Social media: fad or tool? What motivates college faculty to utilise Web 2.0 and 3.0 technologies in the classroom? Online publication date: Sat, 19-Oct-2013
by Yingxia Cao; Yvonne Smith; Paul Hong
International Journal of Innovation in Education (IJIIE), Vol. 2, No. 1, 2013
Abstract: Why do professors use social media in the classroom? Social media is pervasive in society, but does that mean it should be pervasive in the classroom? Are professors succumbing to pressures for relevance and 'glamour' or do they rather think that social media adds pedagogical value? We analysed the motivations and intentions of almost 250 faculty members of a mid-sized university as they chose to use, or not use, social media and web tools in classes. Six factors were found to influence the faculty members' decisions to use these tools in teaching. Two factors, perceived risks, and teaching readiness, seem to inhibit social media utilisation by college faculty. The other four factors interact to create strong motivation for adopting Web 2.0 and 3.0 technologies. The most important motivating factor is self-perceived readiness to use social media. This factor predicts both current and future use. Implications of this study are discussed, including pedagogical applications, and future research directions.
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