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

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

Addresses: Knowledge and Innovation Management Team, USTC-CityU Joint Advanced Research Center (Suzhou), 515 Zhishan Bldg., 166 Ren'ai Road, Suzhou, 215123, China. ' Department of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. ' Department of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. ' Department of Information Systems, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong

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.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNVO.2011.039999

International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organisations, 2011 Vol.8 No.3/4, pp.264 - 280

Published online: 21 Feb 2015 *

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