hku.hk/en/paper_607.htm
---------------------------
Author(s) bear(s) the responsibility in case of any infringement of the Intellectual Property Rights of third parties.
---------------------------
CITE was notified by the author(s) that if the presentation slides contain any personal particulars, records and personal data (as defined in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance) such as names, email addresses, photos of students, etc, the author(s) have/has obtained the corresponding person's consent.
Facebook application is already pre-loaded in any smartphone, making it a typical conversation mode almost anytime and anywhere. Its unique feature called "Facebook group" allows anyone to post images, documents, pdf files, PowerPoint presentations, and video clips. Even polls can also be posted where members of the group can simply click their response to a given poll question. Indeed, the Facebook group is already utilized by almost any organization. Many mathematics educators have already taken advantage of its utility to deliver learning materials to their students. This research study utilized the Facebook group in the mathematics teaching-learning process and students' cooperative learning experience. It is an avenue to discuss topics and other issues relevant to their existence. The students learned a new lesson through this phenomenal and modernized communication tool. Results of the investigation are presented in this paper.
Social Media Use and Junior High School Student’s Academic Performance in the...ijtsrd
This descriptive correlational study was conducted to determine the social media utilization and its effects on student’s academic performance in selected secondary schools in the Division of Northern Samar. This study utilized purposive sampling in determining the 1,144 Grade 10 student respondent from the following schools in Northern Samar Balicuatro area Allen National High School, San Isidro Agro Industrial High School, The majority of the students own only one 1 social media account. The findings also revealed that the students had good academic performance in all subjects, namely English, Mathematics, Science, Filipino, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH, ESP, and TVE. This resulted in an overall proficient academic performance. It was also found out that the best positive effect of using social media is its effectiveness in communicating with their friends. On the other hand, one of the prominent negative effects of social media on students is that social media is addictive and a challenge that affects their academic life. The findings also revealed that the profile and the social media utilization have no significant relationship with the students’ academic performance. The top school related problem that emerged is the reduced learning and research capabilities when utilizing social media. In general, the school related problems encountered by the students using social media were described as very alarming. The top personal problem is that in social media, the students are more prone to cyber bullying. In general, the personal problems encountered by the students using social media were described as very alarming. Jester Ditche "Social Media Use and Junior High School Student’s Academic Performance in the Division of Northern Samar" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-4 , June 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.compapers/ijtsrd41278.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.comhumanities-and-the-arts/education/41278/social-media-use-and-junior-high-school-student’s-academic-performance-in-the-division-of-northern-samar/jester-ditche
EFL Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Facebook as anEducational Lea...inventionjournals
The purpose of this study was to examine EFL students’ perceptions and attitudes towards Facebook as an educational learning tool.Participants were twenty eight undergraduate female students who experienced teaching and learning through Facebook and some classroom and face-to-face sessions. The researcher, to collect data, prepared and used two instruments; The first was face-to-face interview, while the second was Facebook Perception and Attitudes Questionnaire. Having conducted interviews, and administered the Facebook Perception and Attitudes Questionnaire, data were analyzed quantatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that students had high and positiveperceptions of Facebook and its activities as a learning environment. Also, students had good and favourable attitudes towards using Facebook on teaching and learning.
The Role of Social Media in Today's College Student ExperienceLiz Gross, Ph.D.
College students and social media: what’s left to know? Turns out, a lot! As social media has become part of the fabric of our students’ lives, researchers have been examining how it affects their identity development, decision-making, and campus engagement. This fast-paced, potpourri session will review a decade of research about college students and social media, including some not-yet-published findings.
Teachers’ professional development in online social networkingStefania Manca
Presentation held at EDMEDIA 2014 (Tampere, 23-26 June 2014) within the Symposium "Teachers’ Role in the SNS-Era: Different points of view from a global perspective"
Presentation that explains the relationship between the Facebook use and academic performance, based on the results of an expressive and exploratory survey study on college students who use Facebook and who do not use.
