Forthcoming Articles

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments

International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments (IJSMILE)

Forthcoming articles have been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication but are pending final changes, are not yet published and may not appear here in their final order of publication until they are assigned to issues. Therefore, the content conforms to our standards but the presentation (e.g. typesetting and proof-reading) is not necessarily up to the Inderscience standard. Additionally, titles, authors, abstracts and keywords may change before publication. Articles will not be published until the final proofs are validated by their authors.

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International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments (2 papers in press)

Regular Issues

  • Digital negotiation of bicultural identity: how social media use motivations influence acculturation among Chinese academics   Order a copy of this article
    by Yaolan Zhang 
    Abstract: Social media has become a crucial arena in acculturation due to its convenience and low cost. This study examined the influence of social media use motivations on the development of bicultural identity among Chinese visiting scholars, an understudied group in prior research. Drawing on uses and gratifications theory and adapting a bicultural identity scale, I conducted in-depth interviews to design a comprehensive questionnaire. Factor analysis identified two primary motivational factors for social media use: interpersonal communication and information consumption. Interpersonal communication emerged as the dominant driver, exerting influence across all dimensions of home cultural identity and two dimensions of host cultural identity. By contrast, information consumption demonstrated remarkably limited effects on both cultural identities. Regarding the bicultural identity, Chinese visiting scholars showed stronger home-culture identity while selectively integrating specific host-culture elements to address practical needs. Demographic variables did not significantly impact bicultural identity. Both motivational factors positively contributed to related dimensions of bicultural identity, underscoring social medias role as a cultural amplifier during academic sojourns. The findings highlight the critical role of interpersonal communication motivation in social media use for facilitating acculturation of Chinese academics, suggesting promising directions for future research.
    Keywords: social media use motivations; SMUMs; bicultural identity; BI; acculturation; Chinese visiting scholars; CVSs; uses and gratification theories.
    DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2026.10078127
     
  • Social media as a tool for digital learning: opportunities and challenges for higher education students from India   Order a copy of this article
    by Janani Mylswamy, Naveen Kumar Ranganathan, Pavithra Rajendran 
    Abstract: This study examines how generation Z students in Bangalore, India, use social media in their academic lives and how these usage patterns influence performance. Despite social medias deep integration into student routines, its academic potential remains underutilised. Drawing from a survey of 256 undergraduate and postgraduate students across Arts, Science, and Humanities disciplines, the study employs descriptive statistics, ANOVA, and SEM analysis to identify associations between usage behaviour and academic outcomes. Results reveal that students primarily use platforms such as WhatsApp and Instagram for entertainment, while fewer use them for academic support. Importantly, variables such as study stream, degree type, and purpose of use significantly affect performance, unlike age or total usage time. The study recommends that educators create structured, moderated WhatsApp or Telegram groups for course discussions and encourage content-based assignments using platforms like YouTube to enhance engagement and academic productivity.
    Keywords: generation Z; social media; academic performance; higher education; digitalisation; learning strategies; India.
    DOI: 10.1504/IJSMILE.2026.10079593
     

 

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