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

Muhammad Azeem Ashraf,Sohail Raza Chohan,Asad Ullah Khan,Muhammad Naeem Khan,Muhammad Fahad Farid,Maqbool Khan,Wajid Rafique

doi:10.3390/healthcare9101272

Abstract

Numerous studies have examined the role of social media as an open-learning (OL) tool in the field of education, but the empirical evidence necessary to validate such OL tools is scant, specifically in terms of student academic performance (AP). In today’s digital age, social media platforms are most popular among the student community, and they provide opportunities for OL where they can easily communicate, interact, and collaborate with each other. The authors of this study aimed to minimize the literature gap among student communities who adopt social media for OL, which has positive impacts on their AP in Chinese higher education. We adopted social constructivism theory (SCT) and the technology acceptance model (TAM) to formulate a conceptual framework. Primary data containing 233 questionnaires of international medical students in China were collected in January 2021 through the survey method. The gathered data were analyzed through structural equation modeling techniques with SmartPLS 3. The results revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and interactions with peers have positive and significant influence on OL. In addition, OL was found to have positive and significant influence on students’ AP and engagement. Lastly, engagement showed a positive impact on students’ AP. Thus, this study shows that social media serves as a dynamic tool to expedite the development of OL settings by encouraging collaboration, group discussion, and the exchange of ideas between students that reinforce their learning behavior and performance.

Highlights

The term social media (SM) is considered as a form of communication through electronic platforms, which intends to make online communities for users to share knowledge, information, opinions, messages, and other content [1]
We identified that student collaboration could be promoted via the use of SM platforms in learning and teaching; adequate learning results and student academic performance (AP) can be increased through interactions with virtual communities
This research contributes to the field of knowledge on the student adoption of SM platforms for the benefit of OL; it emphasizes the role of SM in the worldwide adoption of collaborative working and OL principles

Summary

Introduction

The term social media (SM) is considered as a form of communication through electronic platforms, which intends to make online communities for users to share knowledge, information, opinions, messages, and other content [1]. The users of SM (computational technology that helps to develop and share ideas, perceptual knowledge, professional interests, information, and other expressions through social network platforms) may read or see their friends’ activities online without direct contact with them [4]. SM promotes interactions between teachers, subject specialists, students, communities, and major companies. This revolution is the focus of new and creative information technology (IT) areas [3]

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