Journal Article Blind Review

Abstract

With the increased development in technology, there have been different approaches or aspects that people are adopting. One of the areas that have been largely affected by technological development is eLearning, which means that many students and teachers have adopted it. Social media is one of the ways that students are using to embrace the aspect of online learning, which has been of great impact (Elkaseh, 2016). To define the extent to which social media has influenced learning will require a quantitative analysis whereby the different aspects will be analyzed. Inferential statistics will therefore be crucial in the process, which will help define the extent to which social media affects online learning programs (Salloum, 2016).

Key words; eLearning, Social media, online learning, inferential statistics

Introduction

In the world we are living in, everyone is concerned with how best they can make life easy. Technology has been at the forefront of making all aspects of life easy, including education. With an increased number of social media sites, the education system has changed. Research shows that most youths use social media occasionally. Here is a graph that compares the use of different social media platforms in the world ("Global social media research summary 2019," 2019)

However, some social media platforms are used more frequently than others. According to ("Global social media research summary 2019" (2019), Facebook is the most commonly used social media platform hence would play a great role if used on e-learning. The graph below shows the comparison of the use of different social media platforms ("Global social media research summary 2019," 2019).

There is a need to define to what extent people prefer such methods to the traditional ways (Hong, 2016). Data is a crucial aspect in this process and will help define the popularity of social media in eLearning. Inferential statistics ensures there is a clear understanding of how many people prefer social media platforms and therefore its popularity.

Social media enables the sharing of information across networks and is utilized in many fields. In education, scholars value social media platforms to share academic information needed in the completion of different projects. Other than Facebook, e-learning is supported by Google Plus, Twitter, YouTube, and Linkedln. E-learning is education spread through internet platforms and is supported by online portals like University portals. Recently, e-learning has spread to social media platforms with the aim of enlightening young people who are used to the various social media platforms (Xanthidis, & Alali, 2014). Academic information stored on YouTube can be accessed anytime and used in research and for knowledge attainment. Nowadays, students are recommended by their instructors to familiarize themselves with documentary videos on YouTube with information related to what is taught in class. YouTube has the capability to provide a transcript of what is in the video, and this makes e-learning more exciting.

Social media is supported by internet-based applications that are liked by the majority of scholars (Xanthidis, & Alali, 2014). Therefore, scholars are excited to learn from devices they are used to since information in YouTube can be accessed by students even while in living rooms. User-generated content is spread to educate students through social media platforms like Linkedln and YouTube. Learners learning through social media platforms argue that learning is easy because there is no fear from instructors who sometimes punish students for losing concentration.

Instructors from different universities have met with human resource managers and technologists to discuss the best approach to be taken when e-learning is spread on social media. E-learning should meet education objectives like the case in students in a physical classroom. Recent research indicates that the retrospective analysis is needed to support e-learning on social media. E-learning supports the continuation of studies by providing case studies, online modules, and videos with academic information. Social media platforms have capabilities of preserving videos, case studies, and other learning materials (Triantafyllidis, Leftheriotis, Varouchas, Vranopoulos & Tsoli, 2018). No doubt that e-learning is beneficial to modern students and researchers and is spread through social media platforms. Researchers who regularly visit social media platforms to extract academic information have never reported any form of frustration, and this confirms that social media is effective in enhancing e-learning.

Research methodology

The research was concerned about defining the popularity of social media on eLearning programs. It is true there has been an increase in the number of social media users, but its good to define the popularity and the reception by the users. Research questions included: How does social media impacts e-learning in colleges? Which social media platforms are used to support e-learning? What skills are gained from e-learning other than reading the provided course materials?

The research hypothesis that was tested was:

H1: Students prefer online learning through social media compared to other sites offering similar services.

H2: Learning through social media improves the communication language.

Results

The research was done on college students who undertook a bachelor`s degree and Master`s degree. 93% of the respondents agreed that social media has greatly influenced eLearning and that they prefer the mode. They attributed the popularity to the flexibility and ease of access to learning materials through social media. Students have confirmed that the case studies spread on social media carry classroom content, which could be taught by a lecturer (Seufert, 2012). To students who may fail to follow the pace of the lecture in a physical classroom, they find e-learning through social media a solution to their academic needs. Also, students from colleges described how e-learning platforms have better ways of presenting information and make them admirable and easier to follow. Opinion surveys from the University students indicate that e-learning help prevents conflict between learners and instructors because they never meet them but focus on social media platforms to educate them and enlighten them.

Students in higher institutions of learning claim that e-learning through social media exposes them to new skills needed for social well-being. Laptops, Tablets, Smartphone, and other devices which connect to the internet are used by students to access YouTube, portals, and other platforms where academic information is stored (Seufert, 2012). Therefore, the urge to access e-learning creates an opportunity for young learners to know how to operate electronic devices and share comments online on whether they are satisfied with the content or not.

Social media is beneficial to students in Universities who value platforms like YouTube for supporting informal learning. The time needed to train a topic is shorter through e-learning on social media than when taught by teachers in classrooms. Little investment is needed to support e-learning on social media. Interaction between groups of learners increases when they use social media for learning. Students who are used to e-learning through social media platforms improve their communication and gain new skills in interacting through online platforms. The use of social media for e-learning provides concrete information that fully meets the demands of students (Seufert, 2012). Practical problem-solving skills are gained by students who prioritize e-learning on social media. School's Twitter contains lessons on social values that students gain through e-learning.

