Abstract
Solutions of social media enhanced learning are widely studied in Hypermedia Laboratory at Tampere University of Technology (TUT). In recent years Web 2.0 based social media services (e.g., Facebook®, LinkedIn®, Last.fm®, etc.) have become popular, especially among young people. Based on this phenomenon TUT Hypermedia researchers have developed a social networking site for TUT freshmen aiming to provide convenient tools for interaction and study support. The first idea was to offer a free-of-charge social web site in the context of learning Basic Engineering Mathematics at TUT. This was thought to be an efficient tool to get new students studies off to a good start as mathematics courses play a significant role. However, the prediction failed, which caused us to study students’ motivations for social network site usage in the study context. This paper describes research conducted in 2009. Moreover, a description of subsequent measures accomplished (e.g., web site development and social network analysis) at TUT is included.
Highlights
Web 2.0 based social media services (e.g., Facebook® (1), LinkedIn® (2), Last.fm® (3), etc.) have recently become well known especially among young people
When the content is useful for the user he/she takes an advantage of it and informs other users about it. This fact was repeated in many of the students‟ answers in the first data collected. ”When users‟ first experiences of system usage were positive the information about the system started to spread to other students, for example, in coffee table discussions.” (7) After all, the quality of a social networking site depends on the quality of the community within it
The students generally thought that a social networking site in the context of studying needs some particular purpose and this added value must become clear to every user (Forsblom & Silius, 2002)
Summary
Web 2.0 based social media services (e.g., Facebook® (1), LinkedIn® (2), Last.fm® (3), etc.) have recently become well known especially among young people. Researchers in hypermedia at Tampere University of Technology (TUT) developed a social networking site for new students at TUT. The aim of the service is to provide convenient tools for interaction and study support This development work led us to study students‟ attitudes towards social networking sites. Motivating Voluntarism Free of charge Positive usage experiences General popularity Trendy Fashion craze Centralization of information Collaboration Social networking Improvement of communication Connecting studying and leisure Networking Social interaction Enriched user profile University related information sharing Study support Connecting users with similar interests etc. Calendar) Collaborative content production Information about student life University related content General discussion board with clear structure and relevant topics (e.g., living, studying, jobs, buy or sell, ...) Study schedules Easy to use Clear and simplified user interface. User-to-user relations Messaging Groups Discussions Resource sharing Managing events (incl. calendar) Collaborative content production Information about student life University related content General discussion board with clear structure and relevant topics (e.g., living, studying, jobs, buy or sell, ...) Study schedules Easy to use Clear and simplified user interface
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