Using WhatsApp in Distance Education: Assessing the Impact on Academic Interaction and Influencing Factors

Jose Miguel Romero-Saritama, Sandra Espinosa-Tapia () and Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez ()
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Jose Miguel Romero-Saritama: Department of Biological and Agricultural Sciences, Private Technical University of Loja, Loja 110107, Ecuador
Sandra Espinosa-Tapia: Department of Chemistry, Private Technical University of Loja, Loja 110107, Ecuador
Antonio Palacios-Rodríguez: Department of Didactics and Educational Organization, University of Seville, 41013 Seville, Spain

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 3, 1-18

Abstract: WhatsApp has gained relevance in distance higher education due to its accessibility and ease of use, making it a valuable tool for academic support. This study analyzes the use of WhatsApp in this context, considering sociodemographic variables and factors such as subject and group size. The sample included 127 students from an Ecuadorian university, belonging to two subjects from different areas. With a multivariate quantitative approach, this study evaluated the dimensions of management, communication and interaction, learning, and the relevance and benefits of using WhatsApp. The data were analyzed using Mann–Whitney U and Kruskal–Wallis tests and a K-means clustering analysis. The results show a positive assessment of the use of WhatsApp (mean of 4.48/5), highlighting the academic benefits, especially its innovative and practical effect. Smaller groups presented a more favorable assessment, and women reported a greater inclination towards some key dimensions. The clustering analysis identified three groups of students with differentiated assessments. These findings suggest that WhatsApp, as a support tool in distance education, not only facilitates academic interaction, but also responds to the specific needs of students, its effectiveness being dependent on group size and other student characteristics.

Keywords: online education; academic communication; digital learning tools; digital interaction; technological innovation; WhatsApp (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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