The Impact Of Social Media On The Classroom..

 

Social media platforms provide students with the opportunity to engage with others in the
academic and non-academic environment. The increase of social media platforms is seen
mainly among the youths. Students use social media
platforms to communicate and collaborate with others in and outside the academic
environment. Social media platforms are a virtual community that connects
friends, including students, in sharing information and communication . To this study, social media platforms provide students with a better environment to interact for academic purposes. It allows students to be connected in sharing resources and information. However, the impacts of social media platforms on students in developing countries are still in doubt because of its distractive nature. Students spend hours on their social media platforms chatting and doing other activities, which many see as distractive. 

This study looks into the impact of social media platforms on students' academic
learning progress in applying a quantitative research approach using online questionnaires.
The study's outcome will facilitate the understanding of students, lecturers, and other
stakeholders on the impact of social media on students' learning process and performance.
Students' effective application of social media platforms provides a better opportunity to stay
connected, share resources, and learn at all times.
The impacts of social media on students' academic learning progress
According to Gudelliwar et al. (2019), social media platforms enable teachers and students to
collaborate, interact or communicate with others and access online resources. It improves
students' grades and reduces absenteeism in class, which affects academic grades and
performance. Kolhar, Kazi and Alameen (2021) and Alnjadat, Hmaidi, Samha, Kilani and
Hasswan (2021) suggest that students are recorded as one of the largest users on social media
platforms daily for everyday tasks (activities). Gudelliwar et al.'s research found that 51%
of students used social media for academic assignments, while 60% used it for academic topic
discussions. Aghaee (2010) also mentioned that 64% of the students used social media to
engage with fellow students in-class activities, while 41% used it when doing academic work.
The use of social media has increased, which impacts positively and negatively on students'
academic-related activities and discussions. According to Alnjadat, Hmaidi, Samha, Kilani and
Hasswan (2021), social media usage increases students' academic performance. Apart from
the increase in usage, users' (students') culture affects the adoption of SMPs at higher
education institutions . The fact that culture influences students' social
media usage and adoption shows their intentions are primarily affected.
The use of social media in higher education institutions is increasing by the day. Scholars believe
that students at higher education institutions use social media for personal and academic
activities, which drive the increase. A study demonstrated that 81.9% of the students in
Australia engage in learning using Facebook, which means that Facebook can help in a
collaborative and cooperative learning process . This finding indicates what social media can offer students in a formal and informal academic environment compared to other online platforms. Santoveña-Casal (2019) believes that lecturers and learners adopt social media platforms, which positively impacts their academic performance. Students continuously check their social media statuses, which indirectly allows them to engage in discussions, learning, exchanging ideas, knowledge, and information. 

Social media has opened new opportunities for students to learn new knowledge and skills on the go.

According to Sobaih, Moustafa, Ghandforoush and Khan's (2016) research findings, social
media benefits higher education institutions' teaching and learning processes. Lecturers and
students can learn through social media, which assists them in sharing learning content and
connectivity. Social media platforms as a learning technology is beneficial, but it can also be destructive when wrongly used. 

However,the use of social media for teaching and learning is underused because of the high cost of
access to smartphones and data. Lecturers are beginning to apply the use of social media to
communicate and share content with students across higher education institutions.