Ref: "Computers and Human Behavior" by Paul A. Kirschner & Aryn C. Karpinski
IMPACT OF FACEBOOK USAGE ON THEACADEMIC GRADES: A CASE STUDYSajjad Sayed
IMPACT OF FACEBOOK USAGE ON THE ACADEMIC GRADES: A CASE STUDY
This article prove a Impact on Students grades but it was recommendation of author of this article that students can reap higher grades if institute will monitor its usage. for example open access for few hours in a day at mentioned time.
Student-initiated Use of Facebook for Academic Learning: A Case StudyCITE
SONG, Yang (Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong)
http://citers2013.cite.hku.hk/en/paper_607.htm
---------------------------
Author(s) bear(s) the responsibility in case of any infringement of the Intellectual Property Rights of third parties.
---------------------------
CITE was notified by the author(s) that if the presentation slides contain any personal particulars, records and personal data (as defined in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance) such as names, email addresses, photos of students, etc, the author(s) have/has obtained the corresponding person's consent.
Facebook application is already pre-loaded in any smartphone, making it a typical conversation mode almost anytime and anywhere. Its unique feature called "Facebook group" allows anyone to post images, documents, pdf files, PowerPoint presentations, and video clips. Even polls can also be posted where members of the group can simply click their response to a given poll question. Indeed, the Facebook group is already utilized by almost any organization. Many mathematics educators have already taken advantage of its utility to deliver learning materials to their students. This research study utilized the Facebook group in the mathematics teaching-learning process and students' cooperative learning experience. It is an avenue to discuss topics and other issues relevant to their existence. The students learned a new lesson through this phenomenal and modernized communication tool. Results of the investigation are presented in this paper.
Social Media Use and Junior High School Student’s Academic Performance in the...ijtsrd
This descriptive correlational study was conducted to determine the social media utilization and its effects on student’s academic performance in selected secondary schools in the Division of Northern Samar. This study utilized purposive sampling in determining the 1,144 Grade 10 student respondent from the following schools in Northern Samar Balicuatro area Allen National High School, San Isidro Agro Industrial High School, The majority of the students own only one 1 social media account. The findings also revealed that the students had good academic performance in all subjects, namely English, Mathematics, Science, Filipino, Araling Panlipunan, MAPEH, ESP, and TVE. This resulted in an overall proficient academic performance. It was also found out that the best positive effect of using social media is its effectiveness in communicating with their friends. On the other hand, one of the prominent negative effects of social media on students is that social media is addictive and a challenge that affects their academic life. The findings also revealed that the profile and the social media utilization have no significant relationship with the students’ academic performance. The top school related problem that emerged is the reduced learning and research capabilities when utilizing social media. In general, the school related problems encountered by the students using social media were described as very alarming. The top personal problem is that in social media, the students are more prone to cyber bullying. In general, the personal problems encountered by the students using social media were described as very alarming. Jester Ditche "Social Media Use and Junior High School Student’s Academic Performance in the Division of Northern Samar" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-5 | Issue-4 , June 2021, URL: https://www.ijtsrd.compapers/ijtsrd41278.pdf Paper URL: https://www.ijtsrd.comhumanities-and-the-arts/education/41278/social-media-use-and-junior-high-school-student’s-academic-performance-in-the-division-of-northern-samar/jester-ditche
EFL Students’ Perceptions and Attitudes towards Facebook as anEducational Lea...inventionjournals
The purpose of this study was to examine EFL students’ perceptions and attitudes towards Facebook as an educational learning tool.Participants were twenty eight undergraduate female students who experienced teaching and learning through Facebook and some classroom and face-to-face sessions. The researcher, to collect data, prepared and used two instruments; The first was face-to-face interview, while the second was Facebook Perception and Attitudes Questionnaire. Having conducted interviews, and administered the Facebook Perception and Attitudes Questionnaire, data were analyzed quantatively and qualitatively. The findings revealed that students had high and positiveperceptions of Facebook and its activities as a learning environment. Also, students had good and favourable attitudes towards using Facebook on teaching and learning.
