written by Eric Rosli
Social networking sites have become an important tool especially to young adults. In harnessing its potential use in education, students and lecturers should invest in social networking sites to interact and socialize among themselves.
This new dimension allow individuals to connect with their old friends, gather information or any other use that could benefit the individuals. In the West, teachers and students has been using social networking sites as a communication tool. The bi-directional process allows them to communicate and share comments in order to have a better understanding on the learning subject.
Example of social networking sites that have been used are Twitter, Friendster, Myspace, Facebook and Orkut. These digital natives in higher education allow the teachers and learners to express and communicate which help them to enhance their profile, talent and experience.
The emergence of various applications help to create a good environment for the lecturer and student. Higher institutions such as colleges and universities should consider in integrating social networking sites into their academic practice, so that students can gain access to the latest update on current issue or address their concern or problem.
Reference
Abro, M.-u.-R., Li, Z., Chhachhar, A., & Hassan Gillani, S. (2014). Social Networking Sites’ Usage Trends and Adoption Among University Students: A Descriptive Analysis. New Media and Mass Communication, 47-52.
Hamat, A., Embi, M., & Abu Hassan, H. (2012). The Use of Social Networking Sites among Malaysian University Students. International Education Studies, 56-66.
Helou, A., & Ab.Rahim, N. (2014). The Influence of Social Networking Sites on Students’ Academic Performance in Malaysia. International Journal of Electronic Commerce Studies, 247-254.