Social Media for Knowledge Acquisition and Dissemination: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Collaborative Learning Driven Social Media Adoption

Abstract

During the COVID-19 outbreak, educational institutions were closed, and students worldwide were confined to their homes. In an educational environment, students depend on collaborative learning (CL) to improve their learning performance. This study aimed to increase the understanding of social media adoption among students during the COVID-19 pandemic for the purpose of CL. Social media provides a learning platform that enables students to easily communicate with their peers and subject specialists, and is conducive to students' CL. This study addresses the key concept of CL during the COVID-19 pandemic by assessing social media use among students in higher education. The relationship between social media use and students' performance is crucial to understanding the role of social media during a pandemic. This study is based on constructivism theory and the technology acceptance model. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the conceptual model using SmartPLS. The research findings indicate that social media plays an important role during the pandemic because it provides opportunities for students to enhance CL under the aforementioned situations. This study makes noteworthy theoretical and practical contributions.

Social Media Improves Students’ Academic Performance: Exploring the Role of Social Media Adoption in the Open Learning Environment among International Medical Students in China

“…SM offers venues for students and the public to exchange ideas and information by discussing information with each other, as well as to build up relationships through social networking [13,36]. In today's society, SM platforms and education are inextricably linked [37] because they work as central spaces for debate, discussion, and feedback among students and teachers [38].…”

“…In today's society, SM platforms and education are inextricably linked [37] because they work as central spaces for debate, discussion, and feedback among students and teachers [38]. SM platforms can be a valuable tool to enhance learning behavior [39] by allowing people to organize content; share information, movies, photos, communication, and coordination; and build social links with others based on collaborative efforts [13,40]. SM platforms include websites, wireless internet connections, and video or photo-sharing sites.…”

“…According to Wodzicki, Schwämmlein, and Moskaliuk, social networking offers a variety of resources that may be used for instant access to learning and information [43]. For instance, students of higher academic levels extensively use SM platforms for educational purposes [13]. In addition, these platforms have several other uses, such as entertainment and interactions with others [44].…”

“…The respondents were assured that their information would be kept strictly confidential and used for research purposes only. Before the actual study, a pilot test or pilot study was carried out with 33 respondents to ensure the legibility of the survey questionnaire [13]. Based on feedback, small changes, such as to questionnaire terminology, were made.…”

“…Several scholars have examined the link between SM and AP, and they have highlighted many mixed results when using such platforms. For example, according to Ktoridou and Eteokleous [13], SM platforms allow students to interact with group members to find help in solving learning problems. Moreover, using SM platforms may enhance learning achievement in OL environments [11]; however, some studies have shown that students' use of SM platforms for study (assignment) does not improve learning outcomes [14].…”