Article.pdf● Zeynep Turan, Hasan Tinmaz and Yuksel Goktas.docxfredharris32
Article.pdf
● Zeynep Turan, Hasan Tinmaz and Yuksel Goktas
Istanbul / Erzurum (Turkey)
The Reasons for Non-Use of Social Net -
working Websites by University Students
Razones por las que los alumnos universitarios no utilizan las redes sociales
❖ Zeynep Turan is PhD Student in the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology in Ataturk
University (Turkey) ([email protected]).
❖ Dr. Hasan Tinmaz is Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering at Istanbul Gelisim University
in Istanbul (Turkey) ([email protected]).
❖ Dr. Yuksel Goktas is Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Education and Instructional Technology
at the Ataturk University in Erzurum (Turkey) ([email protected]).
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3916/C41-2013-13
ABSTRACT
Although social networking websites (SNSs, especially Facebook) have become highly popular with youths, some
university students do not want to participate in such sites. This study explores the underlying reasons for high-tech
university students’ non-use of social networking websites. The study group (n=20) consisted of 18 to 25-year-old
undergraduate students, who were selected by the purposive sampling method. Data were collected from two large
state universities in Turkey. Facebook, as one of the most popular social networking websites, was selected as a
study context. Qualitative research methods were used in the data collection and analysis processes. The primary
reasons for not using social networking websites were that they were perceived to be a waste of time, or an unne-
cessary tool; that they might lead to an addiction; that they might violate privacy concerns or share unnecessary infor-
mation; and that they might invoke family concerns. Additionally, the findings indicated that most of the students did
not trust virtual friendships, and did not like sharing photographs and political views online. This identification of
non-user students’ attitudes about SNSs will help us to better understand individual perceptions and experiences
relating to these social services.
RESUMEN
Aunque las redes sociales (los SRS, especialmente Facebook) se han popularizado entre la juventud, hay algunos
alumnos universitarios que no desean participar en ellas. Esta investigación explora las razones subyacentes por las
cuales los alumnos universitarios no utilizan las redes sociales. El grupo experimental (n=20) estuvo formado por
alumnos de licenciatura de entre 18 y 25 años, seleccionados mediante muestreo intencional. Se recogieron los datos
en dos grandes universidades estatales de Turquía. Facebook fue seleccionado para contextualizar esta investiga-
ción, por ser una de las redes sociales más populares. Los métodos de investigación cualitativa se emplearon en la
recogida y análisis de los datos. Entre las razones principales por las que no utilizan las redes sociales se encuentran
su percepción como una pérdida de tiempo, o una herramienta innecesaria; las posibil ...
THE SUITABILITY OF SELECTED SOCIAL MEDIA FOR LANGUAGE EDUCATIONijejournal
This study determined the factors that influence the application of social media to teaching-learning process; investigated applicable choice of social media relevant in the teaching-learning process and; determined the impact of social media on students’ language learning. Descriptive survey research design was employed. The population consist all Basics 6-9 school pupils in Osun State, Nigeria. Multistage sampling procedure was adopted. 670 pupils were sampled using stratified sampling procedure. A selfdeveloped instrument titled ‘Social Media Teach (SMT)’ with reliability coefficient of 0.762 was used to collect data. Pearson correlation and simple percentages were used in analysis. The study found the factors influencing application of social media to teaching-learning process include ease of access to learning materials (77.5%); freedom of expression (62.5%); increase interaction (language use) between peers (60%) and; improving pupils’ language skills (55%). The factors accentuated that social media has a place in language education. Study also found some social media applications appealing to learners in language education in the study area to include Google+, YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The study further revealed positive relationship between the integration of social media into language education and performances in school (r = 0.245, p ˂ 0.05). Study concludes that the integration of social media in language education will improve language skills, expressions and school performance at basic schools.
International Journal of Education (IJE)ijejournal
International Journal of Education (IJE) is a Quarterly peer-reviewed and refereed open access journal that publishes articles which contribute new results in all areas of Educatioan. The journal is devoted to the publication of high quality papers on theoretical and practical aspects of Educational research.
The goal of this journal is to bring together researchers and practitioners from academia and industry to focus on Educational advancements, and establishing new collaborations in these areas. Original research papers, state-of-the-art reviews are invited for publication in all areas of Education.
