Research Constructs and Interaction Patterns of Learning in Social Networking Site

Abstract

Despite the increasing popularity of social networking sites (SNS) due to a major involvement of students in online social activities, there is a significant challenge involved in using SNS, particularly as a learning platform in teaching computer science education (CSE) to undergraduate students in non-engineering and engineering studies. To find out the perceived factors of learning through SNS approaches, two-round data collection was performed. The first phase involved distribution of questionnaires to a total of 219 undergraduate students ranging from non-engineering (n=80) to engineering (n=139) that resulted in identification of three measured learning constructs: Social Bonding, Social Bridging and Social Intention. In phase two, evaluation of students’ learning transcripts in SNS were performed. Results identify 22 interaction patterns, which then are further grouped into four learning dimensions of Participative, Interactive, Social and Cognitive. The evaluation of students’ learning transcripts in SNS indicated teaching CSE through SNS enhanced students’ understanding of CSE. The study is shown to support social constructivism, which promotes knowledge that is distributed across a network of connections.