Students' attitudes towards the use of social networking sites as educational modes: A field study on a sample of students in media colleges in Arab universities

Al-Ali, Fawzia

doi:10.21608/ejsc.2016.90401

Students' attitudes towards the use of social networking sites as educational modes: A field study on a sample of students in media colleges in Arab universities

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Fawzia Al-Ali

Associate Professor, Faculty of Communication - University of Sharjah.

10.21608/ejsc.2016.90401

Abstract

The results of the study revealed the following:
- The increasing exposure to social media and the Internet by media students, in contrast to a decline in their exposure to traditional media in the field of creating social ties and relationships. In general, students found positive trends regarding the benefits of using social media. The study showed that students see that one of the best electronic communication methods that can be used within educational courses is sending and reading electronic messages, followed by the use of search engines in the classroom such as Google, followed by the use of mobile phones to send and read instant messages for educational purposes such as groups of students on WhatsApp. App, followed by the use of computers in its various forms in the classroom, followed by the use of collaborative websites and networks such as blogs, Wikipedia, Google documents, etc. in the classroom, followed by the use of electronic networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

- The results of the study showed that students see that among the most prominent topics related to media that could be included in a course on teaching social media is how to implement media campaigns through social networks, followed by how to publish information and news on social networks, followed by ethics. Communication through social networks, followed by the social, psychological and political effects of communication through these networks, followed by how to form and direct public opinion through social media networks, followed by electronic advertising through social networks, and with the same percentage of public opinions and attitudes about specific issues raised through social networks.

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