The Impact of Social Media Technologies on Adult Learning IJECEIAES
Technology and social media have presented significant tools for adult learners to learn and advance continually. Fast technological advancements have enabled development of technologies used for learning. Expansion of various tools has given professors, educaters, trainers, instructers, many alternatives towards the implementation of the technology supported learning. The use of social media can improve adult learning outcomes and academic accomplishment. Social media is increasingly proven to be beneficial in adult learning and has a huge potential for adult education. This paper sheds some lights on benefits of social media for adult learners, this is incorporated through the review of previous work and some barriers that encounters social media for learning purposes. Also some social media models are reviewed to show the growth and effect of social media in adult learning context, and suggestions and recommendations are provided.
The effect of educational networking on students’ performance in biologyIJITE
The purpose of present study is to investigate the impacts of incorporating Edmodo as educational network,
into a classroom setting on the academic achievement of Biology students based on three types of
conceptual level comprises of direct, simple, and complex concept. Researcher intended to seek for the
reason of improvement in their achievement test for all the three types of conceptual level. A total of 140
Biology students was selected from three secondary schools which were chosen using convenient random
sampling to participate in this study and were divided randomly into two groups. A mixed methods design
which involved pretest-and post-test was obtained as quantitative data and follow-up with in-depth
interview was obtained as qualitative data. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to analyze students’ gain
scores. The results indicated that students that were instructed by the instruction with intervention
performed a larger on the gain scores of all the three cognitive levels; than those instructed by the
conventional approaches. Five themes of reason for the difference on gain score between control group
and experimental group were found from interview data which encompass self-paced learning, boredom,
complex conceptual understanding, interesting and motivation, extra information and; communication and
interactivity. This educational network will permeate all facets of the curriculum as a new paradigm of
teaching tools.
The social media use and the study habits of millennialsAJHSSR Journal
ABSTRACT: Social media use and social networking poured internationally in the present that no academic institutions could stop its impact on education. Researches were conducted on the impact of these technologies and its effectivity to certain school conditions. Hence, this study aimed at describing the extent of the usage of social media as a vehicle to the improvement of study habits of the Carolinians especially to the stratified proportionate and randomly chosen 50 Grade Ten students of the University of San Carlos, Basic Education Department – South Campus in Cebu City, Philippines. Descriptive survey research using simple percentage, mean and standard deviation was done using an adapted survey questionnaire which was tested for face and content validity. To obtain reliability, the tool was pilot tested and was proven to be reliable (α = 0.891) using Cronbach‘s Alpha. Based on the gathered data, students spent most of their time in social networking sites whether on a typical day (28%) or weekend (46%) and they usually do this inside their bedroom (46%) or in an internet café (54%) outside. They usually use their mobile phones (76%) to visit social sites and the majority (34%) received less parental support. In terms of the students‘ level of study habit, it was rated average ( x = 3.32, SD = 0.33). This means that the use of social media does not give a negative influence on the study habits of the students in this study. Even if most of them utilized whatever available technology they have such as their mobile phones and they spend most of their time on internet cafés, it was recommended that parental involvement and teachers‘ wise use of technology, pedagogy, and content should be strengthened for these partners still play a significant role in achieving success both in instruction and education.
