Archive / Volume 6, Issue 4, October 2016

Perceptions of Social Media Impact on Social Behavior of Students: A Comparison between Arts and Science Faculty

K. Hashim 1 *, L. Al-Sharqi 1, I. Kutbi 1

More Detail

Full Text (PDF)

Abstract

Social media is now a pervasive element impacting the social and cultural fabric of our society. It has revolutionized the way we communicate, interact and socialize. This study investigates differences and similarities of King Abdulaziz University (KAU) Arts and Science instructors’ perceptions of social media impact on social behavior of students. Data were collected using a specially designed survey during the academic year 2013/2014. The sample size was 507 instructors of different ages and genders representing Arts and Science colleges. Research outcome indicates that instructors are familiar with and are immersed in social media use. Findings support the advantages of social media use on students’ social behavior and do not indicate any obvious disadvantages. Survey results also highlight affinities for various social media tools and purposes of use between the two groups. The findings include identification of college discipline-based dominant views pertaining to advantages and disadvantages of social media on social behavior of students. These findings can help in providing solutions to mitigate concerns relating to the use of social media.

Keywords

Social media social behavior instructor perception perception differences higher education social media tools

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

https://doi.org/10.29333/ojcmt/2574

Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, Volume 6, Issue 4, pp. 147-165

Published Online: 26 Oct 2016

Article Views: 757

Article Downloads: 374

Open Access References How to Cite This Article

References

  • Bagget, S.B., & Williams, M. (2012). Student Behaviors and Opinions Regarding the Use of Social Media, Mobile Technologies, and Library Research, Virginia Libraries, 58(1), 19-22. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/VALib/v58_n1/baggett.html.
  • Chen, B., & Bryer, T. (2012). Investigating Instructional Strategies for Using Social Media in Formal and Informal Learning. The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 13(1), 87-104.
  • Furnham, A., Batey, M., Booth, T. W., Patela, V., & Lozinskaya, D. (2011). Individual difference predictors of creativity in Art and Science students. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6(2), 114–121.
  • Hartley, J., & Greggs, M. (1997). Divergent thinking in arts and science students: Contrary Imaginations at Keele revisited. Studies in Higher Education, 22(1) , 93–97.
  • Junco, R., Merson, D., & Salter, D. W. (2010). The Effect of Gender, Ethnicity, and Income on College Students' Use of Communication Technologies. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 13(6), 619-627.
  • Lee, L., Chen, D., Li, J., & Lin, T. (2015). Understanding new media literacy: The development of a measuring instrument, Computers and Education, 85, 84–93.
  • Liu, Y. (2010). Social Media Tools as a Learning Resource. Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange, 3(1), 101–114.
  • Madge, C., Meek, J., Wellens, J., & Hooley, T. (2009). Facebook, social integration and informal learning at university: 'It is more for socialising and talking to friends about work than for actually doing work'. Learning, Media and Technology, 34 (2), 141- 155.
  • Mazman, S. G., & Usluel, Y. K. (2011). Gender Differences in Using Social Networks, Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10(2), 133-139.
  • Velenzuela, S., Park, N., & Kee, K.F. (2008). Lessons from Facebook: The Effect of Social Network Sites on College Students’ Social. Retrieved from https://online.journalism.utexas.edu/2008/papers/Valenzuela.pdf.
  • Wang, Q., Chen, W., & Liang, Y. (2011). The Effects of Social Media on College Students. Johnson & Wales University. Retrieved from http://scholarsarchive.jwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1004&context=mba_stude nt.
  • Williamson, P. K. (2011). The creative problem solving skills of arts and science students— The two cultures debate revisited. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 6(1), 31-43.
  • Wong, K. C. K., & Cheung, W. K. W. (2011). A study of ICT literacy in Arts and Science students. Proceedings of 4th International Conference on Interaction Sciences (ICIS), 5-7.
  • Zainudin, S.S., Omar, S.Z., Bolong, J., & Osman, M.N. (2011) , Facebook Addiction Among Female University Students , Revista De Administrajie Publicasi Politici Sociale, 2(7). Retrieved from http://revad.uvvg.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=93:facebookaddiction-among-female-university-students&catid=42:issue-no-7&Itemid=63.
  • Zare, B. (2011). Creativity Differences between Art and Engineering Students. Proceedings of 2011 International Conference on E-business, Management and Economics.