Social Networking Sites in Higher Education: Potential Advantages for Student Learning

Abdulsalam Kaed Alhazmi; Azizah Abdul Rahamn

doi:10.24297/ijrem.v4i2.3925

Authors

Abdulsalam Kaed Alhazmi Faculty of Computing, UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia
Azizah Abdul Rahamn Faculty of Computing, UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24297/ijrem.v4i2.3925

Keywords:

LMS, E-learning 2.0, Social Media, Web 2.0, Social Networking Sites, Personal Learning Environment, Informal Learning, Lifelong Learning.

Abstract

Social Networking is one of the most promising technologies that can be used for e-learning purposes to create an interactive learning environment and support student learning. However, its uses for educational purposes are still in the early stages and the potential advantages and beneï¬ts of social networking in education are still very much underappreciated and undervalued. The purpose of this article is to discuss the potential advantages of web 2.0 technologies and tools in particular Social Networking Sites (SNS) to support students engagement and student learning. Moreover, the paper highlights the main problems associated with e-learning systems and summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the Learning Management System (LMS) and Social Media. In addition, this paper presents a review of the most popular social media tools that can be integrated in e-learning systems towards the Personal Learning Environment and lifelong learning.

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Author Biographies

Abdulsalam Kaed Alhazmi, Faculty of Computing, UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia

is a PhD student in the Information System Department at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. He received his Bachelor degree in Computer Science in 2003 at the University of Science and Technology (UST), Yemen, and Masterâ€™s of Information Technology in 2008 at the Open University Malaysia. He worked as an IT instructor from 2004 to 2010 in the Computer Science Department, Faculty of Computing and Information Technology, UST-Yemen. During this time, he also held management positions at the department and faculty levels, such as Coordinator of Quality Assurance Unit in his department, and IT Administrator of the Computer Center at the College of Science and Engineering, UST-Yemen. He is a member of AIS and his research interests include e-Learning Systems, Personal Learning Environments, and Social Media.

Azizah Abdul Rahamn, Faculty of Computing, UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia, 81310 Skudai Johor, Malaysia

Azizah Abdul Rahman is a Senior Lecturer and the Head of the Information Systems Department, Faculty of Computing, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. She received her PhD in Computer Science at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia. She has written numerous journal articles and presented numerous papers at national and international conferences on her research areas. She is a member of AIS. Her research interests include Information Systems Management, Knowledge Management, e-Learning, and Social Networking.