The social media use and the study habits of millennialsAJHSSR Journal
Social media use and social networking poured internationally in the present that no academic
institutions could stop its impact on education. Researches were conducted on the impact of these technologies
and its effectivity to certain school conditions. Hence, this study aimed at describing the extent of the usage of
social media as a vehicle to the improvement of study habits of the Carolinians especially to the stratified
proportionate and randomly chosen 50 Grade Ten students of the University of San Carlos, Basic Education
Department – South Campus in Cebu City, Philippines. Descriptive survey research using simple percentage,
mean and standard deviation was done using an adapted survey questionnaire which was tested for face and
content validity. To obtain reliability, the tool was pilot tested and was proven to be reliable (α = 0.891) using
Cronbach‘s Alpha. Based on the gathered data, students spent most of their time in social networking sites
whether on a typical day (28%) or weekend (46%) and they usually do this inside their bedroom (46%) or in an
internet café (54%) outside. They usually use their mobile phones (76%) to visit social sites and the majority
Similar to 2012 academic conference how students use facebook (20)
The social media use and the study habits of millennials
2012 academic conference how students use facebook
1. WEI International European October 14-17, 2012
Academic Conference Proceedings Zagreb, Croatia
20
HOW STUDENTS USE FACEBOOK
Nathalie Wesseling
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
n.f.wesseling-weijers@hva.nl
Abstract
In this paper I investigate the way in which first year students in the Department of Media, Information and
Communication at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, use Facebook. I provide an overview of recent
studies on Facebook usage and present the results of a survey (in the form of an online questionnaire) on the Facebook
activities of 618 students (78.6 % of all first year students) in this department. Previous studies identified four major
Facebook activities: 1) information sharing (receiving/providing information and generating ideas), 2) sharing for
educational purposes (for learning, problem solving and sharing work), 3) social purposes (retrieving personal
information about others or themselves, chatting, making appointments and generally keeping in touch) and 4) leisure
(gaming and relaxing). The questionnaire’s answers were grouped accordingly and then compared, to provide a better
understanding of how students use Facebook. In addition, a range of variables were measured in the survey,in order to
map student characteristics such as gender, age, place of birth, living arrangements and the socio-economic status of
their parents. Those variables werecompared with the Facebook activities using PAWS Statistics 18.0 (formally SPSS)
to determine any correlation.
Keywords: Students, higher education, new media, social media, Internet, Facebook, background variables,
communication, integration, engagement.
1 INTRODUCTION
This study is part of a wider PhD research project in which I investigate the relationship between certain aspects of
media literacy and student success in higher education. These aspects are better known as information problem
solving skills (IPS-skills). A research course designed to teach these skills will also measure them amongst first year
students in the Department of Media, Information and Communication at the Amsterdam University of Applied
Sciences. In addition, the different background variables will also be investigated. Several surveys were conducted
throughout the college year 2011/2012, amongst a limited enrolment of 960 students, in order to uncover those
background variables, the way in which students communicate outside of the Institute and their use of social media
sites (SNS). In this study I’ll concentrate on one specific SNS, namely Facebook.
Although Facebook is not the only SNS available on the Internet, it is by far the most popularamongst students
(Hargittai, 2008; Junco, 2012a; Special, 2012; Wesseling, 2012a). The reason for its popularity could be attributed to
the fact thatFacebook is a multifunctional platform in it’s own right. Previous research has investigated the
multifunctionality of Facebook and the various activities involving Facebook usage. In this paper I’ll focus on these
activities and how students use Facebook. And by questioning why students select these particular activities, I willnot
only be able to determine the activities, I’ll also be able to group them by purpose. In addition, by defining the groups,
I will be able to measure the variousmethods of Facebook usageamongstmy students more effectively. Finally this will
enable me to answer the paper’s central question: How do students use Facebook?
1.1 Social network sites and society
Before I describe Facebook activities basedon recent studies involving this particular SNS platform, I will set out the
characteristics of SNSs in general, why Facebook claimssuch a special place amongst them and how it distinguishes
itself from the others.
The bestknown SNSs with the greatest number of users are: Linkedin, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook Google+
(eBizMBA, 2012) and in the Netherlands, Hyves. The latter is a Facebook-like SNS used by a younger age group:
predominantly primary and secondary school students (Duimel, 2010). The common features of these SNSs are that
users can“create and maintain a public profile within the SNS and contact other SNS users” (Special, 2012, p. 624).
However some SNSs also allowusers the option to join or start “groups based on shared interest or associations,
participate in discussion forums with other users, upload and share media (videos, photos), and organize
events”(Special, 2012, p. 624)or share links and other information (and sources). The combination of all of these
2. WEI International European October 14-17, 2012
Academic Conference Proceedings Zagreb, Croatia
21
functions, in addition to the potential to chat or play games within an SNS, is only available within Facebook and
Hyves. And, although the secret of Facebook’s success can’t be entirely established or explained, its
manifoldpossibilities certainly contribute to its success. Furthermore, both the increasing volume of users and the
popularity of Facebook must be seen in the context of society as a whole.
