This paper focuses on the aspects of social media use in English teaching. In this study, the use of social platforms in the teaching and learning process by students, more specifically, in the English for Applied Informatics course, was evaluated. The study provides the results of student satisfaction with the use of social media in the teaching of the given course. It presents the results of a survey that used both qualitative and quantitative methods. In addition, this paper examines students' use of social media for English language learning and their perceptions of social platforms in terms of their use, benefits, and attitudes toward their use for conducting activities.
Abstract
This paper focuses on the aspects of social media use in English teaching. In this study, the use of social platforms in the teaching and learning process by students of the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava, more specifically, in the English for Applied Informatics course, was evaluated. The study provides the results of students' satisfaction with the use of social media in the teaching of the given course. It presents the results of a survey that used both qualitative and quantitative methods. In addition, this paper examines students' use of social media for English language learning and their perceptions of social platforms in terms of their use, benefits, and attitudes toward their use for conducting activities.
Keywords : English language, Social media, University teaching, Materials sharing, English learning
Introduction
The emergence and rapid development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are having a tremendous impact on children, youth, and adults around the world. Digital media occupy a central place in the social lives of young people. The qualified use of ICT is becoming a prerequisite for their integration into society and later also as a workforce on the labor market. The use of social media can be a powerful pedagogical tool to engage students' interest in learning English, providing students and teachers alike with unique and dynamic learning experiences. As an academic tool, social media has become common tool used by all at academic institutions to share academic papers, research findings, and book reviews, and to communicate with peers and teachers. Social media enhance learning opportunities by allowing learners and faculty to connect and communicate in new and interesting ways. Websites like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and LinkedIn provide a place where users can talk to each other, share ideas, and find solutions to problems. Social media is considered a great source of materials for teachers to use in their English classes.
What is Social Media?
Since the term social media has multiple meanings, its definition has become very difficult to define. It is not always clear exactly which tools, social platforms, social networks or social media belong to this category. It is important to understand that social media is a very broad term whose definition brings many difficulties. There are many definitions that can be found online, but only a few that can be considered professional, since social media itself is still evolving (Ellison and Boyd, 2013).
According to a 2010 study, social media “provides a mechanism for the audience to connect, communicate, and interact with each other and their mutual friends through instant messaging or social networking sites” (Correa, Hinsley, and de Zuniga, p. 247-248).
Otieno and Matoke (2014) defined social media as “derived from the social software movement, are a collection of Internet websites, services, and practices that support collaboration, community building, participation, and sharing” (p.962).
Kaplan and Haenlien (2010) stated that “social media is a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content” (p.61).
Types of social media
Area identifies three types of social media in his work (2008): masses (Facebook, Twitter...), in which users share a profile, photos, and comments. Video sharing or streaming platforms, so-called open networks, to share files in different formats (YouTube, SlideShare...) and learning communities with a common goal or a specific interest (Ning, Elgg...). In the use of social networks, those used as thematic networks or learning communities have been replaced from Wikispaces to Google Sites; the use of mass networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram has increased; and in open networks, YouTube has dominated. In recent years, two currently popular social networking sites (SNSs) for sharing images - Instagram and Pinterest (which is also a search engine) - have gained tremendous popularity.
Aim of the research
This study aims to examine the impact of social media use on students' interest and comprehension in English language learning as well as the benefits in explaining the matter at hand.
Methodology
The author used a self-prepared questionnaire as a research tool for data collection. The questionnaire consisted of questions aimed at obtaining information about the goals set. Then, the collected data was statistically analyzed to determine a reliable result of the study. Sixty students participated in the questionnaire, ranging from undergraduate students to graduate students. The students were asked to respond voluntarily and anonymously to the survey presented.
Results and Discussion
Graph 1 Social media is more useful than traditional learning materials
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The analysis of the above graph shows that out of 60 respondents, majority of students - 36 (60%), either “Agreed” or 20 (33.3%) “Strongly Agreed” with the statement that the use of social media is more useful than traditional learning materials such as books, exercise books and other conventional forms of learning. While 2 respondents (1.2%) either “Disagreed” or were “Undecided”. None of the respondents “Strongly disagreed”.
Graph 2 The most used social media for study
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The question on the second chart was an open-ended question asking students to indicate which social media they benefit most from in terms of their study and learning. The media most frequently mentioned by students were: Instagram, YouTube, Discord, Reddit, and Tumblr. The data revealed that out of the total 60 students, 26 (43.3%) considered YouTube to be the most useful social platform, surprisingly followed by Discord with 12 students (20%). Instagram remained of interest to 10 students (16.7%), while both Reddit and Tumblr scored 6 students each (10%).