Summary

Social media has greatly influenced the eLearning system. Student prefers to use social media sites as compared to the existing ones. They term the process as fun as it entails interacting with other students and at the same time learning. It is an all-inclusive process and therefore the high popularity. Inferential statistics have greatly influenced the quantitative study on social media impact on eLearning programs. College students are advised to familiarize themselves with e-learning because its benefits are not academically-based only but support social interaction. E-learning, when spread on social media, allows many students to share the class materials online and give comments on their level of contentment (Hong et al., 2016). As students share comments on academic information shared through social media, a sense of collaboration is created. E-learning cannot succeed without a group of people collaborating, especially in answering the questions posted online.

Universities and colleges understand that their students are familiar with most social media platforms. Lecturers like sharing some content of their units on social media to expose students to e-learning. They believe that their students may be more free to discuss the information shared online than the notes presented to them during normal lectures.

An increase in the use of social media for learning is facilitated by the need for students to learn away from formal settings. In institutions of higher learning, learning, and sharing of information is done depending on the interest of students. The majority of students prefer learning methods supported by technological devices. Social media cannot be used without internet connectivity and computerized devices (Triantafyllidis, Leftheriotis, Varouchas, Vranopoulos & Tsoli, 2018). Therefore, students believe that e-learning supported by social media platforms seems a better way to utilize technology and end up directing all of their interest in learning online with the help of social media platforms.

A part of the course assignment posted on social media platforms is completed faster, and this motivates lecturers to continue using social media to enhance learning. Social media is part of everyday life for young people, and its use in e-learning ensures students learn every day. The information posted on online platforms is available for access at any time of the day, and this benefits students more than instruction from lecturers, which ends after the finalizes the lecture of the day. It is not possible to meet a lecturer at night for revision, but e-learning through social media lacks time restriction.

Social media supports e-learning because it is familiar to both the instructors and students. Online training through social media spreads to a large population within a short period. A video shared on YouTube can be accessed in all regions of the world; hence e-learning through social media does not limit an individual from learning. E-learning does not promote discrimination in access to academic information. Benefits of e-learning through social media include allowing informative links to be shared with many students, support videoconferencing, easily update students and facilitate feedback whenever a student is required to give a comment after reading the course materials (Xanthidis, & Alali, 2014).

Students should not allow social media to be the source of all course readings. It is the responsibility of learners to meet instructors to discuss different concepts. E-learning may cause distraction in the school life of a student, especially after learners are exposed to addictive features of social media platforms. E-learning is supported by expensive resources and requires time for some learners to familiarize themselves with social media platforms. Students may suffer from cognitive overload after they are exposed to limitless learning information. The behavior of students may change after staying on Facebook and Twitter for long since they will begin sharing information that is not related to academics.

Although social media has drawbacks when used for e-learning, many students benefit from online platforms. Social media increases students' creativity. Future teaching placements will consider the role of e-learning and social media in the academic life of students (Elkaseh, Wong & Fung, 2016). Students engaged in e-learning get equipped with computer literacy skills. More so, new technology gained from e-learning fosters new teaching and learning strategies. Learning is maximized when social media is used to support e-learning. Social media is celebrated by several University graduates, for it supports e-learning programs with digital storytelling, reflection on academic projects, and creative videos that enhance learning.

Whenever scholars think of social media, they remember its use in fostering relationships. Relationships are built between the instructor sharing the e-learning program and the students who are required to learn online. Close interaction is realized when students are tested through social media platforms and are required to respond to the assignments online within the provided deadlines. Therefore, students panic to consult on many issues that are related to digital literacy. Students who were challenged to respond to questions for the continuous assessment test prepare to learn new skills that will boost their ability to learn online. Therefore, social media and e-learning gives students a challenge and in coping with the challenge end up becoming computer literate students.

When Facebook is used in e-learning, college students exchange content for coursework and take time to give comments on what they understand. Students are free to use Facebook because it requires simple technology to support e-learning (Xanthidis, & Alali, 2014). Students open a Facebook account while still young. Students connected to Facebook share schemes, time-tables, projects, and lecture notes to ensure the goals of e-learning are fulfilled. E-learning target the used social media platform to be the promoter of knowledge. Students develop their language after they are used to social media platforms. For instance, the use of Facebook messenger enables the capturing of instant videos which may carry educative information to college students. A blog allows peer instructions and information can be shared in them to give students the foundation of knowledge in the new courses.

Learning with some social media platforms does not require special training. Knowledge of using a web browser can be enhanced to support the various e-learning processes (Elkaseh, Wong & Fung, 2016). However, preparing for e-learning through practicing on programming interfaces and the role of HTML is recommendable among college and University students. Over the years, YouTube excellently supports learning. Videos uploaded with class content when shared on YouTube allow many students to revise and gain more concepts in a particular topic. I recommend YouTube as the best platform for use by instructors to share academic videos. The study found out that many youths use social media hence a perfect learning platform.

The graph below shows the number of American youths who use social media platforms, by age ("Global social media research summary 2019," 2019).

Conclusion

In conclusion, social media supports e-learning and benefits college students. In Universities, lecturers like sharing some course materials through social media platforms to enable students to learn new skills in computer literacy. E-learning supports the sharing of knowledge through online platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and many others. It is the responsibility of instructors to share assignments on social media with the aim of enlightening students.

References

Elkaseh, A. M., Wong, K. W., & Fung, C. C. (2016). Perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of social media for e-learning in Libyan higher education: A structural equation modeling analysis. International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 6(3), 192.

Hong, Jon-Chao, et al. (2016). "Internet cognitive failure relevant to self-efficacy, learning interest, and satisfaction with social media learning." Computers in Human Behavior 55: 214-222.

Global social media research summary 2019. (2019, October 25). Retrieved from https://www.smartinsights.com/social-media-marketing/social-media-strategy/new-global-social-media-research/

Salloum, Said A., et al. "Understanding the Impact of Social Media Practices on E-Learning Systems Acceptance." International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Systems and Informatics. Springer, Cham, 2019.