The influence of technology in general and of the Internet in particular, has brought significant change to society. With
the refinement of technology and the ever expanding role of computers, it is easier to access, store and above all, share
information. The emergence of Smartphones and tablets has made the Internet,and thus Facebook, readily accessible
at all times. So how do students use Facebook and how does it rank in comparisonto other methods of
communication? To answer this question it is necessary to map the variousFacebook activities and, for the purpose of
my research, its relationshipto education.
1.2 Research on Facebook use and education
Although Facebook is a relatively new phenomenon, this SNS has already generated a significant amount of research
on its usage and in particular,Facebook usage and its relationship to education and background variables (Beak, 2011;
H.E.R.I., 2007; Heiberger, 2008; Junco, 2012b; Kirschner, 2010; Kolek, 2008; Lee, 2012; Pasek, 2009). The
educational benefit of Facebook has been investigated by the mannerin which students ‘engage’: Whereas
“…engagement encompasses various factors, including investments in the academic experience of college,
interactions with faculty, involvement in co-curricular activities and interaction with peers” (Junco, 2012b, p. 188).
Engagement must be seen in line with Tinto’s integration theory (Tinto, 1975, 1993). Studies using the integration
theory found a direct correlation between a student’s integration and their success in higher education (Beekhoven,
2002; Berger, 1999; Cabrera, 1992). Whereas integration is divided by social and academic integration. In summary:
Social integration involves the contact between students and staff and the feeling of wellbeing at the institute.
Academic integration refers to their academic achievement and whether or not a student shares academic norms and
values. Studies using engagement, yetomitting the artificial distinction of social and academic integration, also
revealed a direct influence on the students’ academic performance (Carini, Kuh, & Klein, 2006; Pascarella, 2005). It
would be far too ambitious to unravel all of the differences between the two theories in this paper, however,there is
one distinction I wish to make.
The integration theory was founded in the early seventies,before society wasdigitalised or medialised. Although the
original idea of integration has been alteredto better match contemporary society, the engagement theory enables us to
readily incorporate modern utilities into the theory,whichmust be taken into account when studying contemporary
students, their (communicating) behaviour and its relationship to education. Secondly, the engagement theoryis a
better match to the Dutch academic world,because the integration theoryoriginated in the USA andthus incorporated
campus life, whilst there are no campuses in the Netherlands. Therefore, contact between students would naturally
differ; in consequence, the level of their (social) integration would also differ. Having said this, let’s take a closer look
at the studies.
One study (Junco, 2012a) found a positive correlation between Facebook usage and the time spent on education
and/or extracurricular activities, although it was negatively related to student engagement. Other studies (H.E.R.I.,
2007; Heiberger, 2008) found a positive correlation between Facebook usage and student engagement. Other studies
left out the engagement factor altogether and examined the use of Facebook and its relationshipto grades. One study
(Pasek, 2009) found no direct correlation between Facebook usage and grades and another (Kolek, 2008) found no
difference in the overall grade point average (GPA) between users and non-users of Facebook. Yet another study
(Kirschner, 2010) found that Facebook users did have a lower grade pointaverage, when compared to non-users. And
finally, Junco (2012b) found a negative correlation between the hours spent on Facebook and the overall GPA, and a
weak correlation to time spent preparing for class.
1.3 Measuring Facebook use
All in all, there is not a great deal of consistency in the outcomes of the various studies. Whilsttheydo all conclude that
Facebook might influence education, they cannot provide a clear indication as tohow. This leads me to assume that the
answer should be sought in the way they actuallymeasure Facebook usage,because the studies don’t share similar
methods of measurement. The studies measured Facebook usage as follows: 1) user or non-user of Facebook (Kolek,
2008), 2) use of SNS (Facebook and MySpace) by hours per week (H.E.R.I., 2007), 3) use of Facebook by hours per
day and week (Heiberger, 2008) and 5) 14i
Facebook activities measured in a five-point Likert scale (very ‘frequently’
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to ‘never’) (Junco, 2012a, 2012b) and 6) hours spent on Facebook a day, number of groups and application use
(Kirschner, 2010). In consequence, research on these subjects tends to have had a scattered approach, which could
give rise to contradictory conclusions.