Graph 3 Frequency with which students use social media during their studies
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Graph number 3 shows the impact of social media on academic performance and, in particular, the frequency of social media use during daily study. The use of social media for higher education is standard nowadays. This statement can be confirmed by the majority of respondents - 30 (50%) - who always use social media for educational purposes during their studies. Twenty-one respondents (35%) use social media very often during their studies, as they chose "usually" and nine respondents (15%) represented a minority, as they use social media only sometimes. Since all students use social media to some degree while studying, none of the respondents selected " rarely" and "never" options.
As Rideout (2012) notes, the amount of time the younger generation spends on social media is more than twice the average amount of time they spend in school each year. She adds that the average American child spends seven and a half hours a day enjoying themselves on social media. The amount of time one can spend on the Internet has exploded over the years because social media is available seven days a week, as opposed to school or a full-time job (Rideout, 2012). More specifically, Ahn pointed out that “emerging studies find that youth spend a considerable portion of their daily life interacting through social media” (2011, p. 1435).
Graph 4 Satisfaction with the use of social media for the course
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Graph 4 shows the level of satisfaction this survey collected regarding the use of social media for the course. Students had to critically evaluate whether the course needed strong or slight improvement in terms of social media used. The majority of respondents - 31 (51.7%) - were satisfied with the use of social media during the course, followed by 19 students (31.7%) who were very satisfied with the use. Eight students (13.4%) agreed with the use of social media and only 2 students (3.4%) were dissatisfied with the use. None of the students were completely dissatisfied with the use of social media during the course.
Since meaningful communication can only occur when students can communicate openly, they were encouraged to share their ideas to contribute to future lessons. Students must feel free to express themselves. Therefore, an open-ended question with discussion was added in which they could share any insights, possible suggestions, or opinions. Since the majority of students were generally satisfied with the course, the decision was made to include only critical suggestions to indicate possible improvements in the future. Some of their suggestions are as follows:
"I would suggest playing creative games and quizzes, such as the game-based platform - Kahoot - to memorize phrases and synonyms better."
“I would accept more critical thinking activities that lead to more discussion on the topic we are discussing. ”
“Instead of doing fewer exercises, I would suggest even more discussion. ”
“Since many topics can be easily illustrated in a video, as a visually oriented person, I would rather watch more of them. ”
“In my opinion, team or project-based activities where we can collaborate and cooperate can help us interact more and learn more effectively. ”
Social media for learning
Social media allows students to interact with each other, share content, and build connections with others. In today's world, most students are frequent users of these advanced devices that keep them informed and up to date. We can say with certainty that student engagement consequently affects students' academic performance. Therefore, universities should provide platforms to promote students' intellectual talents. The significantly positive results of this study are due to the fact that social media and smartphone devices are widely used by students for educational purposes. According to Gikas & Grant (2013), mobile computing devices and social media provide students with excellent opportunities for academic collaboration, access to course content, and tutoring despite physical boundaries.
The benefits of using social media are seen in terms of accessing course content, videos and transferring class notes. Students feel that social media and mobile devices are relevant and convenient means to access relevant information. Social platforms allow students to create, edit, and share course content in three forms: text, video, or audio. These technological innovations give birth to a new kind of learning cultures, learning based on the principles of collective exploration and interaction (Selwyn, 2012). In the study (2010) by Kabilan, Ahmad, and Abidin of Universiti Sains Malaysia, researchers found that 74% of students believed that social media had a constructive impact on English learning. On the topic of social networks and writing skills, White (2009) presented an interesting experiment on academic writing for English language learners in which he provided students with online discussions, creating opportunities to share, interact, and communicate in English. This resulted in higher motivation among students and promoted a better English learning environment. The use of social media for learning contributes significantly to students' academic performance and satisfaction (Zhu, 2012). The application and usefulness of social media in learning processes, more often in sharing educational materials, learning, and interacting with peers and teachers, would help students to be more enthusiastic and effective.
Conclusion
In this study, a survey was conducted on the use of social media for a specific course and the students' satisfaction with the course was presented. In addition, this study allowed students to review and evaluate the course and share their suggestions for it in the future. The results indicate that students were satisfied with the teaching approach and inclusion of the social media. However, students also noted that the lecturer's teaching methods were an important contributor to their overall satisfaction with the course. It is important to note that students would not have been as motivated to participate in the activities, nor would they have enjoyed and benefited from the learning process, if social media had not played a key role in the course.
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- Citar trabajo
- Petra Uhlíková (Autor), Social Media in Teaching English, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1320955
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