The impact of online social networking on learning: a social integration perspective

Stella Wen Tian, Angela Yan Yu, Douglas Vogel and Ron Chi-Wai Kwok

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2011, vol. 8, issue 3/4, 264-280

Abstract: Relying on social integration theory, this paper develops a conceptual model to explain how college students' online social networking (i.e., using Facebook) influences their social and academic social integration, and learning outcomes. Several rounds of focus group discussions were conducted to explore college students' current online social networking experience and their attitude toward using Facebook for education. Our findings indicate that students' online social networking is straightforwardly influential to their social learning, while its influence on the academic learning might be realised through a gradual and longitudinal process.

Keywords: social networks; social integration; academic integration; learning outcomes; Facebook; social networking; college students; higher education; universities; social learning; gradual processes; longitudinal processes; City University; Hong Kong; China; virtual organisations; web based organisations; online organisations; world wide web; internet. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2011
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=39999 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ids:ijnvor:v:8:y:2011:i:3/4:p:264-280

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations from Inderscience Enterprises Ltd
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sarah Parker ().