As you can see, the three most recent studies, by Kirschner(2010) and Junco (Junco, 2012a, 2012b), don’t just
measure usage and time spent on Facebook, they also distinguish between the different activities conducted on
Facebook. I would like to propose takingthis one step further,by categorising these activities as suggested in prior
research (Wesseling, 2012b). These categories are: 1) information sharing (receiving/providing information and
generating ideas), 2) sharing for educational purposes (for learning, problem solving and sharing work), 3) social
purposes (retrieving personal information about others or themselves, to chat, make appointments and generally keep
in touch), 4) leisure (gaming and relaxation). In addition, if one studies the relationship between Facebook and student
success in particular,‘it makes sense to determine if students have contact with each other and if so, in what way. It is
then possible to distinguish contact between students through their own Facebook page or by different group-pages
(class, project/group, year/cohort, etc.)’ (Wesseling, 2012b).
In the next section I will outline the methodused to determine the way in which students use Facebook and how those
activities are grouped within the various categories. After analysing the results using statistical tests, I will close the
article with a conclusion and recommendations for a follow-up study.
2 Method
In total three surveys were conducted using Google-doc to digitally distribute the questionnaires and gather the
answers. Although the survey was a mandatorycomponent of the first year career-counselling course, not everyone
participated. Furthermore, the surveys were conducted on three separate occasions throughout the year, during which
time some students left the Institute, either voluntarily or due to poor results. This meant that out of a limited
enrolment of 960 students and the initial 904 students who actually started at the Institute, 823 participated in the first
survey conducted at the beginning of the year (September 2011). This meant that 92.7% of the sample frame was met.
The background variables measuredin this survey were: gender, age, socio-economic status of parents, living
arrangements and place of birthii
.
By the time the second survey was conducted (January 2012), a total of 121 students hadleft the Institute (52
voluntarily, 69 due to poor results). Of the remaining 783 students (the second sample frame), 78.4 % (614)
participated in the survey. This survey was used to investigate the way in which students communicate with each
other, whether or not they use Facebook, how they use it and if they have contact with other students using separate
group pages.
The third and final survey was conducted at the end of the first year (June 2012). According to student
administration,of the 744 students still enlisted at the end of the first year, 445 (59.8%) participated. This survey
incorporated some questions on whether students use Facebook via their Smartphones and if so, iftheyever log out of
Facebook via their Smartphone, and how oftenstudents check Facebook during the day. It also investigated whether
students use group pages in order to see if there has been a change in recent months.
Thedata from all of thesesurveys was downloaded using Microsoft Excel into an SPSS file. After being screened for
anomalies, the data was analysed using PASW (formally SPSS) Statistics 18.0.
3 Results
In a previous study (Wesseling, 2012b) I revealed the way in which students have contact outside of school. Directly
after ping and what’s app (52 %), Facebook (26.3%) was cited as the second most preferred method of
communication. E-mail was third (17.9) and just 0.7 % used their phone solelyfor calls, whilstthe remaining 3.1 %
claimed touse a combination of thesedifferent methods of communication. This prompted me to investigateactual
student activityon Facebook and how students contact each other. For the key difference between using a phone or
computer to call or send messages and using Facebook, is that one can choose a variety of communication methods on
this multifunctional platform. One can chat directly with another student with the option to create or join group
pages,in orderto be informed within your own timeline, whenever someone posts a message.
The second and third surveys measured whether or not a student had contact with other students via Facebook and if
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they joined a group page related to the Institution. The group pages are divided by: 1) project group (6-9 student per
group), 2) class page (+/- 30 students per class) and 3) year page (all the students in the first year, max. 960)
As you can see inFig.1, as the year progresses the percentage of Facebook usage by and between students
Fig.1
increases from 44.6% to 98.4 %. In addition, the use of separate pages also shows percentageincreases. The project
page from 37.2% to 88.3%, the class page is a little less popular, but still grows from 24.2% to 56.2 % and finally the
first year pagesees the biggest rise; from 8.3 % to 71.0%.
