دانلود رایگان مقاله شبکه های اجتماعی، اشتراک دانش، و یادگیری دانش آموزان

Abstract

The recent development of social networking brought new opportunities not only for socializing and marketing but also for knowledge sharing and learning. As the social computing technology is relatively new, a review of literature revealed lack of research on the impact of ways of using social networking sites (SNS) on knowledge sharing and learning among tertiary students. This paper aims to empirically examine the various categories of SNS use including: chatting and online discussion, creating knowledge and information content, file sharing, and enjoyment and entertainment by tertiary students at a University in Saudi Arabia. It will investigate the impact of these categories of SNS use on knowledge sharing and learning performance. We adopted a cross sectional survey questionnaire for data collection, and received 308 valid responses from a sample of students that include graduates and undergraduates. The results show that there are significant positive relationships between both chatting and online discussion and file sharing and knowledge sharing, and entertainment and enjoyment with student learning. The paper concludes with a discussion of the limitations and implications of this study, along with directions for further research.

6. Conclusion

This study attempted to examine the effect of four categories of SNS use, namely chatting and online discussion, content creation, file sharing, and enjoyment and entertainment on both knowledge sharing and learning performance. Based on the findings of the literature review and the applied cognitive theory, we formulated a conceptual model, which depicts the nine study hypotheses. The first eight hypotheses present the relationships between each of the four categories of SNS use and both knowledge sharing and learning performance. The last hypothesis delineates the relationship between knowledge sharing and learning performance. In order to test the hypotheses and produce meaningful findings, the authors adopted the survey questionnaire method to collect the data, and then applied a thorough data analysis utilizing the structural equation model to test the hypotheses and analyse the results. The study found that chatting and online discussion and file sharing based on SNS tools are predictors of knowledge sharing. Enjoyment and entertainment is a predicator of learning performance, and knowledge sharing is a strong predicator of learning performance. The results of the study implies that the use of SNS for chatting and discussion and for file sharing is becoming common among university students, and this positively affects knowledge sharing and impact student learning. In addition, the study found that the major SNS tools used by students in order of preference are WhatsApp, YouTube, and Facebook, which may be attributed to the SNS tool's desirable features rather than to the type of used electronic device. Thus, educational institutions in Saudi Arabia should consider integrating the use of these SNS tools in their design of courses in a way to promote knowledge sharing and learning. The study is not without limitations. The results apply to KFUPM. Therefore, more studies in other universities in Saudi Arabia as well as in other countries will increase the generalization of results. Other studies in the context of organizations will enrich the body of knowledge in terms of providing insights of the similarities and differences between the contexts of students and employees.