Abstract
Social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook have a potential to become a valuable learning environment. Facebook games with appropriate instructional design may provide players with better learning experiences and outcomes. Using an effective educational Facebook game, we aimed to explore the educational effects of Facebook games as self-directed e-learning environments. We tested our hypotheses on a sample of 73 undergraduates (42 females). The participants completed the Facebook game and self-administered questionnaires over a 3-week period. Path analysis demonstrated that Internet self-efficacy, usability, and fun positively affected perceived learning effectiveness and user satisfaction in a Facebook learning environment. We discussed the research and practical implications of these findings for the future development of self-directed e-learning on SNS.
Highlights
While SNSs became more and more popular, educators and researchers have explored the possibility of the educational usage of SNSs (Kabilan, Ahmad, & Abidin, 2010)
Perceived learning effectiveness was an important measure of knowledge enhancement and an indicator of participants’ attitudes toward educational usage of Facebook games
The average score of user satisfaction demonstrated a general acceptance of digital game-based learning (DGBL) in self-directed learning and indicated that participants were satisfied with the learning process in the Facebook game
Summary
While SNSs became more and more popular, educators and researchers have explored the possibility of the educational usage of SNSs (Kabilan, Ahmad, & Abidin, 2010). Based on a critical review on Facebook as a learning environment, almost all studies identified in the review (22 out of 23 articles) evaluated Facebook groups or Facebook pages on group discussion, project collaboration, and peer assessment in education, whereas only one study investigated the educational usage of Facebook applications (Manca & Ranieri, 2013). The findings for Facebook group or page as a possible and effective learning environment in the review were mixed. Since developing educational Facebook applications involves programming such as using the Facebook application programming interface, using an alreadyavailable Facebook group is much more convenient and popular than programming a Facebook application for most educators
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