Taking all of these figures into account, it is clear that students use Facebook in order to have contact with each other.
It might also imply that the function of Facebook is more than merely a social one. Naturally, the students have
contact with each other because they initially met through the Institute and therefore have a link to education, but
could there be more to it? The second survey also asked what students actually do on Facebook. You’ll find this
question, which was originally in Dutch, in appendix one. In addition, I coded the answers according to the categories
mentioned above; Information, Education, Social and Leisure. For each student the answers were counted per
category. In Fig. 2 you’ll find the percentages of the number of markers that were met,per category. The chart clearly
shows that students use the SNS for social purposes (70.1%) and to exchange information (70.2%). It also shows that
49.7% of students use Facebook for educational purposes.
Fig. 2 n=614
The next step was to establishif there is a difference in the way students use Facebook incomparisonto their
background variables. The categories where compared with gender, age, place of birth (in or outside of the
Netherlands), living arrangements (at home or not/ in or outside of Amsterdam), and the socio-economic status of their
parents. Using the Pearson Chi-Square test I discovered that none of the variables significant influence on the way
thestudents used Facebook.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
no contact FB
4.7% 1.6%
own page
44.6% 98.4%
project page
37.2% 88.3%
class page
24.2% 56.2%
year page
8.3% 71.0%
January n=614
June n=445
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Information
70.2%
Education
49.7%
Social
70.1%
Leisure
21.3%
26,3
34,3 35,6
21,3
34,6 13
18,5
9,3
2,4
12,5
3,5
4
3
2
1
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4 Conclusion
The primary objective of this study was to determine how students use Facebook. Interest in this particular subject
was triggered by the various theories on student success and the way in which student communication has changed in
contemporary society. If the level of integration or engagement influences the success of a student, then one should
trace all potential activities a student might undertake,that may increase the level of this integration or engagement.
Furthermore, my second survey demonstrated that students don’t only text (and rarely call) each other outside of
school, but that they also use Facebook. After conducting the third survey, this was proven to be true for almost all
first year students.
However, previous studies on Facebook and its correlation to education were not conclusive enough to provethat
Facebook has either a beneficial or had a negative impact on the success of a student. A closer look at these studies
concluded that the methods theyemployed to measure Facebook usage, weresimply too diverse. Furthermore, most
studies lacked the potential todetermine all activities. Two studies did include different activities and measured how
often these activities were conducted. And all of the research measured whether or not Facebook was used and then
emphasised the time spent on Facebook. In my opinion however, it is not the time spent on Facebook, but rather the
activities that are conducted on Facebook, that can determine if it has a positive or negative influence on education.
This is why I proposed categorising the activities by purpose; for educational purposes, for information
sharingpurposes, for social purposes and for leisure purposes.
As shown above and as expected, the categories Information and Social were the biggest. However, almost half of the
respondents use Facebook for educational purposes. Furthermore, the way in which students use Facebook was not
influenced by any of the background variables. This means that the different categories can by measured against grade
points in a follow-up study, to reveal if there is a direct correlation in the way students use Facebook and its positive
or negative effect per category. Next to these categories, the grades must also be compared to the use of different
pagesfor those student activitiesrelated to school. In this case if one’s page is connected to fellow students, and if one
is a member of a project-, group- and/or year page. These can all be regarded as a means of integrating or engaging in
college life and should therefore, not onlybe addressed when investigating student success, but also if one solely looks
at Facebook usage. A follow-up study must reveal whetheror not the way in which students use Facebook has a
directinfluence on their grade points. To conclude I would like to state that,due to its multifunctionality, this SNS is far
too complex to simply consider how much time is spent on Facebook or the frequency of use of activities on the SNS.
About the author
Mrs. Nathalie Wesseling (M.A.) is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Communication and Information at the
Amsterdam University of Applied Science. She coordinates large projects involving 960 students and 60 teachers and
is responsible for all first year research courses. This paper is part of her Phd research in which she investigates the
relationship between media literacy and student success in higher education.
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