Social media as a support for learning in universities: an empirical study of Facebook Groups

Abstract

This paper explores social media use for learning in universities, through a study of the use of Facebook Groups by undergraduate students. The objective of the research is specifically to understand what motivates students to use Facebook Groups and what benefits they receive from doing so. The study is grounded in the Guo et al. (2012) Student Technology Use Hierarchical Framework (STUH), drawn from Uses and Gratifications Theory (U&G), and from Means End Chain Theory (MEC). The STUH Framework was adapted by this research, and validated and revised through survey research to create an amended STUH framework for Facebook Groups. The findings conclude that the attributes of Facebook Groups lead to interaction which in turn satisfies the higher level information and decision making needs of students. The findings have important implications for software designers and educators, as well as for researchers interested in using social networking software for learning. Overall, a better understanding of student motivations is critical to the successful implementation of such technologies in the educational arena.